All that glitters isn't gold

Radio Netherlands Africa service has a story about the problems caused by the gold rush in southeastern Senegal.

Is bigotry 'culturally African'?

When I lived in Senegal for three months in the mid-90s, I was well-aware that it was a conservative Muslim country. But it was also a very warm and welcoming country. Yet like many places, venal politicians have whipped up hatred to advance their own careers. A despicable recent court ruling in the country jailed nine gay men for 'indecent conduct and unnatural acts.' The judge said they were guilty of the additional crime of belong to a criminal group: one set up to fight HIV/AIDS.

Homophobia has become increasingly rampant in Senegal due to said ambitious politicians.

Typically, many Senegalese bristled at international condemnation of the unconscionable decision. "Westerners need to remember this is African culture. We do things our own way," was a common sentiment.

What a hypocritical justification for vile bigotry?

Imagine if the French or the British openly defended anti-black racism with a dismissive, "It's the European way. Africans need to respect our culture."

Do you think people in Senegal or anywhere else in sub-Saharan Africa would be 'culturally sensitive' to such a situation?

A return to the bad old days

Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade has been seen as a beacon of the much-touted African Renaissance since his election in 2000. He was one of the main proponents of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), which basically tries to get African leaders to keep tabs on their own. Its motto is 'Democracy and good political governance.'

Yet Wade's rule has become increasingly authoritarian, according to some critics, going after both the press, the opposition and former allies.

Recently, pliant parliamentarians approved a measure to extend the presidential mandate from five years to seven.

Critics attacked the move not only on substance but on procedure. They claim that such an act can only be done via referendum.


Extending presidential mandates is one of the most common methods in particularly West Africa to create a monarchical republic.

Not surprisingly, main opposition parties criticised the move saying Senegal has now become a "monarchy", while others denounced the "numerous changes" in the nation's constitution.

According to a study of West African university professors, since Wade came to power in 2000, Senegal's constitution has been changed at an astonishing rate of once every six months.

Mauritanian refugees to be repatriated from Senegal

I discovered a very interesting site recently: Telediaspora.net. The site is a regular portal providing the usual news and such, but with an interesting twist. It offers live feed of state television networks from Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Mali and Guinea.

Anyway, I was watching the news from Senegal's RTS and they did a story about rapprochement between Senegal and Mauritania. Banjul's Daily Observer did a story as well.

The two countries fought a border in 1988 that left thousands of mostly black Mauritanians stranded in Senegal and Mali. Even though Senegal had a change in leadership in 2000, no progress was made in the refugee issue until the military that overthrew Mauritanian strongman Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya. Senegalo-Mauritanian relations seem to have thawed since newly elected president Ould Cheikh Abdallahi took over in Mauritania.

The new president recently conducted a two-day visit to Dakar to meet with his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade. The two countries' foreign ministers met as well.

Mauritania has agreed to repatriate all Mauritanian refugees trapped in Senegal since 1988, reports The Daily Observer

A joint communique also called for expanding trade and common investment between the two countries and expressed their satisfaction over the progress being made in the construction of the Tangiers-Nouakchott-Dakar Trans-Saharan road and the "encouraging evolution" of the plans for the Tangiers-Casablanca-Nouadhibou -Nouakchott-Dakar sea link.