A stamp from the Republic of Congo.
Weekly Newsletter 22 October 2012
Dear Reader,
A year ago tomorrow, Tunisia held its first free election. The elected Al-Nahda government was to rule for “a maximum of one year” by which time it was to write a new constitution and hold fresh elections, neither of which it has done. The anniversary of Tunisia's election could therefore spark conflict and further change amidst ongoing popular grievances.
Sierra Leone is gearing up for general elections in November in which incumbent Ernest Koroma is expected to retain the presidency. Although many accounts paint Sierra Leone as unrecognisable from two decades ago when it descended into civil war, many of its underlying problems of inequality, identity politics, corruption and violence remain entrenched despite some economic and social development.
Nigeria is recovering from the worst flooding it has experienced for at least half a century which led to the deaths of hundreds, displacement of over a million and destruction of hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland. The flooding occurred after weeks of unusually intense rainfall, although many believe the devastation could have been mitigated considerably by better government planning and coordination.
25 years on from his assassination, Think Africa Press has been assessing the mixed legacy of Thomas Sankara, under whose largely socialist policies Burkina Faso achieved near self-sufficiency in terms of food, although some formal political freedoms and independent trade organising were severely limited. Sankara came to power through a coup in 1983 and ruled until 1987 when he was assassinated under the orders of his best friend Blaise Compaoré, who has been president ever since.
North: Tunisia: The First Anniversary of Democracy
West: Nigeria: Stolen Oil, Stolen Revenue
East: Uganda: Nodding Disease Continues to Mystify
South: Will Oil Resources be a Blessing or a Curse for Malawi?
Below are a few highlights from the past week:
All the best,
The Team at Think Africa Press
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief
James Schneider is the Editor-in-Chief of Think Africa Press. He read Theology at the University of Oxford and has a particular interest in the study of political economy, patterns of investment, and perspectives from the Global South. Email: editor@thinkafricapress.com. Follow him on twitter @schneiderhome.
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