Archive for October, 2008

The current war and atrocities going on in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC led by criminal fugitive Laurent Nkunda must stop and must be condemned by the United States, Britain, Rwanda and Uganda, the known leading backers of Nkunda. Nkunda is a war criminal who must be arrested and tried for the death of over 5 million Congolese whom he killed with support from Rwanda and Uganda funded and armed by the United States and Britain since 1997. By Peter Otika.

12 months ago: A file photo taken 13 October 2007 shows dissident general Laurent Nkunda approaching a dog at his mountain base in Kachanga, eastern Congo. President Joseph Kabila 17 October 2007 ordered his troops in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo to prepare to disarm renegade soldiers led by the criminal dissident Laurent Nkunda. Today, Nkunda continues to kill, plunder and rob

Kenya finally releases a full report on the election violence, who was involved, who instigated violence and the politicians who were involved in propagating violence during and after the recent election. The report is over 500 pages long and is entitled “The Waki Report.” Although praised by human rights organizations, the Kenyan government seems to be reluctant to implement the report. Some Kenyans and members of the international community have suggested that Kenya sets up a ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission” like the one in South Africa. Hundreds of members of the Luo and Kikuyu ethnic groups were killed during and after the election violence. At the end of the day, opposition leader Raila Odinga and president Mwai Kibaki decided to share power as a way of ending the violence. Read the full report here below.

http://www.nation.co.ke/blob/view/-/483378/data/46262/-/4cocav/-/WakiRep.pdf

Will America Overcome its Shameful Bigotry and Elect Barack Obama President?

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

By Peter O. Otika

Republican Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain and his Vice Presidential candidate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, have realized they are losing this election and in an attempt to stay afloat, they have sunk this year’s presidential campaign to become the trashiest campaign in recent memory.

I used to think that tribalism (in America they call it racism) was only an African thing. But my recent experience in America tells me that tribalism is everywhere. The current president election campaign has turned very ugly especially from the McCain campaign side whose supporters are now wagging the racial divide in America as a way of

Welcome to the On Africa Blog, Black Star News blog section on issues on and about Africa written by Peter O. Otika. This blog will focus on current affairs but that does not mean it will ignore historical issues and events that can help us understand current affairs. This blog will be straight talk forum and will always call a spade a spade. ON AFRICA will not sugarcoat issues. The blog entertains your response but that does not mean we agree with you. Peter O.Otika is a journalist by training and is used to controversies and being harassed by those who hate the truth. He will therefore not be bothered by any angry words, harassments or whatever people throw at him. So, don’t even try because he won’t care. With all that said, welcome to the ON AFRICA blog. Enjoy!

It is hoped the deal will ease access to markets within the region and end problems arising from the fact several countries belong to multiple groups.

The deal also aims to strengthen the bloc’s bargaining power when negotiating international deals.

Analysts say the agreement will help intra-regional trade and boost growth.

The three blocs which struck the deal were the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC) and the the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa).

“The greatest enemy of Africa, the greatest source of weakness has been disunity and a low level of political and economic integration,” said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at a meeting with the heads of state who chair the three trade blocs.

The agreement will also lend its backing to joint infrastructure and energy projects in the(…)

Democrat Barack Obama opened a campaign blitz in battleground Florida on Monday, the endorsement of former Secretary of State Colin Powell while Republican John McCain was defending his turf in bellwether Missouri.

With two weeks left to the Nov. 4 election, Obama promised a Tampa, Florida, audience he would halt home mortgage foreclosures in their tracks and updated a famous Ronald Reagan line to criticize Republican handling of the nation’s deepening economic distress.

“At this rate, the question isn’t just `Are you better off than you were four years ago?’, it’s `Are you better off than you were four weeks ago?”‘ Obama told the raucous crowd of 8,000.

Voters are consumed with anxieties over chaos in the financial system that has wiped out billions in retirement savings, sent home mortgage foreclosures to near record levels and produced an economic nosedive that many fear could mean(…)