Think Africa Press Weekly Newsletter March 12, 2012

Dear Reader,

This week, a video about Joseph Kony, leader of the rebel militant group the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), went viral clocking up over 70 million views in under a week. Think Africa Press responded by questioning the video’s suggestion that bolstering the Uganda People’s Defence Forces – notorious for its “military commercialism” and exploitation of conflict areas – was the solution. The potentially damaging effects of the ‘Kony 2012’ campaign in making diplomatic reconciliation of the conflict more difficult were also examined, and LRA abductee and escapee Charles Okwir offered his own personal critique of the activists’ calls for military solutions.

Many have also called the video naïve by pointing out its failure to mention Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni who has been heavily criticised for his undemocratic methods of keeping a hold of power and tendency towards nepotism.

Think Africa Press commemorated international women’s day last week by examining the ongoing gendered inequalities and injustices across Africa as well as the heartening progress made by women’s movements.

Elsewhere, the food crisis in the Sahel region is getting worse and reaching crisis-level especially in areas in which other factors are compounding the difficulties such as the instability and conflict in South Sudan, and the influx of refugees in Niger.

A controversial multi-billion dollar development project has been officially launched in Kenya despite fears it could damage local culture and environment. Meanwhile, South Africa has apologised to Nigeria over its handling and deportation of Nigerian citizens.

	Sudan: Can Social Media Unshackle the Press?
	Burundi: Opposition Parties in Peril
	Women in Africa: Entering, Fighting, Changing the System
	Review: Charles Taylor and Liberia
	Niger: The Battle to Avoid Major Food Crisis

All the best,

The Team at Think Africa Press