Monthly Archives: July 2009

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Mineral firms ‘fuel Congo unrest’

BBC

Rebel groups control large parts of the trade, Global Witness says

Rebel groups control large parts of the trade, Global Witness says

Western mineral firms are fuelling violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo by failing to check where their raw materials come from, activists say.

Global Witness says companies sourcing minerals used in electronic gadgets are buying them from traders who finance rebel and government troops. Continue reading →

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World celebrates as Mandela turns 91

Mail and Guardian

SIBONGILE KHUMALO

mandelaNelson Mandela turns 91 on Saturday with a call for community service and celebrations from New York’s Madison Square Garden to downtown Johannesburg. The increasingly frail former statesman who is affectionately called Madiba, his clan name, has been inundated with messages of goodwill, from multinational companies to ordinary South Africans. But the Nobel Peace Prize laureate will spend the day at home with his family and close friends. Continue reading →

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“]Obama said Africa needs good governance rather than more aid in his Ghana speech [AFP]

Obama said Africa needs good governance rather than more aid in his Ghana speech [AFP

Al Jazeera

Samah El-Shahat

A contradictory message from Obama

Until northern countries put their own house in order in terms of changing the policies applied to their farmers – Africa’s food dependence will continue, and it will always be blamed on Africa’s lack of good governance.

Continue reading →

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Straight Talk: Revealing the Real U.S.-Africa Policy

Foreign Policy In Focus

Gerald LeMelleEditor’s Note: A press booklet, created by a coalition of organizations, on recommendations for U.S.-Africa policy can be found here. It’s time for some straight talk on U.S. foreign policy as it relates to Africa. While Obama administration officials and the U.S. African Command (AFRICOM) representatives insist that U.S. foreign policy towards Africa isn’t being militarized, the evidence seems to suggest otherwise. While Africans condemned U.S. military policy in Africa under the Bush administration, the Obama administration has not only mirrored Bush’s approach, but has in fact enhanced it. President George W. Bush established Africa as a foreign policy priority in 2003, when he announced that 25% of oil imported to the United States should come from Africa. Like the Cold War, the Global War on Terror establishes a rationale for bolstering U.S. military presence and support in Africa. Yet official pronouncement of U.S. policy is routinely presented as if neither of these two developments occurred. Unfortunately, the more evasive we are about our intentions on the continent, the more we invite not only skepticism, but even resistance. Continue reading →
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ACTION ALERT: Oppose Enforcement-Only Approaches to Immigration Reform

 

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Oppose Enforcement-Only Approaches to Immigration Reform 

Please Contact Your Senators – Take Action

 Background:  During the week of July 6-10, the U.S. Senate considered amendments to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill. During the debate, the Senate considered and adopted several immigration enforcement amendments which continue the enforcement-only approach to immigration reform.  An amendment offered by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) enhancing the U.S.-Mexico border fence was particularly disturbing. Continue reading →

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Congo’s bishops urge citizens to fight corruption in their country

KINSHASA, Congo (CNS) — The Catholic bishops of Congo have called on each citizen to become personally involved in the fight against deeply rooted corruption in the African country. The bishops describe corruption as “one of the bases for the unequal distribution of national resources between the wealthy classes, made up of public authorities, and the majority of the population who live in misery.” Continue reading →