Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.

Just so I understand this article correctly, I'm supposed to ignore the 40 years of Gnassingbe Eyadema's flagrant human rights violations because the head of that country's Human Rights Commission says so?

Scusi?

I'd say that any person affiliated with Eyadema, who has re-elected himself in any number of different ways, is himself corrupt, and so it goes for Komi Gnondoli, the head of the Togolese HRC.

It's been a long, long while since I've done the Africa thing. We've changed the site and I've abandoned all hopes for my multi-faced blogging community. Thanks to the other writers for giving up right along with me.
Now, for some African news.

Jessica Lange, an unlikely voice on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, has condemned the violence in the Congo and urged the United Nations to take action. Lange serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund, and recently returned from a stay in the war-torn nation.

While this is hardly huge news, I find it to very refreshing to see a celebrity take a stand on a foreign policy issue that isn't the slighest bit "trendy" and doesn't offer much of an opportunity to take the typical simplistic anti-Bush position that most Hollywood types are accustomed to.

While it's a shame that someone with no background in politics whatsoever is needed to bring attention to the crisis in the Congo, hopefully this will bring some new awareness to the western world (and particularly the US) regarding the continuing warfare. Lange may have been excaggerating a bit when she called the war "the worst in Africa's history" (that might come as news to the residents of Sudan), but certainly a ceasefire there would be key to any attempt to maintain stability in the region.

An excellent complaint last week from Mozambique. The nation observes that it is wildly unfair for it to not be able to subsidize its own farmers by World Bank policy while rich nations, who don't need the World Bank's money, are free to subsidize like crazy and regularly do.

Here's the crux of the issue - the World Bank opposes almost anything that creates the appearance of even a democratic socialism: no subsidized health, welfare or, in this case, agriculture. Unfortunately, it puts these countries on a lower level than the United States, amongst others, who prop up its flagging farms with billions of dollars annually. It's a horrid disparity and one of the great faults of the World Bank.

Although I hate pointing readers toward the nonsense over at the Ghanaian Chronicle, the newspaper has once again managed to offend me with its bias toward Togo. Here, we have an article tarnishing Gilchrist Olympio, Togo's main opposition leader, a man exiled from the country by long-ruling dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. According to the Chronicle, Olympio badly embarrassed himself on the BBC. It is clear, even from the article itself, that Olympio's sources were badly informed only about the state of Eyadema's health, and that's assuming that the reporters in Togo are doing a good job.

The Chronicle is the sort of paper that must know how badly it is misleading its readers and yet, with aplomb, it continues unabated. Simply scandalous.

Check out Mostly Africa, yet another African news blog. It's a good thing.

Despite relative calm in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, it's being reported that refugees are fleeing Northern Liberia camps admist outnbreaks of fighting.

Unfortunately, details are sketchy as to how intense the fighting is. All signs point to it being fairly minor, though, and most likely these are last-minute efforts on the part of roughly assembled looters to lay claim to whatever they can in the days before the arrival of peacekeepers.

Regardless, any sort of disruption in the refugee camps will have a negative impact on relief groups' attempts to distribute aid.

The World Heath Organization is warning that Angola, one of the African nations least hit by the AIDS epidemic because of its recently ended civil war, must now act to prevent the spread of the disease.

The reason cited - the end of the 27-year civil war, allowing people to more easily leave the country and travel within the country - is fascinating, and damning for the continent. Simply, can Africans get one, single, break in a given day? After all, it would seem like the end of the 27-year civil war would be a good thing, and it is a good thing, but now the country must find a way to move forward, and one of the things it must plan for is the plague of AIDS.

I'll try to find some good news, but no promises.

news.Benin.Norway.Debt

Norway canceled Benin's debts on August 29th, a bold move by the Norwegian government. The debt was 233 NOK (according to the article, which, according to my sources, is a shorthand for the crown, or krohner maybe?). Anyway, that's the equivalent, roughly, of 33 million bucks.

Debt forgiveness of this magnitude (and according to the above article, this is part of Norway's total debt forgiveness of 1.2 billion NOK, or, again very roughly, 172 million bucks) is both pleasing to the international markets, as a country with less money owed then presumably has more money to spend, but also to U2's Bono, he of the world campaign for debt relief. But seriously, more governments need to think seriously about debt relief - yes, the governments in question will take a semi-serious financial hit, but it's not like Benin was simply holding Norway's money back.