[From Mmegi Online and written by Ephraim Keoreng]

October 12, 2009 – Gaborone. Civil society leaders have said that in Botswana there is no freedom of expression. At the launch of the African Media Barometer (AMB) in Botswana booklet in Gaborone last Friday, the leaders said that people are not free to express themselves.

Botswana Council of Non-Government Organisations (BOCONGO) executive secretary, Reverend Mosweu Simane said that nowadays people are not free to critique government and its leadership. This he said, is borne out of fear that in workshops and conferences, people are afraid those close to the leadership will finger them, something which they say would bring retribution from those in power. He cited an incident in Francistown where they were discussing the National Development Plan 10, whereupon one presenter, who was on the floor presenting a point, which faulted government and all of a sudden “the man panicked, mumbled and later in his discussion changed his subject.   (more…)

By Jacien Carr

It was with great concern that I read about the Liberian Ministry of Information’s actions to deny the printing of “The Bi-Lingual” and “The New Broom”.  Having gained peace after years of civil strife, these actions are contrary to the advancement of civil society.  This demonstrates why Radio Free Africa is needed.

Growing up in Europe from 1974 to 1988, I was able to witness and absorb the plight of millions of Eastern Bloc Europeans living under the iron grip of Soviet inspired totalitarianism.  In fact one of my earliest memories of the consequences of this ideology was viewing programs about life in Eastern Europe that depicted empty shopping markets.  Bare shelves greeted hundreds of shoppers.  Usually, older women, all of them it appeared, dressed by the same tailor.  What a contrast to life in Italy or Switzerland.  Being from Liberia, I was astonished to realize that Europeans also lived in abject poverty.  I did realize however, that the reason for these conditions was manmade.   The citizens of Eastern Europe were subjected to third world status due to the policies of their governments.  Two of those policies were the systematic suppression of free speech and the press.  This policy reached across the Iron Curtain and touched me personally while I was living in Geneva, Switzerland. (more…)

Last week, as reported in Al-Jazeera,  Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir (who has been indicted for war crimes by the UN’s International Criminal Court)ordered an end to state censorship to increase validity for the country’s upcoming elections.  Many editors, however, retain serious doubts about their ability to publish any content related to the Darfur conflict and other potentially “sensitive” issues.

Please see the full article in Al-Jazeera for details.

From the BBC’s 60-Second Idea to Change the World:

” I would like everyone to write the following on postcards and send to governments around the world.

Freedom of expression and of thought was not invented by the West. It has existed in traditional societies — even primitive ones — for centuries. Human progress would not have been possible without it. I’m saying this as a black African from Ghana because today around the world, we have “educated” barbarians who want to suppress this freedom by arresting and jailing dissidents, writers, journalists and those they disagree with. In fact, the UN should expel those countries that do not respect Freedom of expression, which is Article 19 of the UN Human Rights charter.

When everyone has written this thought on postcards and sent them, they should also put them on POSTERS and hang them up in market places, in windows, on the sides of buildings everywhere. So that around the world will be the unmistakable visual reminder of the freedom everywhere.”

George Ayittey on the BBC, September 20, 2009

Listen to the audio of George Ayittey on the BBC

BBC 60 Second Idea to Improve the World

Secretary Clinton with Professor Ayittey

George Ayittey

August 1, 2009

Crossposted with “Ghanadot”

Next week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be visiting 7 African countries in 11 days: Cape Verde Islands, Liberia, Nigeria, Congo DR (Goma, in particular), Kenya, South Africa and Angola. Part of the purpose of the trip is to smooth over ruffled feathers. Recall that Kenyans were miffed over the fact the President Obama skipped his fatherland and visited Ghana instead. And Nigerians felt his trip to Ghana was an insidious plot to destabilize their country. So Hillary is being dispatched to soothe frayed nerves and douse the flames. There are also genuine concerns in the Obama administration about Nigeria’s stability and China’s forays into Africa.   (more…)