African Studies Blog - Muzammil Yousuf Palla

The following news is taken from the Middle East Monitor: The leader of protests over economic woes in Morocco’s Rif region, Nasser Zefzafi, was hurt inside prison, according to prison authorities on Sunday. In June, Zefzafi was  sentenced to 20 years in prison  for leading protests against economic and social problems in the country’s Rif region. In a statement, the General Commission for Management of Prisons (GCMP) said Zafzafi asked on Saturday for medical help due to leg pains.  GCMP said Zefzafi “deliberately hurt himself by hitting his hand against the edge of an office and the wall” as the medic was helping him. The GCMP said Zefzafi has committed “acts in violation of law with the intent of causing unrest and chaos”.  The GCMP narrative could not be verified by an independent source. (taken from   www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190127-morocco-protest-leader-hurt-inside-prison ) Analysis: One may see that there is no certainty as to what happened in terms of his in

A journalist from Ghana who exposed corruption in soccer was killed. Ahmed Hussain Suale was killed near his house in the Accra suburb of Madina by two men on a motorbike. He was working for an organization called Tiger Eye Pi founded by Anas Aremeyaw Anas. I quoted CNN as stating: "In a statement, Tiger Eye PI said Hussein-Suale had received death threats after recently finishing work on a documentary that exposed bribery and corruption in African soccer." This investigation led by Hussein-Suale and Anas led to the resignation of the head of the Ghana Football Association. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo  took to Twitter to condemn the killing as heinous. He states (quoting from CNN): "I have learnt with sadness of the killing of Ahmed Hussein-Suale. ...," he wrote. "I condemn the act unreservedly and extend my condolences to his family. I expect the police to bring to book, as soon as possible, the perpetrators of this heinous crime. ..."

There has been a call to cut ties with Mauritania by an activist named Biram Dah Abeid because of Mauritania's rampant problem of slavery and forced labor. He asked that the E.U. follow the footsteps of the United States who decided to cut trade benefits with the West African nation due to its slavery and forced labor. Abeid has been jailed many times and won awards from the United Nations and United States for his fight against slavery. He told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that he plans to stand for president for a second time in this year's elections. Slavery is extremely common-place in Mauritania and is usually around racial lines. The Moor people are usually those enslaving the more dark-skinned Haratins as cattle herders and domestic servants.  https://www.namibian.com.na/74572/read/Europe-must-cut-ties-with-Mauritania-anti-slavery-politician-says