Politics Archive
NPR Rhino Preview
NPR’s series this week on rhino poaching is probably worth paying attention to. Here’s some background before listening today to All Things Considered: Be cautious. John Burnett’s terrible reporting for NPR on elephant poaching not too long ago set me ablaze. He fouled up the numbers completely, came from the wrong perspectives and reduced a [...]
The Right Can Do No Wrong
Posted by jimheck in Global Relations, Kenya, Politics on May 9, 2013
The tenacity of Rightists that so inhibits U.S. progress is becoming true worldwide, and no better example than the imminent diplomatic earthquake over Kenyan leaders’ indictment by the World Court. The phrase is not mine, but Richard Dowden’s, one of the world’s most respected African analysts, Director of Britain’s Royal African Society. Dowden’s brilliant summary [...]
Outside Threats
Yesterday’s deadly grenade attack in Arusha isn’t simply an indication of escalating religious tensions in Tanzania, but of the same escalating individual malevolence evident in the Boston massacre. In neither incident do I believe there is any kind of organized group involvement, despite FOX News, Representative Stephen King or the other crazies on Meet the [...]
Justice Becalmed, Justice Bedeviled
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Kenya, Politics on April 30, 2013
Today’s final detailed explanation by Kenya’s Supreme Court of its decision to affirm the March presidential election makes me doubly angry with Bush vs. Gore. The clear consensus by much more scholarly analysts who have rushed out their initial impressions is pretty negative, that the detailed decision is “disappointing.” But quite to the contrary, it [...]
Spears & Signatures
Posted by jimheck in Big Game Hunting, Environment, Politics, Wildlife Management on April 18, 2013
A major fight if not an actual civil war is about to erupt in northern Tanzania, as Maasai prepare to battle government authorities in Loliondo, according to a BBC report this morning. The dispute is over a Tanzania government decision to evict 30,000 Maasai from traditional grazing lands near the Serengeti National Park so that [...]
The Impoverished Kenyans
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Kenya, Politics on April 15, 2013
Poor Kenya. The world waits to see if the new president and vice-president will travel next month to The Hague to stand trial for crimes against humanity. Kenyans elected these men free and fairly. They chose alleged murders to lead them. As a businessman in tourism I wait for more signs. As a devoted student [...]
All Hail The Chief
Kenya’s future is in the hands of a man little known outside Kenya: Willy Mutunga. The 65-year old Chief Justice will render his High Court’s decision on the recent election Saturday morning. The country’s tension is building, its currency is falling, and protests are being prepared not just to follow the court’s decision, but right [...]
Storm Clouds over Kenya
Storm clouds are forming over Kenya. The thunder and lightning and destruction has not yet started, and all of us who love Kenya hope it will not, but the anger is palpable and as a safari broker I must advise all considering Kenya for the moment to stay clear. My blog yesterday about the election [...]
Kenyan Nightmare Continues
Kenya is peaceful but disturbed. A famous national analyst Saturday said the country is “on the brink of implosion.” The loser in the presidential election is challenging the results in court, but if he loses the president and vice-president of Kenya will be international criminals indicted for crimes against humanity. This is not acceptable. “An [...]
On Safari: Kenya’s Election
There were 44 observers from the Carter Center watching the Kenyan election last night but all they observed was joy and glory! As I write this in East Africa the winners are not yet known, although Uhuru Kenyatta has a significant lead for president. But so far only 5 million on an estimated 10 or [...]
Mali: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Posted by jimheck in Mali, Politics, Uncategorized on March 4, 2013
by Conor Godfrey This is my last blog before turning the reins back over to Jim, so I thought I would sign out with the state of play in Mali, a country near and dear to my heart. 4,000 French troops, along with several hundred Chadians, and smaller contingents from Benin, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and [...]
Borders and Blood
Posted by jimheck in "Modern" Africa, Economy, History, Politics, Uncategorized on February 25, 2013
by Conor Godfrey I’ve been accused of being a relentless Africa booster… this is almost certainly true. To fight back, however, I am going to offer a scarier version of the continent’s next thirty years that has taken up serious mind share recently. This idea will hopefully pass muster as a research topic, so I [...]
President’s Day
Posted by jimheck in Arts and Culture, Politics on February 18, 2013
The Presidents’ Day Holiday in America, today, is perhaps the least celebrated of the year, and it shows how America like much of Africa is moving away from a powerful executive. The exceptions validate the rule, so the dozen or so African dictators still in power in places like Uganda, Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Chad, among [...]
First Time…
Posted by jimheck in Mali, Politics, Uncategorized on February 11, 2013
By Conor Godfrey. Two days ago the first Malian in history blew himself up in an attempt to kill others. Americans have become so inured to suicide bombings that this fact may seem tragic but inconsequential. Most Malians, however, have yet to recover. This simply does, or did, not happen in the land of Sundiata [...]
Vested Interest
With one month to go, President Obama admonished Kenyans to hold a peaceful election. Obama wasn’t just preaching the word. Critical U.S. policy is predicated on a successful Kenyan election outcome. There was nothing surprising in Obama’s one-month-to-go pep talk. But as I listened to it, I realized it was powered by the deep behind-the-scenes [...]