Chinua Achebe Calls for Revolution in Nigeria

Renowned writer, Chinua Achebe, has called on Nigerians to rise up in unison and challenge the bad leadership and looting of the country, Next newspaper from Lagos reports. Speaking on Thursday when the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, visited him at his home in Bard College, an elite liberal arts university in the suburbs of New York, Achebe said Nigeria was doomed if its people do not act to halt corruption and ineptitude among its ruling elites.

Kenya: Eating Until it Cracks in a ‘Government of National Impunity’

Next month’s issue of Konkret will have an article about state violence, impunity and the theft of public resources in Kenya, written by Jan Bachmann and me. The ‘government of national impunity’ comes under increasing international pressure to go against those responsible for the deadly fights after the elections 2007. ‘Given that some of Kenya’s most ambitious and thrusting young politicians have blood on their hands, it’s very hard to see those really responsible for the 2008 violence being held to account’, we hear from Michela Wrong, author of It’s Our Turn to Eat.

Nneka: Effusing a Message From Warri, Niger Delta, to the World

<UK Independent> It’s been four years since Nneka Egbuna emerged from Germany as the gung-ho Nigerian rapper/singer/songwriter with a socio-political bone to pick, and yet she’s still indifferent to fame. “I’m just happy that more than one person listens to me,” shrugs the 27-year-old when asked if she has the desire to break the US now that she’s been recognised by the Mobos as the Best African Act, and Channel O, the premier African music network based in South Africa. “It’s not about being popular. It’s about the love of doing the music. It’s about giving people hope; it’s not about me, it’s not about Nneka herself, it’s about having a voice and it’s about having a message behind the voice.” Full text here. Promo video for Nneka’s latest release here.

Armed Groups, Power and Domination: The Dilemma of Violence

Klaus Schlichte published his book In the Shadow of Violence recently with Campus Verlag. The political scientist provides an ambitious study about the use of violence, questions of legitimacy and the stabilisation of domination by armed groups. He draws on extensive evidence from the fields, a good part of it cumulated by himself and his students. Read my review here.

In Guinea Conakry, the Dadis Show Is Over

More than 130, perhaps up to 200 Guineans are estimated to have been killed by the army and police in the capital Conakry on 28 September. About 150 women are said to have been raped. They wanted to take part in a protest rally against the intentions by the military under Moussa Dadis Camara to prolong its stay in power after elections planned for early 2010. There are reports that the looting, firing and stealing by ‘security forces’ continues. The Dadis Show in which high-profile political entrepreneurs had to appear on TV and confess their misdeeds finally came to an end.