Once Africa had few international connectivity options bit now it has a widening number of choices from new fibre connections (notably SEACOM and TEAMS in Q2, 2009) to cheaper satellite connectivity (03B Networks in 2010). Therefore this report has been expanded to look at the interplay between fibre and satellite prices and the speed at which the market is making transition to increased fibre use.

Three days of tense deliberations by members of the Kimberley Process have failed to reach consensus on whether diamonds from Zimbabwe's Marange fields should be certified as conflict-free. Zimbabwe has already announced that it intends to resume exports of the precious stones immediately.

The European Union is facing shortages of 14 critical raw materials needed for mobile phones and emerging technologies like solar panels and synthetic fuels, according to a study by the European Commission. The commission is ringing the alarm bell on raw materials as China again plans to tighten its control over its rare earth minerals by allowing just a handful of state companies to oversee the mining of the scarce elements that are vital to some of the world’s greenest technologies.

A new laboratory has been set up in the Ivorian port city of Abidjan to improve the monitoring of hazardous materials under a project backed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that aims to prevent a repeat of a notorious incident in which thousands of people were sickened by toxic waste.

International business leaders, mostly heads of leading multinational firms, are meeting in Nairobi to discuss new strategies of increasing their business dealings within Africa. The meeting of some 40 senior international and regional business leaders, convened by the Economist Corporate Network's, a division of the leading Economist Magazine, opened this week. The first Africa Business Group meeting in Nairobi focused on changing market dynamics in East Africa.

The discovery of oil in western Uganda has prompted a land grab around the oil fields, dispossessing impoverished local communities and providing a potential trigger for conflict, members of parliament from the area have said.

Madagascar 50th Independence Day Anniversary is on June 26th and the festivities are already underway . In spite of a star-studded line-up of international entertainers, the atmosphere is not exactly festive because of the political uncertainty and the economic hardship that has resulted from the 18 month-long crisis

The emerging economies of Brazil, India, China and Russia will enjoy an agricultural boom over the next decade as production stalls in Western Europe, a report says. Agricultural output in the Bric nations will grow three times as fast as in the major developed countries, the joint United Nations-OECD study said. Livestock and crop prices will stay above long-term averages, it added.

In mid-July AIDS experts from around the world will gather for the 18th international AIDS conference. The focus will be on where AIDS is being defeated and where it is re-emerging. Unfortunately, Uganda will be discussed in the second category.

As the people of the small African nation of Burundi get set to cast their votes in Monday’s presidential election, an independent United Nations expert today warned of potential violence and human rights violations, citing a number of recent worrisome developments.

A son of Congo's first democratically-elected leader, Patrice Lumumba, is to seek the prosecution for war crimes of 12 Belgian officials suspected of aiding his father's assassination in 1961. Lawyers for Francois Lumumba said on Tuesday that they planned to file the complaint at a Brussels court in October – a week before the Democratic Republic of Congo celebrates 50 years of independence from its former colonial master, Belgium.

South African unions representing thousands of workers at power utility Eskom said on Friday they were not planning an imminent strike over wages, allaying fears a labour action could hit the Soccer World Cup. State-owned Eskom and unions failed to resolve a wage dispute after late-night bargaining on Thursday, union officials said. The two sides were not far apart on the size of a wage increase but hit snags mainly on housing allowances, they said.

At the Gleneagles G8 Summit in 2005, the G8 countries committed themselves to providing Africa with $25 billion additional dollars by 2010. Three reports have emerged in the last short time assessing the actual achievements. According to the Muskoka Accountability report, released this week by the G8 itself, the commitment has fallen short by at least $7 billion. The report is so self-serving and opaque that it's frankly impossible to divine the exact figure, but even taking it at its best, it means that the G8 will fall short by almost 30%, says Stephen Lewis.

Boubacar Boris DIOP

Wazir Mohamed

Fodé Roland Diagne

As criticisms of President Obama’s war and economic policies mount, the group that first questioned his intentions regarding the concerns of the black community is holding a national Congress to define a black agenda to serve the interests of black people.

With World Cup security stewards complaining of poor working conditions and unpaid wages, a labor dispute threatens to overshadow the action on the pitch in South Africa. SPIEGEL spoke to union head Evan Abrahamse about the workers' complaints.

After seven years of devastating effects of Access to information and protection of privacy act (AIPPA), the media and the population at large have welcomed the registration of four newspapers in Zimbabwe, which are Newsday, Daily News, Daily Gazette and The Mail. The latest is News Day, the new private daily newspaper that descended on the streets of Zimbabwe on 4 June 2010.

This latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines Cameroon’s situation after 28 years under President Paul Biya. The ruling party is weakened by intense internal rivalries over control of resources and positioning for the post-Biya period. Having done away with the constitutional limitation on the number of presidential terms, Biya, who is at the same time feared and opposed within his own party, is deliberately maintaining uncertainty over whether he will stand again.

The family, friends and well wishers of former member of parliament for Nyakach and eminent trade unionist Hon. James Dennis Akumu,

Cordially invite you to a Harambee
on Saturday 3 July 2010
at the United Kenya Club from 5:00pm–8:00pm

Hon. Akumu has been unwell over the past five years due to kidney complications. The Harambee is organised to raise funds for kidney transplant in India at the end of July 2010.

If you cannot make it to the Harambee, you may send your kind donation to:

J.D. Akumu
Standard Chartered Bank Ltd
Yaya Centre
Account No: 01501-9736-9300
Nairobi

You may also contribute via M-Pesa to Mrs Grace Akumu, Tel: 0725-808.292.
Those in Kisumu may also get in touch with his sister Mrs Asenath Bole Odaga on
Tel: 0733-959.681 / 0724-690.137

Thanking you in anticipation of your gracious support.

Do you want an insight into the investment opportunities in Ghana right now? Have you been trying to locate means of finance for your enterprise in Ghana? Would speaking to a knowledgeable experienced and well connected business person from Ghana be of use to you? Then this event is where you should definitely be to get some answers!