AfricaWorld Newspaper 1 - 15 February 2013 by AfricaWorld Newspaper

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february 1-15 2013

Vol 001 Nº27

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“We HAve HAD enOuGH”

the Africa Forum COnFLICt In MALI

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AFRICAWORLD february 1-15 2013

opinion

The return of the native

Editorial

IRELAND’S DEPORTATION POLICY IS INHUMAN According to a 2012 Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland survey, 30,000 men, women and children living in Ireland are undocumented. However, the most worrying fact is that state agencies have made them live in constant fear of deportation, hounding them into waiting vehicles from the comfort of their beds, and often separating families. The situation has gone beyond dangerous as Ireland seeks ways of cutting state bills and vents anger about the comatose condition of the economy. But the question is: are Asylum seekers, who are paid a paltry €19 per week, the cause of the current economic quagmire in recession-hit Ireland? Unfortunately, Africans are the victims in this weeding onslaught. Come to think of it, Ireland, known for its people’s humanitarian efforts and history, has joined or appears to be seriously begging to join those that always conspire against the rise of black Africans. After squandering a lot of opportunity in the Celtic Tiger, a strong minority is championing policies that breed racism. Whatever the excuse, deportation is anathema to Ireland’s history and future. Posterity will not fail to deal with it and our Ireland should not be forced onto the wrong side of history. We love Ireland and desire its growth and rise. Borders should be tightened and people encouraged to be productive. Ireland’s problem is not asylum seekers but a hierarchical corruption and a system that does not encourage growth, supported by hard working people. Truly, Ireland is on the wrong side of history with its policy of deportation and “giving the dog a bad name in order to hang it”. Come inside. Uka

By Ukachukwu Okorie

Wangari Maathai Maathai was born in the village of Ihithe, Nyeri District, in the central highlands of the colony of Kenya on 1 April 1940. Her family was Kikuyu, the most populous ethnic group in Kenya. Wangari Muta Maathai obtained her degree in Biological Sciences from Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas (1964), a Master of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh (1966), and doctoral studies in Germany and the Universit y of Nairobi, before obtaining a Ph.D. (1971) from the Universit y of Nairobi, where she also taught veterinary anatomy. The first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate, Professor Maathai became chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy in 1976 and an associate professor in 1977. In both cases, she was the first woman to attain those positions in the region. Wangari Maathai became active in the National Council of Women of Kenya in 1976– 87. She actually became its Chairperson from 1981–87. While serving in the National Council of Women, she introduced the idea of planting trees with the people in 1976 and continued to develop it into a broadbased, grassroots organisation whose main focus is the planting of trees with women groups in order to conserve the environment and improve quality of life.

Also, through the Green Belt Movement, she assisted women in planting more than 20 million trees on their farms, on schools and in the church environment. The Movement established a Pan-African Green Belt Network in 1986 and expanded the campaign to other African countries. This effort facilitated similar tree-planting initiatives in Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Lesotho, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. In

September 1998, she launched the Jubilee 2000 Coalition campaign. Maathai also embarked on new challenges with a leading global role as co-chair of the Jubilee 2000 Africa Campaign, which sought cancellation of the unpayable backlog of debts for the poor countries of Africa by the year 2000. Her numerous campaigns against land grabbing and the

AfricaWorld & Millenium Development Goals

The Editorial team at AfricaWorld would like to point out that it is aware of the Millennium Development Goals

Editor Ukachukwu Okorie

Graphic Design Mirco Mascarin

Chief Reporter Paul Kelly

Photography Darek Gutowski Giorgia Pistoia

Published by Uyokanjo Media Services Ltd. 46 Parnel Square West 3rd Floor +353 87 637 3210 Dublin 1, Dublin City Republic of Ireland Skype: africaworld1 E-mail: africaworldnews@gmail.com

Sub-Editor Roisin Morris

“I know there is pain when sawmills close and people lose jobs, but we have to make a choice. We need water and we need these forests.”

rapacious allocation of African forest land caught the limelight around the world. Wangari Maathai was the first African female honored with the Nobel Prize in 2004 for her lifelong dedication to environmental and human rights. She is the founder of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, which encouraged women from rural areas to plant trees in order to conserve the environment. She is a woman of great qualities who believed that a healthy environment helps improve lives by providing clean water and firewood for cooking. She represented Kenya at the 2005 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, an international organisation promoting the rights of women worldwide. She was involved in a number of civic organisations in early 1970s, including hunger strike. Arrested many times and imprisoned for speaking against the Arap Moi administration, Wangari later won a seat in the Kenyan Assembly by taking 98% of vote. In December 2002, Professor Maathai was elected to parliament. She was subsequently appointed by the President as Assistant Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife in Kenya’s ninth parliament. Wangari Mathaai, fearless, and winner of countless awards, died on the 25 of September 2011 at the age of 71 after a long battle with cancer. She died in Nairobi leaving three children, Waweru, Wanjira and Muta.

and seeks to synergise its work in accordance with those aims wherever possible. Those goals are to improve

issues of Education, Health, HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality, Environmental Sustainability and Global Partnerships.

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february 1-15 2013

AFRICAWORLD

NEWs (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) Leaders of thought in the African Community in Ireland have risen from the Africa Centre’s Africa Forum - “Africans in a Changing Ireland” 2013 programme, condemning portrayal of negative images about Africa for economic reasons. The Africa Centre’s 5-hour event hosted many guests from across Ireland. There were key speeches, workshops, panel discussions and evaluation. The well-attended function was chaired by Beni Karuga and Joe Costello TD, Minister for Trade and Development, featured as Guest Speaker. The occasion kicked off with an introduction from Richard Njoku, a board member of the Centre had Gibril Faal, and the Chairperson of AFFORD (African Foundation for Development) UK, as Keynote Speaker. After major speeches, a question and answer session took place and opened up a variety of views that led to four different workshops. The workshops dealt with issues affecting Africans. David Nyaluke

led a workshop on African Youth and Students in Ireland; Joseph Nyirnda and his group thrashed out integration challenges and solutions for Africans in Ireland; Rebecca O’Halloran led representation of Africa in the media; and the workshop on the role of the Diaspora in the development of Africa was led by Chinedu Onyejelem. The second part of the day started after lunch with feedback from the workshops. After briefings on the outcome of the workshops, the launch of the African Community Council (ACC) was facilitated by Adrienne Boyle, selecting a group of 20 people to serve on the Provisional Council. According to the Acting Coordinator of the Africa Centre, Mbemba Jabbi, “The work of the 20 member Provisional Africa Community Council will be to serve as a task group to work out the formation of the African Community Council at the next Forum by the end of 2013.” The Acting Coordinator praised the spirit of the new members of the council: “We thank the members of the Provisional

Joe Costello TD

Council for accepting to serve the interests of the community.” AfricaWorld learnt that the members are to come up with a framework that will help to form the Council. The members of the Council are: 1. Blaise Pascal Amani 2. Chinedu Onyelem 3. David Nyaluke 4. Deo Sango

13. Mubarak Habib 14. Nchedo Obi-Igweilo 15. Norman Cross 16. Rashid Butt 17. Sahr Yambasu 18. Salome Mbugua 19. Teleja Chimalango 20. Yemi Ojo

5. Dr. King 6. Fionnuala Knox 7. HaseKabay Zanga 8. Helen Bakali 9. Jack Onek 10. Joseph Nyirenda 11. Juliet Amamure 12. Luke Burka

Panel Discussion started after the formation of the Council with Salome Mbugua as Chair. Other panelists included Claudia Hoareau, Foley Sarumi, Gibril Faal, Ukachukwu Okorie, Valeri Molay and Yemi Ojo. The 5-hour event finished with Evaluation after closing remarks by Sahr Yambasu at 6.00pm.

Among other decisions, resolutions and mandates on the well-being of Africans and other key issues were considered. There was extensive discussion of images and messages of Africa which are negatively used by organisations to raise money. Rebecca O’Halloran, who spoke to the Forum on the outcome of the workshop on media, pointed out developments on stereotyping and the negative portrayal of Africa as a means to reach economic targets. The imperative of youth participation was agreed and reechoed to the Forum by David Nyaluke. Among the panelists, Valeria Molay, a political science student at the University College Dublin (UCD) informed the Forum of the vital relationship links between parents and youths, and society in general. The need to synergise for greater achievement was also noted. Salome Mbugua called Africans in the Forum to organise themselves for proper integration and development.

Reginald Oko-flex Imya (m) shares a point Therese Kinahan - Sayeh explain a point

Panelists at work

Gibril Faal

Rebecca O’halloran

Richard Njoku

Mbemba Jabbi - Ag. Coordinator, Africa Centre

AFRICAWORLD february 1-15 2013

nEWS

tHe COnFLICt In MALI the war against Malian rebels

General Azubuike Ihejirika - nigeria Army Chief

French soldiers French soldiers

Fighter Jets in Mali air space

nigeria soldiers roar in battle

RADICAL COMMunICAtIOn WORKsHOp HeLD At the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre on 27–31 Upper O’Connell St., Dublin, media watchers, opinion leaders and activists gathered to decry certain practices in the media industry. The gathering, which was termed the Radical Communication Workshop, was attended by Firoze Manji, a Kenyan and the founder and former editor-in-chief of Pambazuka News; and Margaret Gillan, Coordinator of Community Media Network (CMN). According to the convener of the Workshop, Laurence Cox, who is currently co-editing the last letters of executed Nigerian author and campaigner Ken Saro-Wiwa, the parley was vital as “Too often

communication about social justice issues is left to commercial and state media, whose agendas are often very different from those of the people affected.” Buttressing the essence of the radical communication workshop with views from a core practitioner in the continent of Africa and Ireland, Cox asserts that, “Social movements often struggle to create appropriate forms of communication which build links between people and communities, enable alternative voices to be heard and do not simply imitate oﬃcial media.” Firoze Manji, the founder of Pambazuka News shared his

experiences of steering the outfit to create an alternative source and platform for people of diverse interests, especially social movements. The Pambazuka boss, who is a visiting fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford, will be joining the Council for the Development of Social Science Research (www. codesria.org) as Head of their Documentation and Information Centre in Dakar, Senegal. Margaret Gillan, Coordinator of Community Media Network (CMN), who was another key speaker, shared her experiences in

community media practice. Participants were partitioned during the course of the workshop and forms of radical communication were further discussed. The facilitator, Laurence Cox, is the co-

editor of the open-access social movements journal, Interface, and co-director of the MA in Community Education, Equality and Social Activism at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth

february 1-15 2013

AFRICAWORLD

CoLUMn

HeARt OF tHe MAtteR: Apocalypse now! by Max uspensky At a remove from the Congo (but an equally dubious and ominous environment),walking through Moscow’s Tretyakov gallery one will come across Victor Vasnetsov’s painting, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The painting reveals partial content of the Revelations chapter where God beholds a scroll in his right hand sealed with seven seals. The first four of these summon forth four entities (all white or dead!) mounted upon white, red, black and pale horses. The horses and their mounts are usually interpreted as Conquest, War, Famine and Death – an apt description of contemporary eastern DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). Curiously, in the whito western – centric way that history is often represented the white horse represents conquest and the black horse represents famine. Where the apocalyptic vision of the Four Horsemen is purported to be a harbinger of the Last Judgement, contemporary globalists ignore the current plight of the Congo at their peril – or is it all simply apocalypse as usual for world and globalist ‘human’ history? Chambers dictionary provides the following as a definition for apocalypse: apocalypse n.(with the and cap) the last book of the New Testament, also known as the revelation of St. John; the end of the world; any book purporting to reveal the future or last things; a revelation or disclosure. [Gr apokalypsis an uncovering, from ape from, and kalyptein to cover] Keep taking the tablets. On the face of it all is well. After all the world didn’t end (at least not for most in the hooray henry world of consumer globalism) on the 21st December last year (purportedly the all important date of ‘end of times’) and

Facebook users worldwide rejoiced in the Brave New World paradigm of effortless digital salutation, counter-salutation - mutual digital masturbation – personal propaganda pictures and images assure that all is just a consumer mind consuming ride towards one’s new mobile/ laptop/tablet upgrade. Meanwhile children, convicts and rape victims mine away producing the mineral Coltan (without which the digital age would not exist – 80% is mined in DRC) from the environmental entrails of the African continent’s dark heart. Millions have perished here, in what amounts to the world’s most brutal and loss of life producing conﬂict since WW2. Meanwhile, following the deaths of just four well salaried Britons in Algeria’s oilfields, Britain’s David Cameron pledges decades of war in the Sahel – selfishness, greed, arrogance once more by insidious and ignorant politics of ‘former’ colonial powers. But revelations (refer to above definition) might also produce potential positive future paradigms – unquestionably Patrice Lumumba held such back in 1960 for and on behalf of a newly nascent Congolese republic – the western apocalypse of colonialism by corporate proxy and its underhand method of achieving hegemony (‘le pari Congolais’ – in the Congolese context) trampled this underfoot upon its white apocalyptic warhorse (and then invested millions on a film on its behalf!). Upcoming this year in July, London’s Young Vic Theatre is scheduling performances of Aime Cesaire’s ‘A Season in the Congo’. The play reveals events surrounding Patrice Lumumba’s assassination in three acts. Award winning Igbo actor Chiwetel Ejiofor is set to take on the lead role. Should not be missed.

tO tuAReG OR nOt tO tuAReG? by Max uspensky Should territory be ceded to the Tuareg or not? As French led international forces are poised at time of writing to retake Timbuktu, the question bears poignancy given the root of the original problem in this part of the world. Indeed all of Africa should read like an adjunct to a European Studies degree syllabus, given that all the lines in the sand, jungle, veldt and savannah were drawn up in Berlin in 1885, without an African in sight. The adjoining map shows just where the Tuareg roam and bear ontological root. As such, matters ought to be brought to bear by engaging with this

unique people with a genuine claim to the land that bore, bears and will continue to bear them. As such should their claims not be seriously borne? That is the question.

Drag Prime Minister Cameron in by the ear. We might consider Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1899) as a work of apocalyptic genre. He attempts to reveal three kinds of darkness – the darkness of the Congo interior, the dark nature of the inhumane treatment by its overlords and that same potential dark nature, corruption, viciousness and cruelty which exists in any one of us. As relevant today as then. ‘The Horror, the horror...’ immortalised words within Conrad’s novel are also directly parodied in Martin Scorcese’s film Apocalypse Now (1979), where the character Kurtz emits these words as the very last in the film. Horror indeed. Atrocious and brutal conditions of mineral and resource extraction are root to Congolese tragedy. Danish filmmaker, Frank Piasecki Poulsen, reveals the issue of conﬂict minerals in telecommunications in his most

recent work, ‘Blood in the Mobile’. The associated website, www. bloodinthemobile.org states, “We love our cell phones and the selection between different models has never been bigger. But the production of phones has a dark, bloody side. The main part of minerals used to produce cell phones are coming from the mines in the Eastern DR Congo. The Western World is buying these so-called conflict minerals and thereby finances a civil war that, according to human rights organisations, has been the bloodiest conﬂict since World War Two: During the last 15 years the conﬂict has cost the lives of more than 5 million people and 300,000 women have been raped. The war will continue as long as armed groups can finance their warfare by selling minerals. If you ask the phone companies where their suppliers get minerals from, none

AnGOLA 2 40 Years solitary

by Max uspensky As the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s speech, ‘I Have a Dream’ approaches bring your

attention once more to the predicament of the Angola 2 and sign the Amnesty International petition via the link below.

of them can guarantee that they aren’t buying conﬂict minerals from the Congo.” Consumer beware: the major mobile phone manufacturers are set to engage in ‘Smart Phone’ warfare this year as they each seek to dominate the market and thus further perpetuating this unjust situation. Fairtrade in coffee (as a staple of global consumerism) should be extended to Coltan production. Referring back to Chambers definition at the outset of this piece, consider the final definition – it’s a tool for awareness and thus solution too. “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the living creatures say in a voice like thunder, ‘Come and See!’” (Revelation 6:1) Apocalypse Now!

“I can make about four steps before I touch the door,” comments Herman Wallace as he describes the space within which he has lived for the past forty years (since 16th April, 1972). Wallace and Albert Woodfox have spent the last 14,600 days thus locked up in Louisiana’s notorious penitentiary known as Angola prison. Please use the below link to access the Amnesty International page and follow the link therein to petition for their release. http://www.amnestyusa.org/ourwork/cases/usa-the-angola-3 Jailed at the height of the Civil Rights movement, their solitary incarceration remains a travesty of justice – their endured persecution, a crime against humanity. Black African Americans constitute 50% of the US prison population where they make up just 15% of the population at large.

AFRICAWORLD february 1-15 2013

CoLUMn

pRIDe OF AFRICA vanessa uloaku Onuoha uloaku is a student at the institute of education, leeson Street. born in Nigeria, the 16 year old beauty has modelled for Nigeria Carnival in dublin. She does lots of volunteer works. uloaku loves singing, dancing, excercising and listening to music.

60 seCOnDs WItH tHe DuCHess

nena Duchez Huntaz

The beautiful 23 year old Eva George is from Lagos State, Nigeria. She is a second class upper graduate of Sociology from Crawford University. She is an actress, film producer, award winning blogger, model and entrepreneur. How did you start out in acting? I joined Nollywood in the year 2009,my first movie was ‘My Last Wedding’ and have done quite a lot of movies like Heavy b e a u t y , T h e search,Eldorado,sweet revenge, and a host of others! I started acting out of the passion and happiness I find in it Who is your role model? My role models are God,my foster mum,Mrs Ovia,Omotola Jalade,Akinyemi Alabi,Funke Akindele and Will Smith What has been a major challenge in your career? Finance has been a major challenge. What has been your major highlight in your career?

My major highlight would be my new movie ‘Last Minute’... What projects are you currently working on at the moment? I am currently working on my First Film Production titled ‘Last Minute’ under my Film company ‘Mo Eva’s World Productions’. The movie is set to campaign for the liberty of orphans and the less privileged in the society who are undergoing Child labour,abuse and penury. I want to use my own experience as an orphan to inspire other orphans in the world and also let the world know that there is a future and hope for an orphan child! Thank God for my foster mum,Mrs.Bamidele George(Founder of Little Saints Orphanage) who has my back possitively! The movie is a combination of music,dance and drama,it is first of its kind in Nollywood,the movie will also be premiered and toured in states in Nigeria and selected countries worldwide!

february 1-15 2013

AFRICAWORLD

health

africaworld health In Association With Manorfield Foundation

PAIN IN THE ARSe movements and the patient in turn becomes afraid of the next time. This leads to constipation and a harder stool on straining can cause more damage to the tear.

By Dr Neville Ekpete “ A pain in the arse” – often enough this expression is used figuratively for a person who is like a thorn in the flesh. That’s another phrase which describes an irritating, obnoxious and annoying individual. Thus it’s interesting to know what a pain in the arse literally signifies. Common diseases causing discomfort at the anal area usually present with very distressing symptoms. However, it cannot be said to be the most painful human experience. The infamous phrase originates more from the awk ward and inconveniencing nature of the site than the severity. Many people would prefer to tolerate the agony than to seek medical advice so as to remain discrete. This article will elaborate on the important disease conditions that might fall under this category. In terms of incidence, there are four prominent clinical presentations which include anal fissure, haemorrhoids, anal abscess and pruritis ani. These affect the anus and anal canal which is a short inward extension into the anal aperture. Anal fissure mostly closely represents the theme described. It is basically a tear at the anal verge. The individual experiences severe anal pain during a bowel movement, with pain lasting minutes to hours afterward. This recurs with subsequent bowel

Occasionally there may be the presence of blood, usually seen as a few drops in the toilet. The treatment includes particular ointments, a common one would be Rectogesic, which is applied locally for 2-4 weeks. While on treatment, the stool is softened with laxatives. Failure of medical treatment is an indication for surgical intervention. Haemorrhoids are commonly known as Piles. They have plagued humankind since time immemorial. They are prominent anal veins that protrude with mucosal covering from the anal canal. It could present as internal or external in relation to the anal verge. In principle, it is predisposed by an increase in intra-abdominal pressure exerting its effect on the anal area. Commonly, this is seen in chronic constipation, pregnancy and some bowel

diseases.

The individual would usually complain of fresh bleeding with some discomfort. However, sometimes these veins undergo thrombosis, forming a clot. In such cases, there is significant pain which could also lead to constipation and worsens the situation. This can be treated with various ointments and suppositories, depending on the extent of severity, and can similarly be accompanied with stool softeners. If persisting, local injection therapies with 5% oily phenol or banding are usually effective. The more prominent haemorrhoids will require surgical excision. Anal abscess is an infection of the soft tissues around the anal canal, with formation of a circumscribed cavity. It varies in severity and depth. The cavity is usually associated with the formation of a tract called a fistula. This presents with a painful swelling close to the anal

aperture and is usually buggy and red with inflammation. This may just be due to simple infection breaching the skin at the site. It is, however, imperative to exclude other significant causative conditions like inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s, diabetes or any state of reduced immunity.

Treatment is almost definitely surgical, with incision and drainage of the collection followed by regular wound dressing. The patient is also placed on appropriate antibiotics. A follow-up investigation is required to rule out the abovementioned diseases. Pruritis ani is a common condition. It presents as an intense itch and can be quite embarrassing and uncomfortable. There are several possible causes but most common is the presence of moisture at the area. Note, this may be a symptom of other conditions like haemorrhoids and anal fissure. In some individuals, it results from eating certain

foods, smoking and drinking alcohol. Food items identified in these cases include coffee, tea, milk products, cheese, chocolates and nuts. Contrary to what some believe, cleanliness is almost never a factor. Basic management of this condition includes avoiding moisture with medicated powders and reducing traumatic actions like scrubbing and scratching! A prescribed medication should be applied for as long as necessary. If this does not improve, further bowel investigation is necessary to exclude other causes. There are other less common pathologies that may cause distressing discomfort around the anus. The most important message is: do not to cringe with pain in silence. Most anal diseases are relatively simple to treat. A visit to your general practitioner is recommended.

AFRICAWORLD february 1-15 2013

PICTURES

AfricaWorld Recognition of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Unsung Hero in Ireland in 2012

february 1-15 2013

pictures from the Africa Forum 2013

Faces at the Radical Communication & social Justice Workshop

AFRICAWORLD

10 AFRICAWORLD february 1-15 2013

TECH_PILOt >>>>>>>> with Uchenna Onyenagubo

FACeBOOK & Its peRILs

“I left school 25 years ago and lost all school mates and tutors, couldn’t even remember the school’s name since it was my elementary level of education. A few years ago, a friend introduced me to Facebook and low and behold, I reconnected with old friends and class/school mates.” This was the story of a friend who lost hope of recalling his early years. Social networking has gone beyond expectations. The emergence of this phenomenon has transformed people’s ability to connect with others of different races and nationality, making the world a truly global village. We cannot overemphasise the advantages of this great invention that has radically changed our approach to networking and reconnecting with people. The conventional way to connect with old friends, colleagues, and schoolmates was a mixture of luck, chance, thorough research, and requesting information from others. There are several social networking sites available today; the most familiar ones are Hi5, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. These are

designed to network groups of individuals with different purposes and desires, including enterprise. Social networking has been a great success since its inception. In spite of its positive relevance, users also need to be aware of the risks involved in divulging information to unintended recipients. Due to the network structure of these applications, it is crucial that you minimise the amount of information supplied at any stage. I decided to select the Facebook as a case study as it’s the only of the leading networking sites with over a billion people connected. These are a few tips which I extracted from the Internet that would certainly help you combat some of the dangers around social networking. Every useful tip you receive from here should apply to most similar sites. It is a fact that millions of people connected online with Facebook; but are we sharing too much? Here are some of the many things you shouldn’t do on these sites, regardless of how keen you are on socialising online. 1) Never settle for the default settings The people behind Facebook are keen for you to share your details with the world. The more you share, the more people you connect to, the more people want to sign up. However, sharing everything with all and sundry isn’t a good idea. WHAT TO DO: To check and opt out of the recommended settings, open your Facebook page, click on ‘Account’ in the top right of the screen and then ‘Privacy Settings’. The ‘Recommended settings’ mean

that your status, photo, posts, bio, favourite quotation, family and relationship details are shared with everyone. Photos and videos you’re tagged in, religious and political views and birthdays are shared with Friends of Friends. Permission to comment on your posts, places you check in to, and contact information are shared with Friends only. WHAT TO DO: Change all to Friends only, and you’re safe from the prying world. 2) Never agree to have yourself listed on search engines Telling your Facebook mates what’s going on in your life is one thing, but letting any old Tom, Dick or Harriet see your Facebook page via a web search is another. We would recommend opting to never have your Facebook details shared with other search engines. WHAT TO DO: From your Facebook page, ‘Account’, ‘Privacy Settings’, ‘Apps and Websites’, then ‘Public Search’. Un-tick the ‘Enable Public Search’ button. 3) Never put your address, date of birth and phone number on Facebook Unless you want app developers knowing where you live and how to contact you, we wouldn’t recommend putting any real details into Facebook for the time being. That means no home address and no phone number. What’s one of the first security questions you are ever asked when you deal with your bank? What’s your date of birth? And yet here you are giving it away on your Facebook page for all to see. You should never let people see the year you were born.

WHAT TO DO: Go to your Facebook page, ‘Profile’, then ‘Edit Profile’. In the first pane (‘Basic information’) chose as to whether you want to ‘Show my full date of birth in my Profile’, ‘Show only day and month in my Profile’ or ‘Don’t show my birthday in my profile’. If you still want birthday wishes, go for the second option. 4) Never let apps lie dormant One for the advanced Facebook user: Never let an app continue to suck your information once you’ve done with it. Remember the days when you played Zombies or maybe Vampires? Well those apps are most likely still active on your account and sucking in your personal data. Scary huh? WHAT TO DO: Nip over to your Facebook page, go to ‘Account’, ‘Privacy Setting’ and then ‘Apps, Games and Websites’, and remove the ones you don’t want. 5) Never broadcast that you’re going on holiday Always be careful about what you say on your status updates and never give out any personal information that you don’t want getting into the wrong hands. Burglars prey on stuff like the fact that you’ve gone on holiday and left the keys under the ﬂowerpot near the front door and the combination to the safe is...

WHAT TO DO: To avoid this, go to your Facebook page, ‘Account’, ‘Privacy Settings’, and make sure photos and videos you’re tagged in, is set to Friends only. Taking this to the next level, you can also block individual people on top of those groups of people. Go to ‘Customise Settings’, ‘Photos and Videos I’m Tagged in’ and chose to edit settings. Here from the drop-down menu, chose ‘customise’ again and then start listing the people you want to hide your photos from. 7) Avoid chats with strangers Facebook includes a chat feature that allows Internet chatting. The risk of engaging in a conversation is high especially with a total stranger. Those most affected are young users, due to their vulnerability. Incidences of paedophiles and perverts have been recorded often and this poses a threat to young individuals. WHAT TO DO: If faced with an unknown individual requesting to chat with you, simply remove/block the person: go to ‘Privacy Settings’ and then ‘Blocking’ and next to each person’s name on your block list it should say remove. Click ‘Remove’. Take precautions and enjoy the many wonders of social networking…good luck!

6) Never let your mum see your tagged photos or photos of your families, especially the younger ones You’ve had one too many drinks and been tagged for all your friends, colleagues and family to see you not looking too hot. Not good.

YOu ARe An ADORABLe MuM! BuILDInG YOuR CHILD’s seLF COnFIDenCe II. LIsten tO YOu CHILDRen

Leader of Adorable Mum - ADM Gbeminiyi ‘Gee Bee’

“listen earnestly to anything [your children] want to tell you, no matter what. if you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff.” -- Catherine M. Wallace. listening is not actually as easy as it sounds. listening carefully to your child is a healthy way to communicate with them. listening to your children makes them more likely to listen to you too. according to New york City psychoanalyst Gail Saltz, Md. “the most important way to talk so your child will listen is

to listen to your child, if they feel listened too, they are more likely to be able to listen and will feel more understood, have more trust, and be more interested in what you have to say.” Children need the active attention of their parents and listening to your child will boost their self-esteem. try all you can to set aside some time to listen exclusively to your child every day. listen to your child talk to you about everything and anything. do not interrupt them and learn to listen between the lines. one of the most valuable gifts you can give your child is to listen to the little and big things in their life. Start early so that the lines of communication will be open during the teenage years.

february 1-15 2013

AFRICAWORLD 11

FaMiLY CoRnER

s m e o kwu Okorie

By Ukachu

BALsesKIn

Just protruding i saw all was for their manger in the town of the cat when a tiger prowl alas it was slain amidst the hungry oh! How was the cat devoured by hell nature and in bits for the hyenas come back spotted one your colour isn’t hidden even when i am light.

MOtHeR AFRICA

MAtABeLe BuMps FAILte eIReAn Sailing into the island With the hand of the holy one in the search of what is to come the authority of man to explore oh eireann! land of the shamrock you nurtured my faith dipped me into the river Jordan bathed me in the life of his son the man who is worshipped the island of cheerfulness and fun that my future shall be a fortune.

Wisdom Bits The Chameleon says why he always walks slow and steady is because this world is full of thorns. Meaning - Carefulness leads to safety. If all is well with the bat, it will not ﬂy at night. Meaning - Behind every desperate action lies a desperate motive. The firewood that is found in any land cooks their food. Meaning - A peoples tradition works for them.

Connect with

A community where dog kill a tiger is unsafe to settle. Meaning - Positive value will always stand out. I will not, because I am hungry, accept that my mother’s head is like a coca yam. Meaning - Respect is reciprocal.

AfricaWorld on

Humans are not impressed at the things that they are accustomed, it is one they are not. Meaning - Achievement inspires.

FOLKtALe TALES FROM OWERE GReen snAKe On GReen GRAss

the foundation of the earth you bore nations of all colours leaving abundant resources for them to live on you endured tribulations is it your babies taken forcefully? or those whose land were defiled? Mama, your gods were taken away and aliens brought in many taboos you were molested by your sister’s children your offspring were relegated and tears you shed uncontrollably but you cautioned on the need for patience that she who laugh last Will definitely laugh best.

full and cleavages deep gutter for it just fellanges at it sending tears to eyes and a pound on a chest you are a strong clip holding forth invitingly punishing those with sight and bringing them on like wasps sweet and so sweet to intoxicate.

ReCIpe COLuMn GROunDnut sOup(GHAnA) By Ukachukwu Okorie

once upon a time, in the land of mammals, there lived reptiles of all sorts. Man was in charge of all but remain partial in decisions. He never hid his hatred of the snake due to an old age story of how the latter deceived his ancestors, leading to suffering in today’s life. it happened that humans refused that the snake will have anything to do with their immediate habitat. out of fear that the snake, especially the green ones often camouflage to frighten children, Men refused to allow them live within unless in trees. despite all entreaties, snakes were left to be stranded of shelter. out of panic about the evil intentions of man to wipe them out, they decided to agree on a strategy of survival. the strategy was to attack as a form of defence due to Man’s ruthlessness. the green snake took the assignment of living in green grass and branches where it will camouflage easily to attack without warning. ever since, they have stayed back in the grasses waiting to ambush humans and equally defend their territory. Man has continued to wage his war on snakes especially the green ones on green grass.

by Nkiru edokobi

Ingredient beef or Chicken 2 large onions finely chopped 4 large ripe tomatoes or 2 cans of canned tomatoes 61/2 ounces of creamy peanuts butter 31/2 pints of boiling water red chilling paste Some mushroom (optional) Salt to taste

COOKING Season your beef or chicken with some salt and garlic and bring to boil until meat is tender. Put the tomatoes in a boiled water and peel off the skin and blend to a smooth juice. Put the peanut butter into a big bowl, add 3/4 pint of the boiled water and use a wooden spoon or a blender to smooth. Make the peanut butter and water carefully to form a creamy smooth sauce. Mix the tomatoes, peanut mixture, red chilies and mushroom. let it continue to simmer, stirring only occasionally to prevent the food sticking to the bottom of the pan. Pour the rest of the boiling water into the soup and s i m m e r slowly on medium heat for 20 minutes. add salt to taste and dish. Serve with fufu.

12 AFRICAWORLD february 1-15 2013

dd’s cubicle

COLUMN

WILL THE WORLD BE PEACEFUL WITHOUT RELIGION? By Dunstan Ukaga

Pakistan is an Islamic country. Same as Afghanistan. Iraq is an Islamic country. Nigeria hosts Islam and Christianity. Israel habours Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Palestine is an Islamic country. Syria, Yemen, Libya, Egypt are all Islamic countr ies. I ndia accommodates Hinduism, Islam and Christianity with many other worships ascribed to gods. Philippines is a major Catholic country with a pocket of Islam while Indonesia is the largest Islamic state in the world. The question is, how come these countries have no peace? How come these countries are unsafe for her citizens and foreigners? How come there is no peace in these countries when supposedly they are religious people? Islamism is a religion. Christianity is also a religion. Same as in Judaism. We still have African Traditional Religion. God is the essence of religion. All these religions basically believe in One and only true God. Since these religions and any other religion believes in the Oneness of God, what is wrong with the adherents of religion? Would the world be a peaceful place without religion? Would the world be peaceful without religion? Is religion asking us to kill others because its God wants blood and love destruction of lives? We talk about world peace in a

pluralist or even single religious societies and we still don’t get near to peace. God is the essence of religion. God is peace. God is love. How come religion which is meant to enthrone love and peace has become a vehicle for death and wars? A couple of days ago the world woke up with the horror of a deadly bomb blast in Pakistan. Within a few hours, an Islamic group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. I had asked on hearing the news, since almost everyone in Pakistan is a Muslim, while would worshipers of same God: a God who is defined as Peace, Love and Mercy, terrorize and kill each other? What are they fighting for? Most painfully most of these attacks and killings take place either in the Mosques or within the precincts of the worship places. Has God whom these religions enthrone asked the worshipers to kill for Him? Honestly at times we ask if religion had not done worst to humanity than any other issues. No religion champions hatred, warfare, chaos or killings, yet religion has caused more death, strife and anger in the world today than any other human issues. We have seen the five deadly passions of the mind as: anger, lust, ego, pride, envy, and every religion teaches her adherents to avoid them and be in peace with self, with others, with nature and with God. Why then would a Christian kill fellow Christian? Why would a Muslim kill fellow Muslim? Why would Muslim kill a Christian and why would a Judaic destroy a Muslim? But u look at it from a holistic

point of view, God either we define Him as. Jehovah, Jesus , Chukwu, Allah or Eledumare never asked anyone to kill in the name of religion. I don’t know how people inserted killing in the clause of religion and today religion that is meant to create global harmony

has brought wars, hatred, strife and anger. I have watched a peaceful intended fora started for Muslims and it turned bloody because they don’t just agree. I have seen talks started between Catholics and Pentecostals and it turned ugly. I have seen chats started between Christians and African traditional religious irredentist which turned violent. I have seen Imams, priests,

pastors, Chief priests and popes call for religious tolerance still tolerance has not come. The world has not seen peace and without peace every foundation won’t hold. This article in itself does not ask the banishment of or disbandment of religion. Because that would be at same time asking the world to forget God. But I know without sounding pretentious that God is good and loves peace and teaches peace. Why then has the world chosen war and hatred and stamped them through religion? Should I cause terror to the world because you do not believe in what I believe in, you do not worship what or whom I worship? Shall I kill another man or woman because he or she does not attend my church, my mosque, my temple, my shrine? Shall we radicalize religion to what ends? To buttress my point, the Wikipedia gives a list of European wars of religion. European wars of religion ‘’The European wars of religion were a series of wars waged in Europe from ca. 1524 to 1697, following the onset of the Protestant Reformation in Western and Northern Europe. Although sometimes unconnected, all of these wars were strongly influenced by the religious change of the period, and the conflict and rivalry that it produced. Individual conflicts that can be distinguished within this topic include: conflicts immediately connected with the Reformation of the 1520s to 1540s. The German Peasants’ War (1524– 1525) the battle of Kappel in

Sw i t ze r l a n d (1531) the Schmalkaldic War (1546–1547) in the Holy Roman Empire the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648) in the Low Countries the French Wars of Religion (1562–1598) the Thirty Years War (1618–1648), affecting the Holy Roman Empire including Habsburg Austria and Bohemia, France,Denmark and Sweden the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (1639– 1651), affecting England, Scotland and Ireland Scottish Reformation and Civil Wars English Reformation and Civil War Irish Confederate Wars and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland Nine Years’ War. Withing these periods in Europe, there were the Schmalkaldic wars and the thirty years war” Has the world found peace after these wars? Will the world be peaceful without religion? I conclude my article with Paula Kirby assertion. ‘’Of course the world would be more peaceful without religion. Who can seriously deny that entrenched religious beliefs have been, and continue to be, a factor in a significant number of conflicts – whether as a direct cause or simply as something which has the effect of perpetuating the conflict and making it harder to resolve? Would the ongoing and apparently intractable conflict in the Middle East really not have been easier to resolve if neither side followed a religion which told it it had a godgiven right to the land? So yes, without religion the world would be more peaceful. But ‘more peaceful’ does not mean ‘totally peaceful’. As others have pointed out, there are other causes of violent conflict too, and any form of fanaticism is dangerous. But one of those forms is religion”

february 1-15 2013

AFRICAWORLD 13

Column

dimkpa

THE PROBLEM WITH AFRICA: The recolonisation of africa. friendship based on monetary gains.

By Mazi Uche Azukaoma Osakwe

It’s no longer news that Africans have not been portrayed fittingly in some Western literature, newspapers and electronic media. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness famously painted a caricature of Africans. The protagonist of Conrad’s fabled novella, Charles Marlow, an Englishman on an expedition along the Congo River, recounted that “we were wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance.” But the good news is that Africans have taken it upon themselves to tell their own stories in a way that shows their humanity as finely tuned. African lifestyles are made known as unique and vibrant and demonstrate Conrad’s assertions about Africa as misplaced and unreasonable. To counteract the legacies of colonial propaganda and to promote our shared humanity and cherished traditions, Africa does not need eloquent speeches but actions. We have to prove to the rest of the world that Africans are not savages or dullards, drugs pushers or peddlers but possess human souls that are capable of self-regeneration. Through the use of knowledge, information and education, we can transform the continent to an enviable place. But events in recent years have cast doubt on our ability to champion or recreate the spirits of our forbearers: Nkrumah, Azikiwe, Lumumba, Toure etc. The question is: is Africa ready to confront the myriad problems facing the continent or will it continue to play the blame game? This salient question becomes necessary because of French intervention in Mali where the Islamic Jihadists have laid siege against the democratically elected government. Are we honest to ourselves? Are we ready to tell ourselves the gospel truth, or preach what we don’t practice? Like many Africans living in Ireland preaching one thing and doing another, their hearts are full of deception. You are only welcome if they can take advantage of you,

Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s novel A Grain of Wheat sheds light on the character of Africans, highlighting certain areas that are important to them and portraying others as unintelligent: “God helps those who help themselves”, with fingers pointing at the self made-man who has attained wealth and position, forgetting that thousands of others labour and starve day in and day out without improving their wellbeing. On the other hand, Kant claimed that intellectual immaturity deserves blame since it could have been prevented by watchfulness and guts. Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why such a large proportion of men, even when nature has long liberated them from alien guidance (naturaliter majorennes), nonetheless willingly remain immature for life. I keep wondering what has gone wrong in Africa. Africa has witnessed over the centuries the most vicious slave trade, followed in quick succession by the colonial experience that contributed in no small measure to the rape of the continent of its culture, tradition, religion, socio-economic and political system. The iconic literary giant Achebe has described the controversial gathering of the powerful European imperial powers that destroyed the old boundaries and created new ones, bringing untold hostility to the continent’s ancient societies and creating a trepidation-prone modern society. From colonialism to neo-colonialism, from internal colonialism to internecine strife; these experiences, I think, have made the continent a theatre of hatred, religious extremism, ethnic cleansing, militarism and unwanted killings. Independence was won but the promises to transform the continent have been disappointing. The postcolonial African state is characterised by contradictions and perplexity at the centre of which lies the question of development and good governance. This epoch was marked by repression, corruption and the concentration of power to the theocratic and feudalistic class which ran the gamut of ideologies: socialism, one-partyism, proAmericanism, Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism. What has gone wrong in Africa? What happened the promising continent that fought and revolted against colonialism? Where has nationalism gone? What happened panAfricanism, the aspiration for

continental solidarity and equality? What is the problem? Why does the continent continue to struggle against all odds? Who is responsible?

I think the challenge for African states since independence has been how to adjust what Badie has called “l ‘Etat importe” into a system that is not only peaceful, but legitimate, in the interests of the generality of the populace, and satisfactorily able to carry out the necessary functions of statehood: protection of its citizens, territorial sovereignty, control of natural resources, capacity to govern and maintain law and order, and respect for fundamental human rights. But so far, the continent is still lagging; those entrusted with the leadership of the continent are busy complaining about the system foisted on them as being too unwieldy to comprehend. There is no doubt that the system inherited is alien but it’s time to move on, think and fashion out our own system that will create the enabling environment for peace and unity to reign in the continent. I am aware that Africa’s connection and relationship with the so-called Western countries is an asymmetrical one which only benefits the Western countries and their counterparts, Japan and China. However, it’s a truism that some of the problems that plagued the continent to date are the handiwork of our irresponsible, greedy politicians and ruling elite who, on a daily basis, mismanage the continent’s enormous wealth through embezzlement and corrupt practices; these men are responsible for the continent’s downfall. It is disturbing that African states are struggling politically, economically and socially. Development in most African states has been stunted and has been replaced with internal strife, civil unrest, poverty, disease, religious fundamentalism and violent armed robbery. Let me say without contradiction that what is happening in Africa is making me sick and many other patriotic Africans also. Why have things gone so bad? The incessant war, killings, kidnapping, ethnic division, hatred and state collapse have reached an alarming rate and have made me conclude that either the continent is cursed or there is an agent of darkness working against the progress and development of the continent. Honestly, I don’t know. Some people may disagree with me but the salient question is why are

other continents progressing whilst Africa is always lagging behind, always in emergency and at the mercy of other continents?

Last time, it was Rwanda that pitched two brothers against each other through mindless hatred and petty squabbles; then Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d‘Ivoire, Uganda, Sudan, Libya, and now Mali. Not to talk of the unending war in Congo since the 1960s. I’m worried that the crisis in Africa has deprived the continent or has made the continent the most backward continent in the world. But why should it be so? Are we saying that we are not capable of ruling ourselves? Should we continue to lament on the past colonial experiences? We are aware that conflict arises when one or more persons try to ensure their preferred outcome is achieved to the exclusion of the preferred outcome of others. In examining the area of conflict in Africa, the issues causing the conflict in the continent need to be examined as well as the actions and behaviour of both parties and then the feelings which result; then, solutions need to be implemented with urgency. Since the continent is prone to internecine conflict, whether ethnic or religious, we expect the African Union, the continent’s supraorganisation, to place more emphasis on the area of conflict management. The maxim of conflict management is the belief that all conflicts cannot necessarily

be resolved but learning how to manage conflicts can reduce the likelihood of non-productive intensification of conflicts. Conflict management involves acquiring skills related to conflict resolution, self-awareness about conflict modes, conflict communication and establishing a structure for management of conflict in our environment. We have not learned any lessons from the Nigeria-Biafra war, Rwandan genocide, Sudan, Somali, and many others that the African Union was unable to tackle or take the necessary action to forestall. Must we rely on former colonial powers to solve our problems? It’s time this so-called African Union, the club of jamborees, wakes-up from its slumbers and finds lasting solutions. My arguments are that the colonial experience was responsible but we can’t continue to hang on to that as an excuse not to move our people forward. I also believe that African people are not lucky enough to have a good leader that can transform the continent to the envy of the world. What we have so far had has been mercenaries clothed in Whiteman clothes pretending to represent the continent; those who try to move the continent lack the political will. Sometimes they are so blindfolded by tribal and religious sentiment that they can’t see beyond their own immediate environment. Time will tell, so they say, if Africa is ready or willing to go where the angels fear to tread.

14 AFRICAWORLD february 1-15 2013

CoLUMn

february 1-15 2013

SpoRt

CAF AFRICA Cup OF nAtIOns 2013 round-up.

By Colum Maher the Caf african Cup of Nations got underway this month with many teams hoping to emulate the achievements of last years unlikely winners, Zambia. for most of the competitors the road to South africa has seen it share of ups and downs, however all the nations that have made it to the finals will now be focused on the ultimate goal and look to bring the coveted trophy back to their homeland. this month africa World News is proud to bring you match-by-match analysis on all the games played up until this point of the tournament. there has been more than a few surprises so far with teams like Cape Verde, who are appearing in their very first finals, upsetting the apple cart with fine performances against both angola and Morocco. one of the tournament favorites from the outset Cote d’ivoire have also impressed with their 3-0 demolition of tunisia. However with fellow continental heavyweights Ghana, Nigeria and last years winners Zambia still in the competition, the race for the title needless to say is well and truly on. south Africa 0 - 0 Cape verde: Jan 19th, FnB stadium, Johannesburg. KO 18:00 the opening game to this years installment of the tournament seen hosts South africa take on competition newcomers Cape Verde in front of a capacity crowd of 50,000 in Johannesburg. although the hosts are not renowned for their footballing abilities, many expected the bafana bafana to steamroll the blue Sharks in the inaugural match of the tournament. the game itself was a bland encounter with neither team creating many clear cut scoring chances and would draw comments from South african coach, Gordon igesund such as‘the first half was a complete waste of 45 minutes’ and ‘We got a point. i don’t think we deserve too much more than that, to be honest’. igesund guarded his first team selection closely prior to kickoff and opted for Kaizer Chiefs forward lehlohonolo Majoro to lead the line in place of the more experienced

Katlego Mphela. the tone of the game was set early on as Siphiwe tshabalala fired a free kick straight at Vozhina in the Cape Verde goal. Just moments later the blue Sharks almost scored the opener as Platini found himself clean through on goal, however skewed his shot and watched the ball go badly wide. the wet conditions on the night would add to the damp pace of the game, however it was South africa’s inability to link up their midfielders and the defensive doggedness of Cape Verde’s Varela and Nando that restricted the bafana bafana restricted to long range shots. the hosts who were seeking their first Nations Cup win since 2004 would see Phalas effort go wide before Mendes seen his sliced shot go high and wide just a few minutes later. the South african coach used the half time interval to freshen up his team and would replace Crystal Palace midfielder Kagisho dikgacoi with lerato Chanbangu. this did nothing to add a spark to the game as both teams would continue to press for an opener to little avail. Parker would almost break the Cape Verde defence, however Varela would stand strong to hold off the Kaizer Chiefs forward not just once, but twice. the second challenge would prompt a penalty shout from the South africans but the algerian referee would wave ‘Play on’. the incident would see both teams up the tempo in search of a winner with Helton forcing Khune into a goal mouth scramble to deflect his close range header. tempers would also flair as Platini would see himself booked in the 63rd minute for pushing the bafana bafana goalkeeper which would lead lucio antunes to replace him with tavares. Khumalo would then go close to winning it for the South africans in injury time, however his close range header sailing over the crossbar. the Cape Verde players celebrated their first ever tournament finals point as the final whistle blew while igesund was left pondering their fourth blank from five games. Speaking after the game antunes would say, ‘it’ll make Cape Verde’s 500,000 people happy. today, i can hold my head up high’. Angola 0 - 0 Morocco: Jan 19th, FnB stadium, Johannesburg. KO 21:00 although the second game of the tournament ended as the first in a goalless draw, this would be the only similarity between the two games. the atlas lions would start the game without influential playmaker younes belhanda in the starting lineup after he had struggled with an adductor injury during the warm up. the game would start brightly and within a few minutes angola

midfielder Mingo bille would see his well-hit low drive sting the hands of lamyaghri in the Moroccan goal. rachid taoussis men tried to take control of the game early on as assadi and barrada attempted to force play into the angolan half. liverpool winger assadi would show tremendous skill as he managed to sidestep his marker only to see his shot blaze high over the crossbar. the atlas lions would start the more brightly of the two teams, however the Palancas Negras were unable to link up their midfield and attack and failed to create any type of meaningful attack. the angolans would steadily improve as the half went on, they were fortunate though to have 11 men on the pitch as former Manchester united striker was booked for a rash challenge on adil Hermach. as the second have kicked off angola would begin to take a foothold on the game with afonso going close following an error by Moroccan keeper lamyaghri. the former Swiss under 21 international would make a nuisance of himself and would go close again following another error in the Moroccan defence btu would see his shot gratefully collected by the keeper. fiorentina’s el Hamdaoui would go close for the atlas lions as he burst forward will real pace only to see his final shot go wide of the post. belhanda would finally be introduced on the hour mark and almost made an immediate impact as he burst into the box before skipping around the angolan defence, cut inside only to drag his shot wide. He was subsequently booked for a tug on Pirolito. the Palancas Negras almost capitalised just moments later as Manucho hammered his shot wide. He would then link up with Mateus who produced a sublime cross into the area only for the real Valladolid striker to scuff his shot wide. Ghana 2 - 2 DR Congo Jan 20th, nelson Mandela Bay stadium, port elizabeth. KO 17:00 With both games on matchday one ending in nil all draws it was going to take a special type of game to really kick start the tournament into life and when Ghana met the democratic republic of Congo on January 20th the game would not disappoint. the leopards would recover from going two goals down to earn a credible draw against the black Stars, who were seeking their first title success since 1982. former Newcastle and Portsmouth striker lomana lua lua went close to opening the scoring for dr Congo but seen his fierce shot deflected over the bar by dauda. it was clear during the opening exchanges that Kwesi appiahs men wouldn’t have it all their own way, despite the fact that they

had come into the tournament on the back of huge victories against egypt and tunisia respectively. lua lua would go close again, this time however dauda would see the shot sail harmlessly past the post. appiah would have every reason to be unhappy with his team as asamoah Gyan would scuff his shot horribly wide following a defence splitting pass from derek boateng. it was evidence that the black Stars were willing to attack, which would reap rewards with just five minutes of the first half left to be played. asamoah linked up with badu who broke into the box following a superb one-two with the al ain forward to clip the ball into the net to make it 1-0 to Ghana. the black Stars would double their advantage shortly after the restart when asmoah beat his marker from an inswinging corner to stab the ball home. to their credit the leopards responded almost immediately, Mputu latched onto the ball in the box and used the outside of his boot to poke the ball into the far corner to make it 2-1. dr Congo would have to wait 16 minutes for the equaliser as Mbokani was dragged down in the box by Jerry akaminko and the South african referee pointed to the spot. the belgian based forward, who has scored 23 times for his club so far this season made the spot-kick look easy as he slotted the ball into the corner, sending dauda the wrong way. the black Stars looked stunned and attempted to rally themselves but only for the sheer brilliance of robert Kidiaba in the Congolese goal. the tP Mazembe shot stopper would first see off Gyans shot before tipping away a dipping free kick that was sneaking under the bar. duad would also produce a fine save, tipping youssouf Malumbu’s shot around the post. Mali 1 - 0 niger Jan 20th, nelson Mandela Bay stadium, port elizabeth. KO 20:00 the eagles of Mali would leave it late to secure victory over tournament minnows Niger as the game seemed to be heading for a fourth draw in the opening four games of the competition. Mali dominated possession throughout the game but just couldn’t seem to be able to turn their ability to keep the ball into clear cut goal scoring chances. Mali would show their intentions early on as Cheick tidiane diabate would test Kassaly in the Niger goal with a couple of rifling efforts from the edge of the box. However it would be Menas who would offer the first real goal scoring chance of the game as Mamadou Samassa, who was winning just his second cap for Mali, completely missed a floated corner which luckily missed everyone else and drifted wide. Mahamane traore would be a constant threat to the Nigerians on the flank and would break into the box to pull back for Cheick fantamady diarra, who see his shot fly over the bar from 12 yards out. traore would continue to threaten the goal of

AFRICAWORLD 15

Kassaly with a few floated corners however it was Nidaye who almost went close when he got his head on the end of a Sigamary diarra corner only to see his shot go wide. Niger to their credit would have their own chances though and would torment the Mali goal through set pieces, as Kofi dan Kowa’s from a corner would only be kept out by a brilliant block from adama tamboura. the eagles control of possession would see plenty of chances for Mali, however they just couldn’t seem to find the final product. Kassaly managed to get enough on a Mali free kick to make it awkward for rennes striker diarra at the far post, who’s shot was wide of the mark. Nice midfielder Mahamane traore would also see his thumping 20 yard shot sail just wide of the post. the second have would start much the same as the first, with substitute Mamadou Samassa looking to make an immediate impact, his shot long range shot would go wide of the near post with just a few minutes of the half played. former barcelona player and Mali captain, Seydou Keita would then see his fierce shot palmed away by Kassaly in the Niger goal. Menas would respond however as Modibo Sidibe broke through the Malian defence forcing Samassa to save at his feet. Momo Sissoko would be introduced into the fray on the hour mark, the former liverpool man making his return to the competition following a 3 year hiatus from international football. fellow sub Samassa would do well to beat the Niger defence, in the end though his shot would slam harmlessly into the side netting. as the game entered it final quarter hour Mali went in search of a winner, while Niger were looking to add to their record of only a single goal in the tournament finals and they almost did. Moussa Mazzou missed a golden opportunity as he managed to power his header over the crossbar, when he should have really managed to hit the target. With 13 minutes of normal time remaining Keita almost clinched a winner for the eagles as Samassa laid the ball off to him, Keita’s shot, which looked certain to be heading into the top corner, cannoned back off the bar. traore also almost went close moments later but his tame header flew high and wide. Meanwhile at the other end Mohamed Soumaila managed to scuff his shot, which was easily collected by Samassa. With the game winding down it was left to Mali captain Keita to nick the winning goal in the 84th minute of normal time. Kassaly fumbled diawara’s floated cross from the right and the dalian midfielder managed to stroke the ball home to give the eagles the full three points. following the game Mali coach, Patrice Carteron would say, ‘i’m happy for the players because they have worked hard and this win will boost confidence for the next match against Ghana’.

16 AFRICAWORLD february 1-15 2013

Where Africa meets the World.

Where business promote itself.