In April 2014, nine Ethiopian journalists were arrested and jailed under the broad interpretation of anti-terrorism laws. They were accused of working with opposition groups to overthrow the government. Yet no evidence of any wrongdoing has been produced.
Through sheer grit and determination, Eritrea’s Daniel Teklehaimanot and Merhawi Kudus became the first black Africans to compete in the Tour de France. People watched from all corners of the world as history was made. In their home country, exhilarated crowds in cafes and streets around Asmara cheered for Daniel when he received the King... Read more »
From inter-religious violence in the Central African Republic which has been labeled as “pre-genocide,” to inter-ethnic violence in South Sudan claiming thousands of lives and displacing over a million from the newest country of the world, various regions in Africa are enduring disastrous conflicts.
The cover of the venerable weekly magazine, the Economist in May 2000 said it all. Inside the outline of the continent of Africa, the magazine showed a photo of a young soldier with a rocket launcher slung over his shoulder. Above it was the headline, “The hopeless continent.” This example, though extreme, is not unusual... Read more »
There is an increasing anger toward how Africa as a continent is covered in the mainstream media. Often, news reports this vast and complex continent have a monolithic tone where all of the negative news is highlighted and accepted by an audience that is not well informed. Even the positive news is met with the... Read more »
Earlier this month, I was able to meet African journalists from twelve countries who came to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s Department of Journalism and Media Studies through the Edward R. Murrow Program for journalists. The program is funded by the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. The journalists were from Botswana, Kenya,... Read more »
Shortly after Kieran Dwyer, the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, gave a presentation about U.N. peacekeeping missions (watch video below), he said that the mission also receives “bad press” for some of its work in Africa. The phrase jumped out at me. Bad press is what happens when a Hollywood movie flops. In Africa,... Read more »
When the French first intervened in Mali, Ambassador Vicki Huddleston penned an Op-Ed in the New York Times outlining reasons why the U.S. should assist France in fighting the terror group Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Huddleston was the United States ambassador to Mali from 2002 to 2005 and urged the U.S. not to intervene... Read more »
I was fortunate enough to talk to Al Jazeera today and I tried to give critical overview of current developments in Eritrea. Since it was short notice and I didn’t have enough time and preparation to fit all my notes during live interview, I have decided to post the video and a couple of thought-provoking points worth mentioning in... Read more »