NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Media Focus On Ailing Mandela Is Not 'The African Way'

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:30:00 +0000

It's almost impossible these days to switch on South African radio or television, or read a local newspaper, website or tweet, and not hear Nelson Mandela's name mentioned.

Friday marked the 19th anniversary of Mandela's inauguration as South Africa's first democratically elected — and first black — president, four years after he was released from prison.

For many South Africans, the coverage of his recent hospitalization and poor health seems like media overkill. Older South Africans stress that the African way of coping with the twilight years is culturally nuanced.

Lady Mechanic Initiative Trains Women For 'The Best Job'

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Thu, 02 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

The young women training to be mechanics at Nigeria's Lady Mechanic Initiative wear navy overalls and work boots and their hair is tucked under customized red caps as they repair vehicles in a garage. Customers come and go, dropping off and collecting their cars. Trainee Enogie Osagie says she faced great resistance at home when she started.

"At first, they were really angry. They didn't want me to go for it," says Osagie. "My mum wasn't happy with it. She just went on crying, 'Why do you want to be a mechanic? The risk is too much.' I was like, 'Don't worry, this is what I want.

S. African Leader Under Fire After Awkward Visit With Mandela

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:45:00 +0000

In South Africa, controversial images of a frail and ashen Nelson Mandela being visited by South Africa's current president aired on national television this week.

Nelson Mandel's Condition Seems To Be Improving

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:42:00 +0000

Public expressions of concern are on full display as South Africans monitor the hospitalization of anti-apartheid hero and former president Nelson Mandela. The 94 year old is being treated for pneumonia.

Nigeria's Outspoken Writer Chinua Achebe Dies At 82

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:55:00 +0000

Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe, who played a critical role in establishing post-colonial African literature, has died. The author of Things Fall Apart was 82.

Chinua Achebe, Nigerian Author Of 'Things Fall Apart,' Dies

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:29:00 +0000

NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports from Lagos, Nigeria, on the death of one of Africa's greatest contemporary writers. Quoting his publisher, AP, CNN, and the BBC are reporting Chinua Achebe has died.

Chinua Achebe who taught at colleges in the United States made literary history with his 1958 best-seller Things Fall Apart, a sobering tale about Nigeria at the beginning of its colonization.

Achebe, 82, played a critical role in establishing post-colonial African literature and is known to students all over the continent for his seminal novel, Things Fall Apart.

Pope's Resignation An Opportunity For Africa's Cardinals

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 10:18:00 +0000

The names of African cardinals are popping up as possible contenders to succeed Pope Benedict as head of the Roman Catholic Church when he steps down at the end of the month.

The Mary Mother of Good Council School is one of a number of respected Roman Catholic schools overseen by the archdiocese of Accra, the capital of the West African nation of Ghana.

Timbuktu Freed From Islamist Fighters

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:21:00 +0000

In the West African nation of Mali, residents of Timbuktu were cheering in the streets Monday, after the city was liberated by French and Malian forces after months under the harsh rule of Islamist fighters. In a final act of cultural warfare before fleeing Timbuktu, the rebels are reported to have set fire to libraries housing priceless manuscripts.

Clinics Come To The Rescue Of Ethiopia's Overworked Donkeys

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:25:00 +0000

In Ethiopia, the donkey is more than just a beast of burden.

The Horn of Africa nation is home to more than 6 million donkeys and comes second only to China in global donkey numbers. The country is both donkey heaven and donkey hell, but though the animal is highly prized, it can also be mistreated.

"In Ethiopia, there's a good saying: 'A farmer without a donkey is a donkey himself,' " says Bojia Endebu, a veterinary surgeon and seasoned donkey doctor.

As Economy Prospers, Ghana Holds Presidential Vote

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Voting for a new president and parliament in Ghana has been extended into a second day in some areas due to glitches with the new biometric voter verification system.

Ghana, which began pumping crude oil in 2010 and is also a major cocoa and gold exporter, has gained an enviable reputation in its often-turbulent West African neighborhood. It's admired for being a relative oasis of stability and peace in the region — despite tensions in the build-up to the vote.

A Peaceful Democracy

The unofficial 2012 election campaign theme in Ghana was peace.

All Aboard South Africa's High-Speed Train

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Public transit in South Africa can be a bit of a nightmare. Many South Africans have had to depend on the ubiquitous taxivans, which are often overcrowded, dirty and driven recklessly.

But the continent's first rapid rail service, built to ease traffic congestion in South Africa's economic heart, is changing that.

The Gautrain links Johannesburg, the country's economic and business hub, and Pretoria, its political capital. With speeds of up to 100 mph, it is a smooth, swift, clean and chilly ride (complete with American-style air conditioning).

For Many S. Africans, Strikes Recall Apartheid Era

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:17:00 +0000

Last month, a confrontation between the police and striking platinum miners turned deadly when police killed 34 people. The incident, and the fallout, have sent shock waves across South Africa, with people saying that the violence harks back to the bad old days of apartheid, repression and white minority rule.

Despite Critics, Gambia Plans Dozens Of Executions

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:53:00 +0000

There is growing international criticism over plans by Gambia's hard-line president to execute all of the country's death-row inmates within the next couple of weeks.

Gambia's leader, President Yahya Jammeh, has long faced criticism for his human rights record. In a recent speech marking the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, the president vowed to put to death all prisoners facing the death penalty by mid-September, as a way to curb crime.

"By the middle of next month, all the death sentences would have been carried out to the letter.

Remembering Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia's Champion

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 10:28:00 +0000

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Ethiopia's longtime prime minister died this week. Meles Zenawi was 57. He came to power in 1991 when a rebel army toppled that nation's Marxist dictator and the Ethiopian leader became a trusted U.S. ally in the war against terrorism.

Mali In Crisis Fractures Along Twin Fault Lines

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:05:00 +0000

A rebellion in northern Mali, followed by a military coup in the south, has shattered the veneer of stability in a country that was hailed for 20 years as a model democracy in turbulent West Africa.

Now Mali is facing twin crises, prompting regional and international fears that the north — currently controlled by jihadists — is a terrorist safe haven.

Mali's Cultural Heritage, Old And New, Faces Threats

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 09:53:00 +0000

Mali is a country rich in culture, both old and new.

The banging of hammers on silver echos through the main crafts market in Bamako, Mali's capital. It's usually teeming in a place where you can buy anything, from silver earrings to batik fabric, all of it handmade.

And despite its remote location, Mali has enhanced its cultural reputation in recent years with an annual international music and arts festival in the Sahara Desert near Timbuktu, drawing both African and Western artists.

But Mali's cultural gems, which have drawn steady tourist traffic, are now at risk from a dual crisis.

As Islamists Gain, Mali's Tradition Under Threat

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 08:59:00 +0000

Hard-line Islamists in northern Mali stoned a reportedly unmarried couple to death for adultery last Sunday. Analysts worry this is growing evidence of the rebel fighters' avowed intention to impose strict Islamic law in the vast territory under their control.

Another version of the story put about by an al-Qaida-linked militant group is that the couple was married but engaging in extramarital affairs.

The Shariah killings in the remote desert town of Aguelhok have drawn outrage and condemnation.

South Sudan Struggles 1 Year After Independence

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:21:00 +0000

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

This was the scene one year ago today in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We hereby declare Southern Sudan to be an independent and sovereign state.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)

MONTAGNE: There was jubilation as this oil-rich region on the Horn of Africa became the world's newest nation.

South Sudanese Children Find Hope In Education

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:10:00 +0000

The teachers' staff-room is a charming thatched building adjacent to the classrooms overlooking the dusty recreation and assembly ground at Good Hope Basic Primary School in Bentiu, the capital of oil-rich Unity State in South Sudan.

Bentiu is near the disputed border with Sudan and within striking distance of Sudanese fighter jets and warplanes.

In recent weeks, there have been aerial bombardments targeting newly-independent South Sudan that both the White House and the United Nations have condemned. A U.N.

Civilians Flee, Soldiers Dig In On Sudanese Frontier

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:33:00 +0000

There's a tense calm at South Sudan's front line, just 10 miles from the frontier with Sudan, its neighbor to the north. South Sudanese commander Maj. Gen. Mangar Buong says his troops remain on alert and on the defensive.

There is not a civilian in sight. They all fled the area, known as Panakuach, after Sudan's recent aerial bombardments and escalating concerns about a full-scale war.

South Sudan's soldiers sing morale-boosting tunes to rally the forces and keep their spirits up.

Desperate Sudanese Flee Bombing In Nuba Mountains

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:28:00 +0000

The two Sudans appear to be complying with a U.N. ceasefire ultimatum, which came into force on Friday — ending weeks of bitter border fighting over oil.

But there remains a separate conflict in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan that has forced thousands to flee bombardment and hunger for newly independent neighbor South Sudan.

Those refugees are streaming into the Yida camp in South Sudan, across the border from the Nuba Mountains in the South Kordofan area, Sudan's last remaining oil-producing state.

Communities there fought alongside the South during the long civil war.

Diplomats Up Efforts To Avert War Between Sudans

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:55:00 +0000

Sudan and South Sudan are facing the threat of United Nations sanctions if they fail to stop fighting along their disputed frontier in the Horn of Africa.

A unanimous U.N. Security Council resolution, which condemns the surge of border violence, orders the two Sudans to cease hostilities within two days and resume negotiations within two weeks.

The U.N. resolution endorses an African Union road map it hopes will avert a return to war.

Usually reluctant to approve such texts, Russia and China both signed up, reflecting the growing international concern over the crisis.

Turmoil Erupts In West African Nation Of Mali

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:56:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The nation of Mali is in turmoil. Within two short weeks, the apparently stable West African democracy has gone from preparing for presidential elections to a military coup. Neighboring countries are imposing a total embargo, demanding the coup leaders step down. Add to the mix a separatist rebellion in the north that has captured the fabled desert city of Timbuktu. From Mali's capital, Bamako, NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

OFEIBEA QUIST-ARCTON, BYLINE: Mali is a mess. Let me explain.

Congo Warlord Convicted Of Recruiting Child Soldiers

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:16:00 +0000

Judges at a war crimes tribunal convicted Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga of snatching children from the street and turning them into killers. A sentencing hearing will now be scheduled. Lubanga faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Senegal's Early Vote Tally Indicates Runoff Ahead

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:37:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

People in Senegal voted over the weekend, an election overshadowed by protests and violence. People managed to keep the actual voting mostly peaceful. Now, it looks like they'll have to vote again. A run-off seems likely in the election that features an 85-year-old president who changed the law in order to seek a third term.

'Enough Is Enough' Say Sengalese Rappers

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:46:00 +0000

Senegal's capital of Dakar remains jittery, with the youth and the riot police locked in running street battles.

The police are using teargas, rubber bullets and water cannon spray to chase away angry opposition demonstrators, including rappers from the Y'en a Marre movement. Their name means "We're Fed Up, Enough is Enough."

This past week, a planned overnight sleep-in protest was broken up by the security forces.

At 85, Senegal's Defiant President Seeks A New Term

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

The Senegalese are known for campaigning loudly, musically and enthusiastically, yet the country's reputation for democracy and stability in turbulent West Africa has taken a knock as it prepares for elections on Feb.

Attacks By Nigerian Muslim Group Stirs Fear

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

A radical Islamist group in northern Nigeria has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly bombing attacks last week that left more than 200 people dead. Boko Haram's campaign of violence has left minority Christians on edge in the city of Kano.

After Bombings, An Exodus From A Nigerian City

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:06:00 +0000

The New Road bus station in the heart of Kano is a scene of bedlam.

Men, women and children are milling around, with huge bundles and baggage in all shapes and sizes, waiting to be loaded onto half a dozen buses. Others are already onboard. They're in a desperate hurry to head south, leaving behind this troubled city in the north of Nigeria.

The exodus was prompted by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, which carried out multiple bombings on Jan. 20 that claimed nearly 200 lives in and around Kano, the largest city in the mostly Muslim north.

Nigeria's President Under Pressure To Quell Violence

NPR: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Kano, the largest city in Nigeria's Muslim north, is an ancient, sprawling city of more than 9 million. Last Friday, the Muslim day of prayers was shattered by a series of coordinated bomb blasts.

Just down the street from one of the main market areas in the city, the street remains blocked off from a police station hit in the attacks.