Fewer arrests but fear still lingers for Somaliland's press

Tweet

By Tom Rhodes

Residents sit under Somaliland's Independence memorial in Hargeisa. Journalists there say conditions are improving, but they remain wary. (Reuters/Feisal Omar)

Conditions for the press in the semi-autonomous republic of Somaliland may, on the surface, appear to be improving. But without a functioning media law to lend protection, and pending legislative elections, journalists remain wary of state harassment. 

Authorities have, for instance, decreased the rate and duration of arbitrary detentions of journalists, Mohamoud Abdi Jama, chairman of the Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA), told me during a U.N.-led trip in March to meet officials, journalists, and civil society actors in the capital, Hargeisa.

The xenophobic killings in South Africa

Tweet

By Frank Opara

Bongani is a South African who used to be my friend while in the U.K. Usually, during tea breaks at our work place, he told me stories of ‘small-small’ violent attacks by his country men and women on foreigners, especially Nigerians which happened on daily basis in his country. He was never bored telling me how much an average South African loathes a Nigerian.

Good night, our dear Oronto

Tweet

By Joe Okei-Odumakin

Oronto Douglas is one Comrade that saying eternal bye to is a very difficult task for the highly impactful life he led.

His death in the early hours of April 9, 2015, has robbed the community of conscience in Nigeria of one of its brightest stars whose total being was dedicated to the cause of progress. Oronto was a true veteran of many progressive battles which spanned across pro-democracy, self-determination, the environment and social issues.

President Jonathan’s administration in retrospect

Tweet

By Kayode Katefe

This, of course is the twilight of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and this writer reckons it is appropriate time to appraise his administration since there only remain just a little over two months before it expires. 

It is widely accepted that observance of human rights is one of the major hallmarks of a liberal democracy and thus the yardsticks for assessing the outgoing government’s performance may not be far from human rights issues.

Xenophobia: The fear of difference

Tweet

By Frank Opara

I was a victim of racism a couple of times abroad. Sometimes I felt bad and hurt, other times, cool. 

I felt hurt whenever I was deprived of my right, simply because of the color of my skin. I felt cool with those who unnecessarily made jest of me because of their erroneous belief that they are superior beings to me as a result of the color of my skin. 

Judges' break stalls judgment in Igbinedion’s case

Tweet

Press Release

Justice J. Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo state, has again moved judgment in the N25 billion fraud trial of Michael Igbinedion and Charles Eboigbodin to Monday April 20, 2015, due to the extended Easter break of judges. The new date was communicated to parties concerned as the court failed to sit on Friday, April 17, 2015.

The development is coming barely a month after Justice Liman promised there would to be no further delay in delivering the ruling  which has suffered several adjournments since January 30, 2015, when the case was first fixed for judgment. 

How a king sparked deadly violence in South Africa

Tweet

By Ishaan Tharoor

Immigrant men armed with machetes make their way onto a Durban, South Africa, street during clashes with police and in search of locals that attacked foreign shop owners in the city center, April 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Tebogo Letsie) 

Over the past week, at least five immigrants have been killed following clashes with xenophobic mobs in the major South African cities of Durban and Johannesburg. Fears of further tensions and violence are growing, with thousands of foreigners seeking shelter at police stations, temporary camps and even a soccer stadium.  

Others formed machete-wielding vigilante squads, aimed at defending their turf. South African President Jacob Zuma appealed for a calm in an address to parliament on Thursday.

For Oronto Douglas: A tribute

Tweet

By Denja Yaqub

He took the battle against the severe injustices oil communities have had to contend with since the discovery of the money spinner in Oloibiri on the 15th of January 1956 to greater heights, drawing global attention to the parlous condition these communities whose natural resources have been turned to natural disaster not just by oil companies but by a country that have never been led by anyone with concern and passion for the lives and conditions of people paradoxically living in areas of the source of global interest and deprivations such as the delta region of Nigeria has turned out to be. The entire country has been dependent on the resources of this region till date.