Photo from Newsweek Magazine

By: Razanne Chatila

A new industry has hit Africa. The mobile phone market in Africa is the fastest-growing in the world and for many industries it is being considered as the “last frontier with the potential for unlocked riches and luring global interest.” However, this is not a sure golden ticket to success but rather many industry leaders and analysts stated there are two important challenges they face. These include lowering prices for handsets and services and boosting a patchy network.

Nonetheless, the use of this technology is booming across the continent especially as landline networks are poorly developed and many individuals rely on mobile phones for financial transactions or to link to the Internet. Global consultants PwC said the number of mobile telephone subscriptions in Africa exploded from 16 million in 2000 to 246 million in 2008 and is more than 500 million now, with estimates of 600 million subscribers by 2016. To profit from cheaper calls many Africans have two SIM cards, which can change the data on the estimates of who actually has a mobile telephone.

Getting more mobile phones to individuals is what Chinese manufacturer Huawei did. Just this month they launched a new smartphone adapted for Africa called the 4Africka that runs on Microsoft’s Windows phone operating system with a four-inch screen.  The phone is expected to sell for less than $200 and is going to be launched in Angola, Egypt, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa within the next month. The total investment in fixed and mobile networks in Africa according to PwC  is expected to rise from $78.8 billion in 2008 to $145.9 billion by 2015.

It is beyond just having a means of communication but in many rural areas it has become a tool. In Uganda, banana plant farmers use their mobile devices to track crop disease and communicate the latest scientific facts to other farmers. New companies are also developing applications specifically geared to the needs of that region such as agriculture focused apps. Although, Africans have never been avid telephone users and with most Africans living on $2 a day or less, many corporate investments in cellular networks far outside the more prosperous cities and towns saw this region as too poor. But the lack of resources is not stopping many citizens or companies from capitalizing on this new opportunity.

The Kenyan company Safaricom introduced M-KOPA, which is program that offers simple solar lighting equipment and a pay-as-you-go SIM card. Customers have one year to pay for the package, and after that they have free solar electricity. This allows over 80 percent of Kenyans to be able to charge their phones and still be able to afford lighting their homes. These innovate approaches are what is needed for this region. It is not a matter of not having the means to be technologically advanced, but rather it is about adapting this to the capabilities and resources of Africa. Communication is essential for development and these new technologies could be the pathway to a more prosperous future for many. 

Photo from Deutsche Welle News

By: Razanne Chatila

Africa has taken second place in the worldwide trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs. Drugs take a heavy toll on Africans. According to UN statistics,  37,000 people in Africa die annually from drug-related causes, with estimates of over 28 million drug users. Chief of drug prevention and health branch at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Gilberto Gerra, said the reason for this rise of illegal drug consumption is the result of political instability and loose borders.

To address this problem a two-day, international conference in Kampa took place this week.  At the conference, young people in consumption countries were identified as the most vulnerable population falling victim to drugs with the lure of fitting in or having a better a life with each drug they take.

Just last month, the West Africa Commission on the Impact of Drugs on Governance, Security and Development was launched by the former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Center in Accra, Ghana. Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, was appointed to serve as its chair. Some of the goals of this commission include: developing evidence,  based policy recommendations,  public awareness and political commitment, and promoting local and regional solutions to deal with drug trafficking.

In regards to this new commission, Obasanjo said,  “The trade in illegal drugs has already caused devastation in other regions of the world. We must all work together to prevent West Africa from experiencing the same fate. The Commission looks forward to its urgent and important work.”

Although globally, illicit drug use has remained stable in five years according to the World Drug report, the problem still remains large. Governments in countries all over Africa voiced their concern for this issue and protecting their most vulnerable, the youth.

With West Africa’s weak borders, according to Gerra, drug cartels from Colombia and Latin America have chosen to use these locations as gateways to reach Europe, which has increased significantly in recent years. In an article by All Africa news, it was reported that since 2008 the volume of cocaine transiting through West Africa was about 50 tons a year, an estimated $2 billion annually. They also stated that nearly 50 percent of cocaine, or about 13 percent of all global flows, is now believed to be smuggled through West Africa. The reason for this is due to West Africa’s geographical proximity to European markets that make it strategically well-located for drug-smuggling purposes and with the lack of strong government control of its borders, this area has quickly flourished to a drug transit hotspot.

With 70 percent of the sub-region’s population under the age of 35, the vast majority has limited access to education and large portions are unemployed. The lack of opportunities or reliable income put most individuals in a risky situation. Drugs offer a means of escaping difficult and desperate circumstances and a ticket for securing an income. However, not only do alternate livelihoods need to be provided for these populations, but more drug education needs to be taught in schools to educate the younger population of what these “golden tickets” really mean and what effects it can truly have on their lives. 

Photo from Toronto Star

By Razanne Chatila

It took one horrible crime to be the tipping point to spark a national controversy in South Africa on what actions are being taken to prevent and prosecute sexual crimes against women and children.

When news earlier this month of the gang-rape and murder of 17-year-old Anene Booysen, who was badly mutilated and left for dead on a building site in the town of Bredasdorp, 80 miles east of Cape Town, broke out, it sparked outrage by the South Africans and politicians alike. Boosyne who was found barely alive by a security guard the following day, was taken to the hospital where she managed to identify one of her rapists before dying of her injuries It seems to be an echo of another recent case, being compared to the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus that triggered huge demonstrations in India against endemic gender violence.

“When a very similar incident occurred in India recently, there was a massive outbreak of protest and mass demonstrations in the streets; it was a big story around the world,” said Patrick Craven, spokesman for the Congress of South African Trade Unions in a recent interview. “We must show the world that South Africans are no less angry at such crimes and make an equally loud statement of disgust and protest in the streets.”

Many rights groups complain that the reason rape crimes are still occurring is because it has been normalized in society and has lost the power to shock, especially in South Africa, and the statistics definitely emphasize this. In 2010-11, there were 56,272 rapes recorded in South Africa, which is an average of 154 a day. This is more than double the rate in India. According to a study in 2009, one in four South African men has admitted to having raped a woman. The last significant public outcry was a year ago when a 17-year-old mentally disabled girl from Soweto was gang raped by young men who videotaped her anguish and offered her the equivalent of 25 cents to keep quiet.

This time, however, it has garnered the attention of the South African president who called on the courts to “impose the harshest crimes, as part of a concerted campaign to end this scourge in our country.”

He further stated, “The whole nation is outraged at this extreme violation and destruction of a young human life. This act is shocking, cruel and most inhumane. It has no place in our country. We must never allow ourselves to get used to these acts of base criminality to our women and children.”

Many criticize the lack of action taken by the government and have accused the government of neglecting the issue of rape and violence against women. This lack of initiative has also raised international concern as the top human rights official at the United Nations, Navi Pillay, says the scourge of rape in South Africa must be addressed in a “macro fashion in order to find the root causes.” She emphasized the U.N. stance that the primary responsibility of protecting civilians, including from rape, lies in the hands of the state. As such, she commented on South Africa’s approach and praised the law but objected on the lack of implementation, connecting it to the endemic societal patriarchy. Also noting the need to open up the discussion to all citizens, women and men alike should pick up ideas and share solutions in order to change a culture where discrimination and violence against women is condemned, and where punishment is duly given.

Photo from ZME Science

By: Razanne Chatila

We have all seen the Disney classic, The Lion King, which depicts the story of a young lion prince, Simba, in the savannahs of Africa. Now imagine Simba’s grandchildren. Are they going to be able to roam around the great savannahs like their parents or grandparents? The reality is probably not especially that bright for 75 percent of their habitat in the last 50 years has been lost or destroyed according to a recent study, as humans overtake their land and the lion population dwindles.

Researchers at Duke University,  including Stuart Pimm-prominent conservationist and Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke University,  warn that the number of lions across the continent have dropped to as few as 32,000 from 100,000 . Populations in West Africa are under incredible pressure according to the study published this week in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation.

“The word savannah conjures up visions of vast open plains teeming with wildlife. But the reality is that massive land-use change and deforestation, driven by rapid human population growth, has fragmented or degraded much of the original savannah. Only 25 percent remains of an ecosystem that once was a third larger than the continental United States,” said Pimm, “Given that many now live in small, isolated populations, this trend will continue. The situation in West Africa is particularly dire, with no large population remaining and lions now absent from many of the region’s national parks.

In the new study, funded by National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative long-term effort to halt the decline of big cats in the wild through assessment efforts, on-the-ground conservation projects, education and a global public-awareness campaign; Pimm and his colleagues used high-resolution satellite imagery from Google Earth, alongside human population density data and estimates of local lion population to map areas still favorable to the lions’ survival. They were able to identify 67 isolated areas of savannah that are still suitable with low man impacts and densities. A good sign for the big cats. However, only 10 of these spots were estimated to be strongholds where lions have an excellent chance of survival. Many of these are located within national parks and none are located in West Africa, especially due  to the rapid doubling in the human populations in the last 30 years.

“Giving these lions something of a fighting chance will require substantial increases in effort. The next 10 years are decisive for this region, not just for lions but for biodiversity, since lions are indicators of ecosystem health,” said Andrew Jacobson, a member of Pimm’s lab.

Five countries in Africa have likely lost their lions since a 2002 study was run, the report said. Only nine countries contain at least 1,000 lions, while Tanzania alone has more than 40 per cent of the continent’s lions. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) also state “the causes of this reduction are not well understood, are unlikely to have ceased, and may not be reversible.” Nevertheless, The African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (ALERT), founded by Andrew Conolly in Zimbabwe in 2005, believes there are viable solutions to help save the lions. The answer, he says, is the reintroduction of wild borne cubs from rehabilitated captive bred lions. Although there are many complications and potential dangers that come with reintroduction of lions into the wild, The African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program operated by ALERT is a four stage program designed to elimate these past problems.

Photo from Wildlife Extra

The first stage is where young cubs are taken on walks to build their confidence in the African bush, allowing them to practice their natural hunting instincts. In stage two, the lions have the chance to develop a “natural pride social system” in a minimum 500 acre enclosure. There is plenty of game for them to hunt and all human contact is removed. To advance past this stage the lions must meet two criteria: that of being socially stable and self-sustaining. Once they complete this, they move to stage three, which is a minimum 10,000-acre managed ecosystem with the same conditions as stage two with plenty of prey plus competitive species such as hyena. Stage four comes with the cubs born in stage three being  raised by the pride within a natural environment and with their natural avoidance behavior of humans intact, can then be released to repopulate Africa’s national parks and conservancies. So far the program has only reached stage two, with the first release at the Dollar Block reserve in Zimbabwe. The released lions have successfully hunted a range of species from impala to adult giraffe, a remarkable achievement for the captive lions.

Saving the king of beasts is not going to be an easy one-time solution. It is going to need a    multi-facet, multinational approach. Their population is dwindling at an alarming rate and if measures are not taken, the king will roam no more.

Photo from CNN

By: Razanne Chatila

With an estimated 4 million people killed and 2.5 million forced to flee their homes, The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) ongoing civil strife in the ease  between rebel group M23 and government soldiers has left many fearing-of a potential split of the country.

The DRC, the fourth largest nation in Africa, hosts the largest and most expensive UN peacekeeping mission in history, MONUC (United Nations Mission DR Congo) . The Congo hosts a $1.4 billion a year, 20,000-strong UN force. The eastern region of the DRC has been embroiled in war for the last decade and a half with rebels and government soldier’s alike going on murderous rampages through the forested hills of the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The conflicts have been partly triggered by the hostility between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups and partly by competition over land, natural resources, mines and large sums of money. The ongoing struggle for power in this region recently seem to have taken a turn.

Many analysis state that this time many things seem different. For one, the M23 rebels are trying to gain the support of the local population by portraying themselves as a peacekeeping power that will finally bring calm and security to the region. For them, the important eastern city of Goma, located near the border of Rwanda, is the bridgehead from which they intended to capture the entire country, and they were partially successful. On Nov. 20, troops walked into the regional capital, home to 1 million people.  The fears of a bloodbath were deterred when the national army abandoned the city after four days of skirmishes in the surrounding areas. UN peacekeepers, left over from previous civil wars in the region, were also very limited preventative options. Goma had been taken over by the rebels.

This past Wednesday,  Nov. 28, the U.N. Security Council extended an arms embargo against armed groups in Congo in which they strongly condemned  the rebel group for attacking civilians  believed to be backed by Rwanda. In a resolution adopted unanimously, the council extended sanctions against armed groups in  the DRC until Feb. 1, 2014 and said it will consider additional measures against leaders of the M23 rebel group and those providing support to them.With the sudden immense pressure, M23 rebels soon after agreed to a regional peace plan that requires them to withdraw from the strategic eastern towns of Goma and Sake.

Rene Abandi, M23 head of external relations said in an interview in Uganda that the decision had been reached after the rebel’s commander Sultani Makenga met with Uganda’s Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Aronda Nyakairim this past week. This meeting,, attended by other top military officials ended with agreement of withdrawal within two days.

Abandi then went on to say, “While we plan to withdraw, there is no ceasefire in place…The government is making troop reinforcements in areas close to our current lines; we want a ceasefire. On our part, we are committed to respecting whatever the presidents asked of us,” said Abandi.He continued, “We are withdrawing to a place of tactical importance which we are yet to determine. Certainly we can’t relocate to a river or road.”

In hopes of reaching a ceasefire and subduing the increasing violence, a summit was held last week in the latest in a series of high-level regional meetings, including five extraordinary Heads of State and Government summits in less than four months, designed to help find a lasting solution to the recurrent conflicts in eastern DRC. Tanzania pledged to contribute to a proposed 4,000-strong African neutral force to help disarm the various armed groups in  the eastern DRC, while South Africa has offered to provide logistics to the envisioned force.

Seeing an end to the intense violence and ending the thousands of deaths, is surprisingly not garnering much international attention considering how severe the situation really is. In order for the DRC  to completely move away from this era of conflict into unity and peace, the international community alongside the people of the DRC needs to come together in order to bring a new horizon that isn’t mangled with politics or racial and ethnic identity.