Africa: Faces in Words

New weekly update on the breaking stories in the African nations.

Courtesy: European Parliament

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Unseen, unheard; no one should be the bearer of these two words. Unfortunately, Africa is often in the forefront of this association.

Our common humanity should change this; we should never look away because it is too distant. Our commitment to one another, to human rights, and the ability to learn should always keep us connected no matter the severity and complexity of problems.

Important insights from last week, not to be missed:

Niger: Selling Sand to Survive - endurance. A group of 200 women are making ends meet - sometimes even a bit more - by selling sand. They are known in Niamey, the Nigerien capital, as "takalakoyes"; the name, in the local language, Zarma, refers to the wooden poles, a calabash full of sand at each end, that the women carry on their shoulders from dawn till dusk. Selling Sand to Survive - allafrica.com

Organization Reunites Runaway Talibes With Families in West Africa - Hundreds of talibes, or young Islamic students, run away from Koranic schools in Senegal every year, tired of the frequent forced begging and poor living conditions. Many of them embark on long journeys to return to their homes in neighboring countries. Organization Reunites Runaway Talibes With Families - Voice of Africa

Sudan expelled aid officials over “rape-detection devices” - The Sudanese government’s decision to expel five aid officials last Sunday was made over its discovery that they were distributing "rape-detection devices" to several relief groups working in Darfur, according to one official here. 'Rape detection devices' lead to Expulsions in Sudan

Nigeria: Arms cargo to epicenter of religious tension seized - Nigerian security officials may have salvaged a bloody religious war following the arrest of a cargo of arms and ammunition being smuggled into the country from neighboring Chad destined for the volatile Jos region where religious tensions have claimed hundreds of lives since January. Reports indicate that 52 Kalashnikov rifles and more than 1,700 rounds of ammunition rounds and about $32,000 were hidden underneath vegetables and dried fish in two cars driving into Nigeria from Chad. Arms cargo to epicenter of religious tension - ramadji.com

South Africa: A Teabag That Could Save Millions - A cheap and effective filtering device developed by a South African university could provide safe drinking water to millions of people, drastically reducing the incidence of waterborne illnesses such as cholera and other diarrheal diseases. A Teabag That Could Save Millions - allafrica.com

I blame Bashir - My name is El-Fadel Arbab, and I am one of the lucky ones. Early one morning, when I was 12 years old, the Janjaweed surrounded my village in the Zalingei area of western Darfur. They started attacking people, killing them in their homes and setting their houses on fire. They slaughtered children. I blame Bashir - My name is El-Fadel Arbab - globalpost.com

Somali militants seize and burn aid food - Islamist fighters in Somalia said Friday that they seized food from the World Food Program from markets in Mogadishu and burned more than 500 bags of maize and wheat. Food burned and seized by Somali militants - Medeshivalley.com

Burundi Must Investigate those Accused of Torturing Opposition Politicians - Burundian authorities must investigate allegations that state security officials tortured 12 opposition politicians during the country's recent elections, Amnesty International said on Monday. Burundi Must Investigate those Accused of Torturing Opposition Politicians

Revealed: Letter that caused people to flee in DR Congo - 90,000 people have fled their homes following new military clashes in North Kivu, DRC between the Congolese army and the Ugandan rebel group ADF-NALU. Letter causes people to flee in DR Cong

Sudan: Fear of LRA Causes Thousands to Flee in Western Equatoria - Armed attacks blamed on the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Southern Sudan's Western Equatoria State have displaced thousands of civilians and undermined food security, say local and UN officials. Thousands to Flee in Western Equatoria - allafrica.com