In the last blog entry, I talked to Ambassador Vicki Huddleston who suggested that America should focus on training and supporting African forces so they can battle extremists in the Sahel. In the wake of the Boston bombings, questions have arisen about immigration and the process of assimilation in the United States. We’re all trying to …
When the French first intervened in Mali, Ambassador Vicki Huddleston penned an Op-Ed in the New York Times outlining reasons why the U.S. should assist France in fighting the terror group Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Huddleston was the United States ambassador to Mali from 2002 to 2005 and urged the U.S. not to intervene …
Africa on the Agenda: Conference on World Affairs in St. Petersburg Initiated by Douglas McElhaney, a former ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2004 to 2007, and hosted at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, the first annual St Petersburg in the World Conference was held from March 28 to 29. The conference brought together …
It’s one thing when politicians talk blithely of the consequences of war and another to hear it from someone who has been in a combat position. If there is any politician who is aware of the cost of war, it is John Kerry. During the Vietnam War, he had shrapnel pierce his left arm and left leg and was again wounded in his …
Crush-Hopper: Story of a Girl’s Journey Through Post-Apartheid South Africa Crush-Hopper is South African Mandisa Haarhoff’s autobiographical story about a young girl. This is a girl who first learned about beauty by playing with dolls who had long blond hair and blue eyes. She is a giddy and joyful girl who has a soft spot for …
Terence McCulley, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, and Rebecca Armand, Senior Commercial Officer for the U.S. Mission to Nigeria, spoke to the Tampa Bay area business community on December 12. The event was hosted by the Tampa Port Authority and presented by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The story below is a follow-up and was originally …
As the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Susan Rice read a eulogy she prepared on the occasion of the death of Meles Zenawi, the prime minister of Ethiopia, she called him a “tough, unsentimental and sometimes unyielding,” leader. She went on to describe how he demeaned people who disagreed with him saying, “of course, he had …
In the last blog entry, I wrote that Ambassador Michael E. Ranneberger was visiting the University of South Florida as part of an event sponsored by the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies. Amb. Ranneberger gave a lecture titled “U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa: Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities” through the center’s “Lecture Series on National Security.” …
The final days of the campaign for the 2012 elections are upon us. Speculation by pundits, a barrage of polls and heated political discussions dominate the media in America. In this spirit, a panel of professors from around the world gathered at an event hosted by USF World and co-sponsored by the USF Chinese Culture …
What Does the U.S. Presidential Election Mean to an International Audience? Foreign policy plays a significant role in U.S. presidential elections. Many argue that the foreign agenda is the only one that a sitting president can implement without having to go through the labyrinth of politics and the checks and balances of the democratic …
In the wake of the death of Malawi’s former president, Bingu wa Mutharika due to cardiac arrest, the country’s political leadership has welcomed a new guard. Joyce Banda, an outspoken activist and leader of the People’s Party, became the president of the country making her the second female president in Africa. In the relatively short period of time until …
During the past five years of my stay in the United States, I have come across different members of the African diaspora who are passionate about the future of the continent. I’ve talked to ambitious educated individuals who’ve expressed their determination to one day go back and contribute. On the contrary, I’ve also come across …
You’ve come across this. I’m sure of it. Imagine watching an important speech about something groundbreaking and getting interrupted by an annoying comment about what the speaker is wearing instead of what he is saying. If you’re an active social media user like I am, you probably have seen what I call the “snark bombers” …
“I am a socialist and I take part in the ‘Occupy Tampa’ movement” said one of the students opening the first question at an event sponsored by the USF World, at the University of South Florida’s International Program in Tampa, Florida. The question was directed at the Executive Director of the World Bank Group, Ian Solomon, …
On World Press Freedom day, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released its annual list of the best and worst countries as it relates to press freedom. The usual suspects, Eritrea and Equatorial Guinea, were singled out in a list of the 10 worst countries for censorship. Many other African countries received failing marks. Since, in most cases, national security …
As a former Missourian and an Eritrean immigrant, I was heartbroken when I came across the April 15th St. Louis Post Dispatch front page story detailing the statutory rape case against an Eritrean immigrant in St. Louis who impregnated a 12-year-old. As I scanned through the story, I spotted several ambiguous parts which begged for perspective. …
In the past two months, West Africa has witnessed an unprecedented security threat as several governments were caught in the grips of coups or attempted coups. As Guinea-Bissau soldiers arrest the nation’s Prime minister over a suspected coup, Mali’s new interim civilian president got sworn into office last Thursday, after a 27 days long coup that has puzzled …
At a time when anti-establishment sentiments are high in the United States, many Americans are searching for answers in their constitution, in an effort to turn back the clock to the way things once were. More than 7,000 miles away in Kenya, the mood has been markedly different in the past couple of months. There, …
“Investing in women is smart economics, and investing in girls, catching them upstream, is even smarter economics.” “[Africa] is a continent of many countries, not one country. If we are down to three or four conflicts, it means that there are plenty of opportunities to invest in stable, growing, exciting economies where there’s plenty of … Continue reading »
The Mid-Florida Chapter of the Fulbright Association is sponsoring “Crush-Hopper,” an autobiographic narrative performance by Mandisa Haarhoff, a visiting Fulbright student from South Africa. The event will take place from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on Thursday, January 17 at the University of South Florida’s School of Music Concert Hall. Following the performance, a dialogue about the event … Continue reading »
The French took the plunge and began attacking Islamist militant groups in Mali this week after regional leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) hesitated for months. The instability in northern Mali dates back nearly a year and yet, until now, no agreement on a foreign intervention strategy could be reached. That stands … Continue reading »
This article was written by Armin Rosen, the Atlantic‘s International Channel producer and was originally published here. Eritrean information minister Ali Abdu, who is rumored to have defected this past week, helped build one of the world’s strictest systems of media control. Eritrea sits on some of the most important real estate in Africa, occupying a thin … Continue reading »
It has been quite a week here at Africa Talks. After the Op-Ed titled “Susan Rice and Africa’s Despots” was published on Monday in the New York Times, I have received varied reactions from different sources including journalists in the mainstream media, scholars and diplomats. Many of them came to Ambassador Susan Rice’s defense. But most importantly, the … Continue reading »
Michael O’Hanlon, in his Reuters Opinion piece, “In defense of Susan Rice” (Reuters, December 10, 2012), took issue with my New York Times op-ed article, “Susan Rice and Africa’s Despots” (December 9, 2012). Mine were not ad hominem attacks. It is fair to hold a public official accountable for her career and for the roles … Continue reading »
“The overriding issue to me has been: Let’s have political policies that will ensure equal opportunity for every Tanzanian; no discrimination against anyone because of his tribe, race, religion, political affiliation, or which part of the country he or she comes from. It has worked well in the past. We think it’s the best policy … Continue reading »
