By Paul Ndiho, Washington DC
November 30, 2010
Top Ugandan reggae artist Moses Ssali, better known as “Bebe Cool,” is literally getting back on his feet after life-threatening encounters that included a shooting and a car accident. He was recently in the U.S., where he was receiving treatment.
Bebe Cool is big in Uganda and East Africa, where his mix of reggae and bongo flava, have made him one of the region’s biggest stars. He recently claimed the coveted 2010 Pearl of Africa Music “Artist of the Year” award, which catapulted his music to the top of the Ugandan music charts. But awards have been the least of Bebe Cool’s concerns after several brushes with death. He almost died a few months ago, after being shot four times in the legs.
“I was shot four times with an AK 47, then two months later I was involved in the worst car accident with my wife, and then two months later I was involved in a bomb blast while I was performing at a concert during the World cup finals and all the people just around me and behind me died but me and my wife survived. These are not things that I would have expected to be part of my life today.”
Bebe Cool says his recovery has been slow, but credits his doctors in the United States.
“My legs are stable, and my bones are right back in shape. My muscles are gaining some energy. Overall, my legs can support all my weight, but I can't run, and I can't jump.”
The close-calls have left the Ugandan artist very reflective about his faith, and even more driven to succeed in life and music.
“Today as I speak so many singers are working world wide and I’m proud to be one of those guys who started it. So the main thing that has really made me who I am is the belief in me. No one can stop me, not even the five bullets when I was shot, and not even the bomb blast that I was involved in. I don't think that anybody can stop me, maybe apart from God.”
Bebe Cool started performing in Nairobi, Kenya in the late 1990s when he was very young. He says he was inspired by reggae icons Bunju Bunton and Wyclef Jean.
But the Ugandan artist has drawn controversy too. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni gave what critics say is taxpayer money for Bebe's treatment in the U.S. The reggae artist plans to campaign for President Museveni's re-election. One of the opposition candidates hoping to unseat Mr. Museveni is Bebe Cool’s own father, Bidandi Ssali. The musician is unapologetic about his political allegiance.
“When it come to who I’m going to work with in Uganda today… it’s obvious and I don't want to lie to you that the people will see me as good person if I don't support the president. He was instrumental in giving me my life back but how do you appreciate somebody who has done you a good thing? Do you want me to stand on stage and tell that people that the president must go? Of course not.”
Bebe Cool says young upcoming artists should stay focused.
“You cannot start a journey when you don't know where you want to end. Look out and say that I want to be big in Africa and then work towards being big in Africa. You will find it very easy if you have a goal then the question will be very simple. Where do I go to become an African artist? Ugandan reggae artist Bebe Cool says young artists should also work to create friendships in music, an industry he says can be very tempting.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
AFRICAN UNION PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION
By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C
November 27, 2010
Africa has been characterized by many conflict situations that have resulted in the loss of millions of lives, widespread displacement and a wide array of human rights abuses. Today, Africa accounts for about 70 percent of the United Nations' peacekeeping operations. But is the African Union and its sub-regional organizations, doing enough to prevent and resolve conflicts on the continent.
Africa continues to suffer from violent conflicts. In Somalia, in Sudan’s Darfur region, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo the toll has been devastating. There scarce resources are diverted to buying arm; insecurity, displacement, and destruction follows. Still Ambassador Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda’s permanent representative to the UN and former president of the Security Council sees hope.
“There has been a lot of turbulence in Africa. About 20 years ago there were about 20 wars going on simultaneously in Africa as I speak now there are only four going on. Although they are still going on, the fact of the matter is it’s a very significant improvement from about 20 to about four. And which are these four that I' m talking about? They are Sudan in Darfur, DRC there is still some insatiability, Somalia definitely requires some attention and the region the Lord’s Resistance Army they were a rebel group unique rebel group with no clear political objectives.”
Ambassador Rugunda says the Africa Union, in response to internal demand and international pressure, has begun to focus their attention on these regions and is trying innovative ways to resolve differences by nonviolent means.
“African Countries have said, we want the continent to be stable, we want to be democratically ruled, we believe in the rule of law and we also want to respect the human rights of people and to ensure that there are no unconstitutional changes of government.”
Commenting on the fragile situation in Somalia, Ambassador Rugunda said there is a difference between the way Africa and the rest of the world sees the situation there.
“In Africa we think the rest of the world has put more attention on piracy than dealing with piracy at its source and its base is main land Somalia. Africa firmly believes that we should deal with the main land piracy by it and his problem will disappear.”
Some analysts say that the Africa Union has adequate mechanisms to deal with its problems, to resolve conflicts and all it needs is reinforcements in terms of resources and capacity building.
November 27, 2010
Africa has been characterized by many conflict situations that have resulted in the loss of millions of lives, widespread displacement and a wide array of human rights abuses. Today, Africa accounts for about 70 percent of the United Nations' peacekeeping operations. But is the African Union and its sub-regional organizations, doing enough to prevent and resolve conflicts on the continent.
Africa continues to suffer from violent conflicts. In Somalia, in Sudan’s Darfur region, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo the toll has been devastating. There scarce resources are diverted to buying arm; insecurity, displacement, and destruction follows. Still Ambassador Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda’s permanent representative to the UN and former president of the Security Council sees hope.
“There has been a lot of turbulence in Africa. About 20 years ago there were about 20 wars going on simultaneously in Africa as I speak now there are only four going on. Although they are still going on, the fact of the matter is it’s a very significant improvement from about 20 to about four. And which are these four that I' m talking about? They are Sudan in Darfur, DRC there is still some insatiability, Somalia definitely requires some attention and the region the Lord’s Resistance Army they were a rebel group unique rebel group with no clear political objectives.”
Ambassador Rugunda says the Africa Union, in response to internal demand and international pressure, has begun to focus their attention on these regions and is trying innovative ways to resolve differences by nonviolent means.
“African Countries have said, we want the continent to be stable, we want to be democratically ruled, we believe in the rule of law and we also want to respect the human rights of people and to ensure that there are no unconstitutional changes of government.”
Commenting on the fragile situation in Somalia, Ambassador Rugunda said there is a difference between the way Africa and the rest of the world sees the situation there.
“In Africa we think the rest of the world has put more attention on piracy than dealing with piracy at its source and its base is main land Somalia. Africa firmly believes that we should deal with the main land piracy by it and his problem will disappear.”
Some analysts say that the Africa Union has adequate mechanisms to deal with its problems, to resolve conflicts and all it needs is reinforcements in terms of resources and capacity building.
Friday, November 19, 2010
VIKTOR BOUT RAN A WEAPONS PIPELINE IN AFRICA
My encounter with Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who helped fuel some of Africa's bloodiest conflicts. Bout was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 on an international arrest warrant following a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operation aimed at suppliers of weapons to Farc which the group uses to defend its extensive drug trafficking operation.In the late 90s, Bout ran a weapons pipeline in to the war ravaged east of the Democratic Republic of Congo and shipped out minerals, such as the coltan used in making mobile phones, plundered by rebel groups and foreign armies. He also helped arm the Liberian rebel leader, Charles Taylor, who later became president and is now on trial before the international criminal court for war crimes.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
2010 AFRICA ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
By Paul Ndiho,Washington D.C.
November 2, 2010
The International Monetary fund (IMF) says Sub-Saharan Africa's accelerating economic growth is expected to be broad-based this year and next. Strong domestic demand and resurgent exports are projected to boost growth as high as 5.5 percent.
Economists say sub-Saharan Africa was in a strong economic position going into the global financial slowdown. This allowed fiscal and monetary policies to be put in place to soften the impact of the global downturn. For countries that were hard hit by the crisis, Antoinette Sayeh, IMF regional director for Africa, offers this advice:
"Now that the growth seems to be in hand and returning, the recovery is returning, it's important that the authorities now work to rebuild those savings that they used in the course of the crisis so that when the next crisis hits they're able again to draw on their reserves and their savings to respond. So that's really the challenge ahead to continue good macroeconomic policies to rebuild, as we call them, the policy buffers that have helped so much during this crisis,"
In Africa, domestic demand is expected to remain strong on the basis of rising real incomes and investment. And many African governments have implemented investment-friendly frameworks to attract more foreign capital.
"Sub-Saharan Africa needs investment. A large part of that investment in the social sectors and some infrastructure investments will depend on the public sector. But most investments should come from the private sector. And so the challenge going forward will be for Sub-Saharan African governments to improve the enabling environment for private investments so that they continue to attract capital from abroad and so that investments in infrastructure in other manufacturing and other facilities help to sustain growth,"
Antoinette Sayeh says that there is still work to be done in Africa to enable business and business startups.
"There is still work to be done on the overall enabling environment and regulatory policies and how long it takes to register businesses, how easy it is to import. Despite the fact that there's been tremendous progress in these areas it still takes too long to establish new business in many countries and there's still significant work to be done to make sure that the private sector is able to make the long term investments and commitment that are needed to sustain growth,"
Analysts say that in recent years, international trade has increased exponentially, but Africa's share in world trade has remained low. Africa accounts for only about 3% of world exports, partly due to trade protection outside Africa against African products.
November 2, 2010
The International Monetary fund (IMF) says Sub-Saharan Africa's accelerating economic growth is expected to be broad-based this year and next. Strong domestic demand and resurgent exports are projected to boost growth as high as 5.5 percent.
Economists say sub-Saharan Africa was in a strong economic position going into the global financial slowdown. This allowed fiscal and monetary policies to be put in place to soften the impact of the global downturn. For countries that were hard hit by the crisis, Antoinette Sayeh, IMF regional director for Africa, offers this advice:
"Now that the growth seems to be in hand and returning, the recovery is returning, it's important that the authorities now work to rebuild those savings that they used in the course of the crisis so that when the next crisis hits they're able again to draw on their reserves and their savings to respond. So that's really the challenge ahead to continue good macroeconomic policies to rebuild, as we call them, the policy buffers that have helped so much during this crisis,"
In Africa, domestic demand is expected to remain strong on the basis of rising real incomes and investment. And many African governments have implemented investment-friendly frameworks to attract more foreign capital.
"Sub-Saharan Africa needs investment. A large part of that investment in the social sectors and some infrastructure investments will depend on the public sector. But most investments should come from the private sector. And so the challenge going forward will be for Sub-Saharan African governments to improve the enabling environment for private investments so that they continue to attract capital from abroad and so that investments in infrastructure in other manufacturing and other facilities help to sustain growth,"
Antoinette Sayeh says that there is still work to be done in Africa to enable business and business startups.
"There is still work to be done on the overall enabling environment and regulatory policies and how long it takes to register businesses, how easy it is to import. Despite the fact that there's been tremendous progress in these areas it still takes too long to establish new business in many countries and there's still significant work to be done to make sure that the private sector is able to make the long term investments and commitment that are needed to sustain growth,"
Analysts say that in recent years, international trade has increased exponentially, but Africa's share in world trade has remained low. Africa accounts for only about 3% of world exports, partly due to trade protection outside Africa against African products.
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