Excellent Podcast: Peter Day's World of Business in Zambia

One of the best podcasts that I've heard in a long time was broadcast in two parts last month. The slightly unlikely platform for this insight into African development was Peter Day's World of Business on the BBC.

It seems precisely because Peter Day, an intelligent, experienced broadcast journalist who appears to possess no particular Africa experience and no apparent "aid/development" mindset, comes with his questions and observations without any preconceptions, that he was able to conduct such straightforward, revealing interviews.

What follows over two 20+ minute reports about the inadequate supply of power, drinking water, and transport both within Zambia and crossing its borders, as well as quick, perceptive dives into the country's rocky but stabilizing economic, political, and infrastructural scenes, and how these all interact. The interviews include the US Ambassador and the Zambian Vice President Guy Scott but many are by and large discussions with regular Zambians, from a truck driver, who can drive from South Africa in two days but has to sometimes wait five days sitting around because of transport bottlenecks, to poor people in peri-urban communities of Lusaka searching for clean drinking water.

There is also an insightful analysis of Zambia's copper mining industry, illustrating the challenges of transfer pricing, tax evasion, over-reliance on a single extractive sector with a fluctuating commodity price.

Well-worth listening to both parts of this podcast, first broadcast on 31 August and then 7 September, and available for listening online or download.

Grand Bassam: Ready for Tourists?

While preparing the posts about Françafrique earlier this month, it seemed serendipitous to hear my good friend and excellent journalist Tamasin Ford, the BBC West Africa correspondent based in Abidjan, on the BBC Africa Today podcast, filing a report about Grand Bassam, Cote D'Ivoire's original capital city.

Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, tiny Grand Bassam is about an hour southeast of Abidjan, and was the first capital of the French colony has been more recently something of the Newport, Rhode Island of Ivory Coast. As Tamasin reports, it has received UNESCO World Heritage status, but hasn't yet seen an influx of tourists. Listen to Tamasin's report on her Soundcloud page.

I happened to visit Grand Bassam in April this year, while visiting Tamasin and her boyfriend in Abidjan. Upon arriving from the city, we first went to a decent beachfront hotel for lunch. The beach was busy and the hotel was lively, although I didn't see that many foreigners; the majority of people seemed to be West African.

The three of us strolled to find the Vieux Carré after lunch. It was a bit hard to find, as there were no street signs or maps, and few wayfinding aides for the interested visitor. We experienced one of those strange sensations when visiting a foreign city, that particular disorientation when you have no idea if you've found the center of town or if you're on the outskirts, looking for something else.

Like several other colonial historic districts that I've visited in West Africa, Grand Bassam in its current, dilapidated condition, offers the visitors a rare chance to get up close to the architecture in its on-reconstructed state. Its amazing to be able to walk in these old buildings without restriction, such as the old railway station, below:

However, the bigger aspect is also the more negative: I was disappointed not so much at the sorry condition of the historic buildings, but it was obvious that several had already disappeared, and even the better examples that still stood, there was no way of learning more about them, such as the case with the magnificent example at the top of this post. The old center was interrupted by new construction, as would be expected in an inhabited district; some was more "contextual than others." In the bones of some of the older structures, the possibility for a refurbished, tourist-oriented destination seemed possible: fixing up a few for restaurants, cafés and small guest houses. Certainly sufficient crowds were coming to the area, as the beaches just ten minutes away were full of weekenders.

I am not familiar with what expertise or assistance UNESCO provides its designates, or whether a master plan or other aide is coming Grand Bassam's way. But there is a lot of work to be done to capture the potential of this historic city as a place for visitors, and much like the historic architecture of Liberia, as time passes, less and less of the older buildings are left standing.

All photos ©2013 Mathew M. Jones

Looks Like Liberian Art, Is not Liberian Art

In April the excellent website African Digital Art featured the graphic design work featured in the opening credits of the film Pray the Devil Back to Hell. The illustrations are the work of Olaf Hajek, a Berlin-based artist. 


I was a bit surprised by this-- I had noticed the very atmospheric artwork in the film's opening, but hadn't thought afterwards about the artist. I had presumed that a local Liberian artist had done the work--especially given how quintessentially local the art evidently is. 

But it is not a local, Liberian artist. Instead, this is the work of a Dane, Olaf Hajek. As is so often the case, the sentiment is best encapsulated in the comments section of the ADA post, from an African Digital Art visitor named "Lars:"

Nice visuals, but they bordering on a rip-off of local artists work. Why not use a Liberian artist? There are plenty of capable billboard and cartoon artists in Liberia who have emerged in recent years to become artists of international standards. In fact pic #2 is lifted from an anti-rape billboard still visible in Monrovia. The producers would have done better to use photographs of actual street art, rather than pay a European to cut and paste them under his name. This is not xenophobia, its simply common courtesy to offer a shot to local talent who have survived the hell portrayed in this film, and now struggle to make a decent living.  What a shame. Opportunities like this to do right by local artists do not come by too often.

Via the BBC, above is that anti-rape billboard, which is prominently situated on Tubman Boulevard near the Airfield. Veteran Monrovian ex-pat Chris Herwig's Flickr photo stream has several more images of it, ©2007. As you can see, the pair is indeed copied entirely: even the color of the clothing has not been changed by the Danish drawer. I would be interested to investigate the professional disposition of Hajek in this situation: would Hajek have so readily reproduced an exact copy of a fellow European's handiwork? Does he not recognize this (unfortunately nameless) Liberian artist as having equal creative protections other artists' work? 


Completely aside from that issue, Lars is totally right, what a shame in terms of missed professional opportunity. Despite a handful of individual, noteworthy talents, the contemporary Liberian art scene is moribund, restricted by a dearth of patrons, supporters, and venues outside of a tiny clientele for paintings and woodwork, and the occasional commercial opportunity such as a billboard or sign. 

The Crimes

It was a big, historic day for Liberia, West Africa, and the world as the verdict against Charles Taylor was read at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, some 3000 miles away in the Netherlands. Most of Monrovia tuned in, via radio and television, to hear the Judge read out the entire summary. The city was calm yet agitated, as people rushed to cluster around the nearest news outlet, and a few took to the streets. 


It was not exactly a sound-bite friendly format: the reading of the summary judgement took more than two hours, without the single-second drama of an OJ Simpson-style jury statement. I don't know how anticipated this was, but only the BBC and Al Jazeera covered the event live, and even they broke occasionally when the Judge took a sip of water to continue reading the 40+ page decision. 


Despite the court's dry tone and lengthly speech, the review of the case of striking, as it took more than a quarter of an hour just to read the charges against Taylor: with categories of crime, dates, times, brief descriptions of various events. If have copied that portion of the transcript of today's session below. 

In newspaper coverage of the trial, the list of the accusations, when rattled off, is so vast and vague that the real events they are based on can be forgotten. And while the summary does not detail the tens of thousands of pages of testimony and transcripts that the Judges reviewed, it does reference enough context to remind us that these charges are the result of specific acts of violence and inhumanity. 

In the wake of Taylor's guilty verdict, in which not all of the prosecution's case was proven, it is no longer about Charles Taylor, the single man. The list below recounts hundreds of individual and collective horrors, whole classes of atrocities which occurred countless times to thousands of people. What number of homes and businesses were looted? How many were burned down, and how many people were inside? In total, many murders relate to the following list? How many rapes? How many were in public? What was the final count on the number of amputations? In the end, how many young people had been coerced, drugged, fooled or forced into soldiering or slavery? How many escaped and were sent back, their fate sealed? When does a rape victim become recategorized as a sex slave? 


How many lives did this war destroy? These were the thoughts running through my mind before the judge asked Charles Taylor to stand and learn his fate. 


MURDER, a Crime Against Humanity, punishable under Article 2.a. of the Statute. (Count 2) and/or
VIOLENCE to Life, Health and Physical or Mental Well-Being of Persons, in particular MURDER, a Violation of Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II , punishable under Article 3.a. of the Statute (Count 3)
16. The Trial Chamber finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that members of the RUF, AFRC, AFRC/RUF Junta or alliance, and/or Liberian fighters, murdered civilians in various locations in the following districts of Sierra Leone:

17. In Kenema District between about 25 May 1997 and about 31 March 1998.
    
18. In Kono District between about 1 February 1998 and about 31 January 2000.
    
19. In Freetown and the Western Area between about 21 December 1998 and 28 February 1999.
    20. In Kailahun District between about 1 February 1998 and about 30 June 1998.

RAPE, a Crime Against Humanity, punishable under Article 2.g. of the Statute
(Count 4)
21. The Trial Chamber finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that members of the RUF, AFRC, AFRC/RUF Junta or alliance, and Liberian fighters committed widespread acts of rape against women and girls in various locations in the following districts of Sierra Leone:

22. In Kono District between about 1 February and about 31 December 1998.
    
23. In Freetown and the Western Area between about 21 December 1998 and about 28 February 1999.
    24. In Kailahun District in 1998 and 1999 women and girls were raped in various locations which were not charged in the Indictment. The Trial Chamber makes no finding of guilt for these crimes for reasons fully set out in the written judgement.

SEXUAL SLAVERY, a Crime Against Humanity, punishable under Article 2.g. of the Statute (Count 5)
25. The Trial Chamber finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that between about 30 November 1996 and about 18 January 2002, members of the RUF, AFRC, AFRC/RUF Junta or alliance and Liberian fighters committed widespread acts of sexual slavery against civilian women and girls in Sierra Leone in various locations in the following districts of Sierra Leone:

26. In Kono District between about 1 February 1998 and about 31 December 1998.
    
27. In Kailahun District in 1998 and 1999.
    
28. In Freetown and the Western Area between about 21 December 1998 and about 28 February 1999.

OUTRAGES UPON PERSONAL DIGNITY, a Violation of Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II, punishable under Article 3.e. of the Statute (Count 6).


29. The Trial Chamber finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that members of the RUF, AFRC, AFRC/RUF Junta or alliance and Liberian fighters committed widespread acts of outrages upon the personal dignity of civilian women and girls by acts such as forcing them to undress in public and by raping them and committing other acts of sexual abuse sometimes in full view of the public, and in full view of family members, in various locations in the following districts of Sierra Leone:

30. In Kono District between about 1 February 1998 and about 31 December 1998;
    
31. In Freetown and the Western Area between about 21 December 1998 and about 28 February 1999;

32. In Kailahun District in 1998 and 1999 outrages upon personal dignity were committed against women and girls in various locations not charged in the Indictment. The Trial Chamber makes no finding of guilt for these crimes for reasons fully set out in the written judgement.


VIOLENCE to life, health and physical or mental well-being of persons, in particular CRUEL TREATMENT, a Violation of Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II, punishable under Article 3.a. of the Statute (Count 7); and/or
OTHER INHUMANE ACTS, a Crime Against Humanity, punishable under Article 2.i. of the Statute (Count 8)


33. The Trial Chamber finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that members of the RUF, AFRC, AFRC/RUF Junta or alliance, and Liberian fighters committed widespread acts of physical violence against civilians in various locations in the following districts of Sierra Leone:
34. In Kono District between about 1 February 1998 and about 31 December 1998, civilians were forced to endure cruel treatment including having words carved into their bodies, and amputations of limbs.
35. In Kailahun District, crimes of physical violence were committed not charged in the Indictment. The Trial Chamber makes no findings of guilt for these crimes for reasons fully set out in the written judgement.
36. In Freetown and the Western Area between about 21 December 1998 and about 28 February 1999 civilians were subjected to cruel treatment, including the amputations of limbs.

CONSCRIPTING OR ENLISTING CHILD SOLDIERS INTO THE ARMED FORCES OR USING THEM IN HOSTILITIES, and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law, punishable under Article 4.c. of the Statute (Count 9)


37. The Trial Chamber finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that between about 30 November 1996 and about 18 January 2002, members of the RUF, AFRC, AFRC/RUF Junta or alliance and Liberian fighters conscripted and enlisted children under the age of 15 into their armed groups and used them to participate actively in the hostilities in the following districts of Sierra Leone:
38. In Tonkolili District, children under the age of 15 were abducted and conscripted into the RUF at Kangari Hills from early 1996 until May 1997. Between 500 and 1000 children had “RUF” carved into their forehead or back to prevent escape.
39. In Kailahun District, children under the age of 15 were conscripted into the RUF throughout 1998 and 1999, and underwent military training at Bunumbu training base, also known as “Camp Lion”, and at Buedu Field.
40. In Kono District during the Indictment period, children under the age of 15 were conscripted into the RUF and AFRC at various locations and were used to participate actively in hostilities and to amputate limbs, guard diamond mines, go on food-finding missions, as bodyguards, to man checkpoints and in armed combat.
41. In Bombali District, children under the age of 15 were conscripted into the RUF and AFRC between 1998 and 2000, underwent military training at various locations and participated actively in hostilities.
42. In Port Loko District between January 1999 and April/May 1999, a child under the age of 15 was abducted, conscripted into the AFRC and used for active participation in hostilities in Masiaka.
43. In Kenema District during the Junta period, children under the age of 15 were used as armed guards for mining sites.

44. In Koinadugu District between March and May 1998, children under the age of 15 were used to participate actively in hostilities and at least one child under the age of 15 was used to fight against the Kamajors.
45. In Freetown and the Western Area, children under the age of 15 were used to participate actively in hostilities in Benguema from the end of January until March 1999 and during the Freetown attack in January 1999.


ENSLAVEMENT, a Crime Against Humanity, punishable under Article 2.c. of the Statute (Count 10)
46. The Trial Chamber finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that between 30 November 1996 and about 18 January 2002, members of the RUF, AFRC, AFRC/RUF Junta or alliance and Liberian fighters intentionally exercised powers of ownership over civilians by depriving them of their freedom and forcing them to work, thus committing the crime of enslavement in various locations in the following districts of Sierra Leone:
47. In Kenema District between about 1 July 1997 and about 28 February 1998, civilians were abducted and forced to mine for diamonds.
48. In Kono District throughout 1998 and 1999, civilians were abducted and used as forced labour to carry loads, perform domestic chores, go on food-finding missions, undergo military training, and work in diamond mines.
49. In Kailahun District between 30 November 1996 and July 2000 civilians were abducted and used as forced labour to carry loads, collect arms and ammunition, construct the Buedu airstrip, undergo military training, farm, fish, perform domestic chores and go on food-finding missions.
50. In Freetown and the Western Area between about 21 December 1998 and about 28 February 1999, civilians were abducted and used as forced labour to carry loads, perform domestic chores and destroy a bridge.

PILLAGE, a Violation of Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II, punishable under Article 3.f. of the Statute (Count 11)
51. The Trial Chamber finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that members of the RUF, AFRC, AFRC/RUF Junta or alliance, and Liberian fighters, engaged in widespread and unlawful taking of civilian property in various locations in the following districts of Sierra Leone:
52. In Kono District, between about 1 February 1998 and about 31 December 1998, civilian goods were looted, money and diamonds were looted from a bank and, as part of ‘Operation Pay Yourself’, civilian homes and shops were looted.
53. In Bombali District, numerous instances of looting of civilian property occurred between 1 February 1998 and 30 April 1998. Money from a bank was also looted.
54. In Port Loko District between 1 February 1998 and 30 April 1998 there were numerous instances of looting of civilian property as part of Operation Pay Yourself.
55. In Freetown and the Western Area between about 21 December 1998 and about 28 February 1999, widespread looting of civilian property from residences and businesses occurred.


ACTS OF TERRORISM, a Violation of Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II, punishable under Article 3.d. of the Statute ( Count 1)
56. The Trial Chamber finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that members of the RUF, AFRC, AFRC/RUF Junta or alliance, and Liberian fighters committed acts of terrorism by committing the crimes described in counts 2 to 8 as part of a campaign to terrorize the civilian population of Sierra Leone.
57. There was evidence in the crimes described in counts 2 to 8 of public executions and amputations; people were beheaded and their heads displayed at checkpoints; during “Operation No Living Thing,” during the Junta Period in Kenema Town, a civilian was killed in full public view and then his body was disembowelled and his intestines stretched across the road to make a “checkpoint”; women and girls were raped in public; people were burned alive in their homes. The Trial Chamber finds beyond reasonable doubt that the purpose of these atrocities charged in counts 2 to 8 was to instil terror in the civilian population.

58. However, some acts of violence, even when committed in a campaign whose primary purpose was to terrorise the civilian population, may not have been committed in furtherance of such a campaign. The Trial Chamber finds that this is the case with the acts of violence underlying the crimes of Child Soldiers (Count 9), Enslavement (Count 10), and Pillage (Count 11). The Trial Chamber therefore finds that the crime of acts of terrorism has not been established for these counts.
59. The Trial Chamber also finds that the Prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that acts of terrorism were committed by the widespread burning of civilian property with the primary purpose of terrorizing the civilian population in various locations in Kono District between about 1 February 1998 and about 31 December 1998, and in various locations in Freetown and Western Area between about 21 December 1998 and February 1999. 

BBC Podcast about Liberian Rubber Tappers

I forgot to mention it the first time around, but the always-insightful podcast series from the BBC, African Perspectives, has re-released their episode on the lives of Liberian rubber tappers on the Firestone plantation.

As of the date of this post, there are two weeks left to download it directly from the BBC website. If you're reading this and don't see the podcast at the link above, I think it be more or less permanently available on iTunes, especially if you subscribe to African Perspectives, which is a good idea generally.

The mini radio documentaries are generally just under 30 minutes in duration, and span the continent from interviews with African first ladies, investigative reporting as to why the Congolese army commits so many rapes, to how a centuries-old Chinese shipwreck was found off the east coast of Africa.

Incidentally, the BBC also provides a daily collection of their reporting from Africa, from Egypt to Liberia to South Africa, in a daily podcast called Africa Today, usually about 15 minutes long as is issued every weekday.