The ASEA

Daily News & Resources

Africa Southeast Area

Monday 07 December 2015

Issue: 237 (First Issue on 6 November 2014) (84)

Johannesburg, South Africa aseapublicaffairs@ldschurch.org

Multiple African Countries or Other African Countries

Angola

Botswana

Burundi

Cameroon

CAR

Congo DR

Congo Rep

Ethiopia

Gabon

Kenya

Lesotho

Madagascar

Malawi

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Reunion

Rwanda

Somalia

South Sudan

South Africa

Swaziland

Tanzania

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Executive Summary – Monday 07 December 2015 (Use Links at left and right to see more about the article below.)

(There are many other articles in the News today)

Church o “A Savior is Born” video (share this Christmas Initiative) o December 1973: President Kimball rededicates South

Africa o Mormon Tabernacle Choir Redemption story o Gardinar Sisters ‘The First Noel’ (support Christmas

initiative) o Elder Sitati-An opportunity to serve.

Social Media o Nigeria to pass law which could gag citizens on social

media. o Google Launches wi-fi network in Kampala, Uganda.

Misc. o DRC travel warning o US embassy warns of possible terrorism in Nigeria o Hyperinflation….. (excellent article)

Animal Conservation o SA Rhino horn ban overturned (follow up article).

Multiple African Countries or other countries o China’s Xi pledges $60 billion for Africa development

over three years. o Possible African disasters in 2016. (food insecurity

during drought)

Botswana o Power rationing, load shedding.

Burundi o 3 killed in attack on general. o Living in daily fear: flee or risk dying in the attempt. o Civil War?

Cameroon o 27 killed on Lake Chad island by triple suicide attack.

CAR o Rebel leader pledges to block elections o Rebel leader enemy no. 1 o 8 killed days after pope’s visit.

Congo, DR o Militias make mockery of UN peace enforcement

Ethiopia o Drought, UN sends in emergency health team o Three students killed in protests.

Rwanda o Kagame slames other nations over thired term bid

criticism

Somalia o 20 militants killed in attack.

South Africa o Mandela put SA first o Fitch downgrades to one notch above junk status. o Students owe universities R4 billion in unpaid fees o Mass march in Durban over police killings, crime and

xenophobia. o Rand to depreciate to R14.22/US in 2016.

South Sudan o Thousand flee fighting to DRC o 27 on trial for apostasy (interesting)

Uganda o Google launches wi-fi network in Kampala o Muslims kill Christian in sword attack.

Zimbabwe o Banks frantic to avert cash crisis o Grace hints she could be in charge. o Hyperinflation: (historical read partially about Zim’s

hyperinflation) (interesting)

Church

Info

Church Important

Dates

Interesting Stuff about

Africa

Medical

Social Media Internet

Miscellaneous

Info

Animal Conservation

Travel

Warnings

Church History

Books about Africa

Movies about

Africa

ASEA Newsroom

Sites

Facebook Pages

YouTube Channel

Other

Resources

Church Articles of Interest to Members of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

R

LDS Church releases 'A Savior is Born' Christmas video Some 700 years before Jesus Christ was born, the biblical prophet Isaiah wrote of the names by which he would be called: “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Isaiah later used the title “Saviour” as he prophesied of Jesus Christ’s coming. “Of the many titles the scriptures give to the Lord Jesus Christ, perhaps none is more significant, more sacred, than that of ‘Savior,’” said Elder Brent H. Nielson, executive director of the Missi

onary Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “It was at his birth in Bethlehem that the angels declared, ‘A Savior is born,’ and it was through his Atonement and Resurrection that he fulfilled that title.” In a video released Sunday by the LDS Church, children repeat the "good tidings of great joy" associated with Jesus Christ's birth. …. The video, titled "A Savior is Born," can be found at christmas.mormon.org and will be available in 29 languages. A playable and downloadable version will also be available on the Gospel Library app in the 29 languages.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir's music video shares Christmas redemption story (vid 5:08) A new music video created by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir depicts one man's story of hope and healing.

Set in a prison, the video begins with an inmate praying in a dark cell. Viewers then follow the man's journey from the gritty confines of the prison to a touching reunion with his family. The video ends with a scripture attributed to 2 Corinthians 9:15: "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." Choir director Mack Wilberg's arrangement of "Infant Holy,

Infant Lowly" is showcased in the video. It is available on the choir’s "Keep Christmas With You" album.

Gardiner Sisters release 'The First Noel' cover, support LDS Church's Christmas initiative The Gardiner Sisters released a video Thursday of the group performing "The First Noel." Featuring five of the six Gardiner sisters, the video switches between footage of the musical performance and clips of the sisters enjoying the holiday season together. The video is part of "12 Days of Social," a campaign promoting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' "A Savior is Born" Christmas initiative.

The Gardiner Sisters are Utah-based and have been posting videos of original songs and covers to YouTube since 2009. According to their website, they have been performing and entertaining since childhood.

Christmas in Kenya: An unexpected opportunity to serve By Elder Joseph Sitati of the Seventy As in all majority Christian nations of Africa, Christmas in Kenya is a time of celebration, rejoicing and re-connecting with family. Almost everyone, irrespective of faith or religious belief, puts aside the cares of career

and work and travels “upcountry” to be with loved ones. The big cities and towns have a ghost feeling as a temporary migration takes place for about 10 days — from a day before Christmas to the second day of the New Year. During this time, extended family bonds are re-established in get-

togethers planned for that purpose. More weddings take place in December than in any other month of the year. For those who follow traditional cultural practices, it is a time when most rites of passage are observed and young people are ushered into adulthood. The Western traditions of lights, exchanging gifts and the benevolent acts of Father Christmas are taking root slowly among the rising generation but are not typical features of Christmas celebrations, especially in the rural areas where most of the people live and spend the Christmas vacation. …..

Op-ed: At 18, I chose the LDS Church over polygamy. (This is an informed voice that provides a unique perspective to the latest discussions.-rb)

Church-Important Africa Dates R

Upcoming Church related Historical Events in the Africa Southeast Area. (taken from the resource section at the end of this Daily News)

South Africa December 1973: President Kimball rededicates South Africa.

Swaziland 21 February 1990: President Neal A. Maxwell dedicates Swaziland.

Lesotho 22 February 1990: President Neal A. Maxwell dedicates Lesotho.

If anyone has any additional historical events for the ASEA Area historical calendar …please email them to the address on page 1

Interesting Stuff about Africa & ASEA area R Found in the news stream.

What’s being done in Kenya’s Maasai Mara to protect cheetahs? The global cheetah population has plummeted over the last 100 years. In the early 1900s an estimated 100,000 roamed the earth. Now there are only 7,500. The global cheetah population has plummeted over the last 100 years. In the early 1900s an estimated 100,000 roamed the earth. Now there are only 7,500, a decline of more than 90%. They are extinct in 20 countries and occupy only 17% of their historic range. This decline has been caused by the loss and fragmentation of their natural habitats, a decline in their prey base, the illegal trade in wildlife and conflict with humans for space. Cheetahs still occur across most of Africa but there are two areas that are of particular significance. The first is southern African - Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The second is East Africa - Kenya and Tanzania.

Medical News Found in the news stream. R

Social Media/Internet/Tech R

Teens still don't think Facebook is cool but they use it more than any other social site A new study from research firm Forrester found that while only 65% of 12 t0 17-year-olds consider the social network "cool," (ranking it below most other popular apps), it still generates more "hyper usage" than Snapchat, Instagram, or Twitter. About 61% say it's the social network they use the most.

Nigeria’s lawmakers are about to pass a bill which could gag citizens on social media Nigeria’s senators and house representatives are not exactly a popular bunch. Widely criticized for their high salaries and luxurious lifestyles, Nigerians have a frosty relationship with their senators. That relationship could get even worse with the introduction of a bill which is seen as aiming to gag free speech on social media. According to lawmakers, the bill is aimed at prohibiting ‘frivolous petitions’ and preventing the spread of falsehood. The bill, if successfully passed, will compel critics to accompany petitions with court affidavits. If petitions are proven false, the bill says an offender could face jail time and fines as high as $20,000. The bill also targets online and print media as senators, while debating the bill, announced displeasure with the spread of ‘false stories’. Even though the lawmakers have sought to position the bill as attempt to dissuade citizens from maliciously discrediting public office holders intentionally, it has come under criticism by many who see it not only as a clampdown on the right to freedom of speech but also a ploy by the lawmakers to silence some of their critics.

Google Plus: Can the revamped social network compete with Facebook and Twitter? Remember Google Plus? That social network you joined back in 2011 and immediately x’d out of, with no plans to ever return? Well, it might be time to ask for a password reminder, as it’s back with a major revamp in the hopes that it will put it back in the market as a competitor to the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Earlier this year there were rumours of the demise of Google Plus – and with good reason. Its most popular features – such as photo-sharing and its video-calling “hang-outs” feature – were stripped out and developed into separate apps. And although it rarely reveals its figures, Google said in January that 6 million people posted a month. Sounds impressive, but to put that number into sobering perspective, Facebook racks up 1.5 billion monthly users while Twitter records 500 million tweets a day. You can see why people were nervous.

Google launches wi-fi network in Kampala, Uganda Google has launched its first wi-fi network in Uganda's capital Kampala, as part of a project to broaden access to affordable high-speed internet. The company is making the broadband wireless network available to local internet providers, who will then charge customers for access. The web giant says the network is now live in 120 key locations in Kampala. Official statistics show Uganda has about 8.5 million internet users, making up 23% of the population. Google hopes that by improving internet capacity in the city, local telecom companies will then be able to offer faster, cheaper broadband access to their customers. The company estimates that one day's unlimited data using the new network should cost 1,000 Ugandan shillings ($0.30, £0.20), although local providers will decide how much they want to charge for the service. Critics say it would have been better to focus on Uganda's rural areas, where high-speed internet access is very limited.

Misc. Found in the news stream. R

Democratic Republic of the Congo Travel Warning Saturday, December 05, 2015 :: Staff infoZine The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (a.k.a. DRC or Congo-Kinshasa). Washington DC - infoZine - U.S. citizens should avoid all but essential travel to the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, the provinces of Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele and Ituriz (northeastern part of the former Oriental Province) and particularly the new provinces of Tanganyika and Haut-Lomami (northeastern and central parts of the former province of Katanga), where instability and sporadic violence continues. Very poor transportation infrastructure throughout the country and poor security conditions in eastern DRC make it difficult for the U.S. Embassy to provide consular services anywhere outside of Kinshasa. U.S. embassy warns of possible 'terrorism' attacks in Nigeria 4 Dec 2015 The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria said on Friday it had received information that groups "associated with terrorism" may be planning attacks against hotels in the country that are frequented by Westerners. In a brief message for U.S. citizens, the embassy said it had no further information regarding the timing or method of any planned attacks. "The U.S. Mission advises all U.S. citizens to be vigilant when at hotels and around areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers ... locations where large crowds may gather; and government facilities," the statement said. Last month, 20 people, including one American, were killed in an attack on a luxury hotel in Bamako, Mali, claimed by two Islamist groups. Hyperinflation: How the wrong lessons were learned from Weimar and Zimbabwe (2 of 8) (This is a extremely interesting article.-rb) Did you know that most economists don’t really know what actually happened in the periods of hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic and Zimbabwe? Throughout history, governments have used their ability to create money to fund public spending. While none of these policies were called, “People’s QE”, “Sovereign Money Creation”, or “Helicopter Money”, they shared the common trait of using newly created state money to finance government spending, rather than relying on commercial banks to create new money through lending. The common response to the idea of allowing the state to issue money and spend it into the economy is that such an approach would be highly infla­tionary. In our previous post on this topic, we showed that theory and analysis have been dispensed with at the expense of this widespread misconception. In this post, we will show that misleading conclusions have been drawn from the case studies of state-led money creation in Zimbabwe and the Weimar Republic. …..

Animal Conservation and related articles R A Judge Overturned South Africa’s Rhino Ban—Or Did He? It looked like a win for those who support trade, but the ruling didn’t disparage the ban, either. Buying and selling rhino horn in South Africa may be legal again in the near future: Two rhino breeders, with thousands of pounds of stockpiled rhino horn, just won their suit to lift the moratorium on the domestic trade that has been in place since 2009. The judge ordered the ban be set aside, and it was—but in keeping with legal practice, it was almost immediately reinstated when Minister of the Environment Edna Molewa filed an appeal with South Africa’s Supreme Court. The lifting of the ban, though short-lived, is important because South Africa is considering asking for the ban on international trade in rhino horn to be lifted next year. This ruling will be seen by many as a sign that South Africa’s powerful hunting and wildlife breeding industry may have the power to nudge South Africa into making the big ask. The ruling is good news to those who support the legalization of trade. South Africa is home to 80 percent of the world’s rhinos, and poaching to supply the Asian market for medicinal uses and status-symbol products. A legal trade helps satisfy demand, and when supply is high, prices stay low, minimizing the incentive to poach. But those who oppose the trade say that supply and demand model is too simplistic. “The bottom line is that this judgment runs the risk of generating an even more extensive illegal trade in rhino horn,” said Ross Harvey, an economist and a senior researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs who has studied the economics of the rhino horn trade. ….

Terms that you may find in the news ANC-African National Congress. The African National Congress (ANC) is the Republic of South Africa's governing social democratic political party. It has been the ruling party of post-apartheid South Africa on the national level since 1994, including the election of Nelson Mandela as president from 1994-1999. BPC-Botswana Power Corporation CAR-Central African Republic

DA-Democratic Allicance (South Africa). The Democratic Alliance (DA) is a South African political party and the official opposition to the governing African National Congress (ANC). ESKOM-South African Electricity Public Utility IDP-Internally Displaced Persons SADA-the Southern African Development Community Seleka-An alliance of rebel militia factions that overthrew the Central African Republic on March 24, 2013. UN-United Nations UNHCR-United Nationsl High Commissioner for Refugees USAID-United States Agency for International Development. Zanu-PF-The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front. The ruling party in in Zimbabwe since indepencence in 1980.

Multiple African Countries (noted in article) or other African Countries

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China’s Xi Pledges $60 Billion for Africa Development Over Three Years China’s trade with Africa grew to $222 billion last year, making it the continent’s top trade partner for the sixth straight year Why Southern African countries should be very afraid of 2016; Madagascar faces possible disaster Wealth inequality is reflected in appalling rates of child stunting. In Malawi and Zambia it's above 47% – among the highest in the world. CLOSE to 29 million people in southern Africa are already facing food shortages as a result of this season’s poor harvest, but worse could be on the way. “Serious concerns are mounting that Southern Africa will this coming season face another poor harvest, possibly a disastrous one,” the UN’s aid coordinating agency, OCHA, warned in a recent report. A drought-inducing El Niño – perhaps the strongest ever recorded – is already underway. Floods are expected to hit the region early next year, and there is a 65% chance of a cyclone slamming into the island of Madagascar. This year, Southern Africa’s cereal harvest fell by almost a quarter, down to 34 million tonnes. Major food shortages are affecting Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Madagascar. In Lesotho and Namibia, whose populations are tiny, 30% of rural people are classified as “food insecure,” which essentially means they lack access to food that’s sufficient to lead healthy, active lives. After the previous year’s good harvest, “The crisis has been to an extent mitigated by the region’s grain reserves, but they are now largely exhausted,” OCHA humanitarian officer Yolanda Cowan told IRIN.

Angola R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 64% / 26% Population: 22,490,548

Penetration of population w/ internet 26% Labor Force: 9,298,000

GDP per capita USD$ 8,100 Life Expectancy: 52

Unemployment / year est. 26% / 2014 Church Members: 1,436

Population below poverty line: 40.5% Congregations: 8

Botswana R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 164% / 26% Population: 2,134,458

Penetration of population w/ internet 18.5% Labor Force: 1,017,000

GDP per capita USD$ 16,000/2014 Life Expectancy: 47

Unemployment / year est. 17.8% / 2009 Church Members: 3,104

Population below poverty line: 30.3% Congregations: 12

Desperate measure by a desperate govt Botswana Movement for Democracy Youth League has accused the President Ian Khama led government of coming up with strategies that will wipe out the country reserves so that the next ruling party starts on the negative. Addressing a rally in Maun, BMDYL additional member, Kabo Sekwai condemned the President’s Economic Stimulus Package strategy saying it was done out of desperation and as a form of sabotaging the 2019 government led by Umbrella for Democratic Change. Sekwai said the president has realised that Botswana Democratic Party is on its final days hence his plan to finish all the country’s reserves so that the next government fails to meet the country and people’s needs. ….. Botswana reintroduces power rationing, threatens more load shedding Troubled Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) will implement load management programme as part of the Demand Side Management (DSM) initiative from the first of December until further notice, APA learnt here Friday.In a press statement, the BPC states that the programme is implemented due to a constrained power system. It says the load management programme is limited to domestic and small business customers, who are required to maintain loads within 10 amps (230 watts) during peak periods, which is 6am (0400 GMT) to 10pm. The release states that the stipulated 10A will typically allow customers to use at least five compact fluorescent lamps, fridge, television and decoder. It says while normal supply of 60A will be restored when power is available, customers are encouraged to continue conserving electricity at all times.

Burundi R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 25% / 2% Population: 11,209,812

Penetration of population w/ internet 4.9% Labor Force: 4,806,000

GDP per capita USD$ 900 Life Expectancy: 54

Unemployment / year est. 35% / 2009 Church Members: 526

Population below poverty line: 68% Congregations: 3

Police: 3 killed in attack on Burundi general in violence related to president's 3rd term BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) — Attackers dressed in police uniforms fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a police general's car in Burundi's capital on Friday, a police chief said. The commander and others with him escaped unscathed but three assailants were killed. The attack raises the death toll this week to nine people amid continued turmoil over President Pierre Nkurunziza's third term in office. Bujumbura's police chief, Domitien Niyonkuru, said the attackers fired at police Gen. Christophe Manirambona's regular car but he was in a different vehicle this time. Manirombona is in charge of specialized units within the police, including a counter-insurgency unit.

Niyonkuru said two RPGs and four rifles were recovered and police are investigating the source of the police uniforms. At least six people were killed in overnight violence in Burundi on Tuesday. Burundians living in daily fear face stark choice: flee, or risk dying in the attempt Since April, when President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third term caused political upheaval, more than a quarter of a million people have fled Burundi. Others are too afraid of the possible consequences n Burundi, fear rules the night when armed men seek out and beat those they suspect of disloyalty. People are fleeing – more than 280,000 have left their homes since April – and some of those who have made it out say more would come but feel trapped in a country paralysed by a deadly political crisis. “There are so many who want to leave, but they’re stuck,” says Moses Niyonkuru, who believes that anyone caught attempting to leave will face physical abuse, arrest, and even death. ….. Is Burundi on the brink of civil war? There are growing fears that Burundi could be headed for another conflict The US special envoy for Africa's Great Lakes region says Burundi is at risk of descending into total chaos. Thomas Perriello is calling for urgent regional mediation to establish a peace process between the government and opposition groups to prevent further bloodshed. The crisis began earlier this year when President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for a controversial third term in office and won. That led to months of protests and violence, including an attempted coup. The United Nations says at least 240 people have been killed since April.

Cameroon R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 71% / -% Population: 23,516,740

Penetration of population w/ internet

11% Labor Force: 9,105,000

GDP per capita USD$ 3,000 Life Expectancy: 55

Unemployment / year est. 30% / 2001 Church Members: 1,498

Population below poverty line: 48% / 2000 Congregations: 7

Triple suicide attack 'kills 27 on Lake Chad island' N'Djamena (AFP) - A triple suicide bombing on an island in Lake Chad on Saturday killed at least 27 people and left more than 80 wounded, a Chadian security source said, in another apparent strike by Boko Haram Islamists despite a regional offensive to stop the insurgency. "Three suicide bombers blew themselves up in three different places at the weekly market on Loulou Fou, an island in Lake Chad," the source in the capital N'Djamena

told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Central African

Republic (CAR) R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 33% / 1% Population: 4,908,506

Penetration of population w/ internet 4% Labor Force: 2,217,000

GDP per capita USD$ 600 Life Expectancy: 50

Unemployment / year est. 8% / 2001 Church Members: 216

Population below poverty line: na Congregations: 1

Central African Republic rebel leader pledges to block elections Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - An ex-Seleka rebel leader said Friday he would not allow elections due

later this month to take place in the regions of the Central African Republic under his control. The country is preparing to hold a referendum on December 13 on a proposed new constitution ahead of nationwide polls on December 27, following years of violence after a bloody coup in 2013. …. Central African Republic dubs rebel leader enemy no. 1 The Central African Republic government dubbed a Seleka rebel leader "enemy number one" on Sunday in a move likely to further complicate the chances of ending the current wave of political turmoil.

The majority Christian country has been embroiled in a violent crisis since early 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in a coup before ceding power to a transitional government after strong international pressure. The transitional government has been tasked with steering the landlocked country to elections scheduled for Dec. 27. The initial poll date, Oct. 18, was pushed back due to an outbreak of violence that has killed around 100 people in the capital since September. Eight killed in Central African Republic days after pope's visit Armed men in the Central African Republic killed eight civilians at a camp for displaced people and wounded one U.N. peacekeeper, just days after the pope visited the capital, the country's U.N. humanitarian coordinator said on Friday. The attacks took place at Ngakobo, about 60 kilometres (38 miles) south of the central town of Bambari on Thursday, coordinator Aurelien Agbenonci said in a statement.

Congo Rep. R (Brazzaville)

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 100% / 7% Population: 4,825,168

Penetration of population w/ internet 7.1% Labor Force: 2,890,000

GDP per capita USD$ 6,600 Life Expectancy: 59

Unemployment / year est. 53% / 2012 Church Members: 6,053

Population below poverty line: 46.5% / 2011 Congregations: 17

Congo DR R (Kinshasa)

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 59% / 8% Population: 72,511,886

Penetration of population w/ internet 3.0% Labor Force: 27,590,000

GDP per capita USD$ 700 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 50

Unemployment / year est. 46% / 2009 Church Members: 42,689

Population below poverty line: 63% Congregations: 145

Eastern Congo militias make mockery of U.N. peace 'enforcement'

Region home to array of militia groups

Fighters seek control of minerals and timber

Peace-keepers struggle to disarm rebels

Ethiopia R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 26% / 49% Population: 103,392,064

Penetration of population w/ internet 2.9% Labor Force: 47,320,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,500 Life Expectancy: 64

Unemployment / year est. 17.5% / 2012 Church Members: 1,854

Population below poverty line: 39% / 2012 Congregations: 64

As Ethiopia battles devastating drought, UN sends in emergency health team NEW YORK, 04 December 2015 / PRN Africa / — With Ethiopia battling its worst drought in 30 years due to the El Niño weather pattern, with 8.2 million people already in urgent need of food aid, the United Nations has sent an emergency health team to help support the Government's response to a crisis that is expected to become even worse over the next eight months. “The food security emergency is coming against a background of multiple ongoing epidemics in the country,” the

interim Director of Emergency Risk Management and Humanitarian Response at the UN World Health Organization (WHO), Michelle Gayer, said today. “This creates an additional burden for people's health as well as the health system as malnutrition, especially in children, predisposes them to more severe infectious disease, which can kill quickly,” she added. The current El Niño, among the strongest on record, caused by a cyclical warming in the Pacific Ocean, affects climate over a wide swathe of the world,

bringing more floods to some areas and longer droughts to others, as well as stronger typhoons and cyclones. …. Three sudents killed in protests across Ethiopia’s Oromia state December 5, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) –Three university students were confirmed dead and many others injured following days of protests by students at Haramaya University and other towns in Ethiopia’s Oromia state. The students were killed by federal police after protesters clashed with security personnel trying to disperse demonstrating students in and around campus. Students staged the protests over the central government’s controversial plan known as the ‘Addis Ababa Integrated Development Master Plan, which intends to expand the capital, Addis Ababa into parts of Oromia, the country’s largest regional state. The Oromo protesters argue that the Addis Ababa master plan will lead to large scale evictions to Oromo population and mostly the farmers from its ancestral lands. ….

Gabon R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 175% / -% Population: 1,761,297

Penetration of population w/ internet 39.3% Labor Force: 636,000

GDP per capita USD$ 21,600 Life Expectancy: 63

Unemployment / year est. 21% / 2006 Church Members:

Population below poverty line: na Congregations:

Kenya R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 83% / 67% Population: 47,384,458

Penetration of population w/ internet 63.6% Labor Force: 17,700,000

GDP per capita USD$ 3,100 Life Expectancy: 62

Unemployment / year est. 40% / 2008 Church Members: 12,471

Population below poverty line: 43,4 / 2012 Congregations: 62

Lesotho R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 95% / 24% Population: 2,078,067

Penetration of population w/ internet 11% Labor Force: 894,400

GDP per capita USD$ 2,900 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 49

Unemployment / year est. 25% / 2008 Church Members: 867

Population below poverty line: 49 / 1999 Congregations: 2

Madagascar R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 40% / ? Population: 24,927,036

Penetration of population w/ internet 3.7% Labor Force: 12,150,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,400 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 65

Unemployment / year est. 3.6% / 2013 Church Members: 10,322

Population below poverty line: 50% Congregations: 38

Malawi R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 37% / 10% Population: 17,650,264

Penetration of population w/ internet 6.1% Labor Force: 5,747,000

GDP per capita USD$ 800 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 55

Unemployment / year est. 6.6% / 2013 Church Members: 1,931

Population below poverty line: 53% / 2004 Congregations: 8

Mauritius R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 128% / 40% Population: 1,328,229

Penetration of population w/ internet 60.0% Labor Force: 600,200

GDP per capita USD$ 17,900 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 74

Unemployment / year est. 8.3% / 2013 Church Members: 458

Population below poverty line: 8% / 2006 Congregations: 2

Mozambique R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 58% / 22% Population: 27,641,379

Penetration of population w/ internet 5.9% Labor Force: 12,250,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,100 Life Expectancy: 50

Unemployment / year est. 17% / 2007 Church Members: 7,943

Population below poverty line: 52% / 2009 Congregations: 26

Namibia R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 137% / 32% Population: 2,336,522

Penetration of population w/ internet 15.7% Labor Force: 1,168,000

GDP per capita USD$ 10,800 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 6

Unemployment / year est. 27.4% / 2012 Church Members: 793

Population below poverty line: 28.7% / 2010 Congregations: 2

Reunion Island R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 105% / 48% Population: 876,835

Penetration of population w/ internet 34.6 Labor Force:

GDP per capita USD$

Life Expectancy:

Unemployment / year est. 40% / ? Church Members:

Population below poverty line: Congregations:

Rwanda R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 61% / 28% Population: 12,540,798

Penetration of population w/ internet 25.4% Labor Force: 6,061,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,700 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 64

Unemployment / year est. 3.4% / 2012 Church Members: 281

Population below poverty line: 44.9 / 2011 Congregations: 3

Rwanda's Kagame slams 'other nations' over third term bid criticism Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Sunday lashed out at "other nations" for interfering in his country's internal affairs after criticism over a move that would allow him to extend his rule. "We can be good friends, we can agree to disagree but there is a line when it comes to the interest of Rwandans," Kagame, 58, told the leadership of his Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR). "They tell us we should have the right to make our own choices, but our choices then become defined as manoeuvring," he said in quotes relayed by the FPR's Twitter account. "Our actions do not correspond to the wishes of other nations," he said. The Rwandan Senate last month passed a constitutional amendment that reduces presidential terms from seven to five years and maintains the two-term limit but makes an exception for Kagame, allowing him to run in 2017 for a third seven-year term, at the end of which the new rules come into force. The amendment must still go to a national referendum, but is expected to pass easily. The president's remarks came after the European Union on Thursday warned that the move undermined democratic principles in the central African country.

Somalia R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 50% / 2% Population: 10,742,489

Penetration of population w/ internet 1.5% Labor Force: 3,011,000

GDP per capita USD$ 600 / 2010 Life Expectancy: 55

Unemployment / year est. 25.4% / 2012 Church Members:

Population below poverty line: na Congregations:

Somalia: At least 20 militants killed in Hiiraan attack, says military

South Africa R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 154% / 35% Population: 51,621,506

Penetration of population w/ internet 49% Labor Force: 20,230,000

GDP per capita USD$ 12,700 Life Expectancy: 57

Unemployment / year est. 24.9% / 2013 Church Members: 61,221

Population below poverty line: 31.3% Congregations: 159

Mandela put South Africa first: Maimane CAPE TOWN - South Africa is not yet the country it can be and, although it is much improved compared to when former president Nelson Mandela took the mantle in 1994, progress to a better life has stalled, Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said on Saturday. In a message marking the second anniversary on Saturday of the death of “South Africa’s greatest son and statesman, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela”, Maimane said Madiba’s greatest legacy was his vision for a truly free, non-racial and inclusive South Africa and his unwavering belief that such a society could be forged out of the divisions of the troubled past. “Achieving this vision requires that non-racialism is not only expressed in words, but given life through building a society where all our people are active participants in a prosperous economy. It was Madiba who said ‘let there be work, bread, water and salt for all’,” Maimane said. On December 5, 2013, Madiba handed all South Africans the baton to take forward his legacy and forge a better future for the country’s children. Fitch Downgrades South Africa; S&P Cuts Outlook Moves leave two of three top ratings firms with South Africa one notch above junk territory Fitch Ratings on Friday cut South Africa’s debt to one notch above “junk” status, an indictment of the government’s persistent fumbling of policies that could help to boost growth and woo foreign investors. “Growth performance and estimates of growth potential have weakened further,” Fitch said, cutting South Africa’s foreign debt rating to BBB-, one step from the sub-investment category that would deter many institutional fund managers. Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, meanwhile, lowered its outlook on South Africa’s debt to negative from stable.

“The country faces domestic constraints including an inadequate electricity supply and overall weak business confidence inhibiting substantial private sector investment,” S&P said. Students owe universities R4 billion in unpaid fees Students owe South African universities as much as R4 billion in unpaid fees and residence expenses. This is according to the DA, citing admission from the Department of Higher Education and Training. In October, president Jacob Zuma announced a zero percent fees increase for 2016, translating into a multi-billion rand shortfall for universities across the country. Prof Belinda Bozzoli, DA Shadow Minister of Higher Education and Training, said that the shortfall for 2016 amounts to R2.3 billion, while universities are also struggling to recoup R5 billion in NSFAS loans for 2015 alone. The NSFAS allocated over R9 billion for financial aid at tertiary institutions in 2014 – a figure which increased to R9.5 billion in 2015. The fund’s main source of income is government departments and state institutions, and it gives financial aid to close to half a million students.

“These astronomical figures speak to the chronic underfunding of the higher education system and NSFAS,” said Bozzoli. Africa must protect youth from brainwashing – Zuma Johannesburg - Africa needs to protect its youth from being "brainwashed" into joining extremist groups, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday. "Tragically, we are... witnessing increasing incidents of terrorism in parts of our continent, France and elsewhere," he told the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation at the Sandton Convention Centre. These tragedies

reminded leaders they had to work harder to build peace and promote inclusive growth and development. Mass march against police killings, crime and xenophobia Published: Dec. 6, 2015, 12:23 p.m. by Nushera Soodyal - There has been a call for an immediate end to the killing of police officers in the country. A large group of people, led by Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa and Community Safety MEC, Willies Mchunu took part in a march to the Durban City Hall yesterday against police killings, xenophobia and crime in general. The KZN chairperson of police union, POPCRU, Jeff Dladla, says officers need to be protected when on and off duty. "It is about ensuring that when officers attend a crime there is sufficient backup to protect them. We are also trying to persuade the police department to change some of the existing policies because one of the issues is that police are hand-cuffed by the laws of this country," he said. Rand Depreciation to Persist A CURRENCY risk, which increased notably over the past year in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is seen remaining elevated over the next 18 months with the South African rand expected to depreciate further, according to research by Oxford University's NKC African Economics (NKC). In a regional SSA short-term exchange rate outlook published last month, NKC said the fragile South African rand would primarily be a barometer of regional market perceptions with regard to US debt curve repricing and China-related growth concerns. "We expect the rand to depreciate from an average of R13,87/US dollar in 2015 Q4 to R14,22/US$ in 2016 Q1," reads part of the report. Complainants to challenge SAHRC findings Durban - Complainants who took King Goodwill Zwelithini to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for his utterances relating to foreigners are unhappy with the findings of a preliminary report released this week. They are prepared to take the matter to the Equality Court if he does not apologise for his actions. The complainants included the African Diaspora Forum and 30 other private individuals, who alleged that King Zwelithini’s comments that foreign nationals must pack their bags and go back to their home countries led to the xenophobic violence in KwaZulu-Natal in March. He made the comments at an address in Pongola, earlier in March. The findings of the report went against claims that his speech constituted a call to locals to take up arms or harm foreign nationals. The SAHRC said it could not have been reasonably construed as inciting harm or violence against foreign nationals. It was only “hurtful”. It recommends that mediation be used to solve the issue and that the king indicate to the commission within 30 days of the final report whether he agrees to apologise publicly and to submit to a private mediated settlement of the dispute. One of the complainants said the report was flawed and didn’t handle the king in the manner in which he deserved to be handled.

“The report is thin in its legal and substantive arguments for its findings that the king’s comments were only hurtful. This is challengeable in a court of law. The report reads like a whitewash and damages the standing of the SAHRC, which appears cowed, political and devoid of principle. It undermines our constitutional regime as a whole. I am extremely disappointed,” he said. Another complainant said the only way forward was for the king to apologise.

South Sudan R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration

28% / 12% Population: 11,749,434

Penetration of population w/ internet 15.9 Labor Force:

GDP per capita USD$ 2,000 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 62

Unemployment / year est. 12% / 2008 Church Members:

Population below poverty line: 50.6% / 2009 Congregations:

Thousands flee South Sudan fighting to Democratic Republic of the Congo GENEVA, Dec 4 (UNHCR) – Recent fighting between local armed groups and the South Sudan army in the country's Western Equatoria region has forced over 4,000 people to flee into a remote corner of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN Refugee Agency said. Two UNHCR teams have so far this week registered 3,464 newly arrived refugees in areas near the border in DRC's Dungu Territory, following clashes between the army and an armed group known as the "Arrow Boys." They also report that 1,206 Congolese refugees, previously in South Sudan, have fled to the same area as a result of the fighting. Ezo settlement in South Sudan, which was originally home to nearly 3,300 Congolese refugees, is now virtually empty, with the remaining refugee families having fled to nearby fields. Registration of refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is ongoing in areas along the border and more arrivals are being reported. UNHCR's nearest office is some 400 kilometres away in Bunia, and it took the teams several days to reach the localities where refugees are. 27 on trial for apostasy in Sudan KHARTOUM: Some 27 Sudanese are standing trial in a Khartoum court accused of apostasy, risking the death penalty if they are convicted, their lawyer told AFP on Thursday. The men are accused of taking the Holy Qur'an as the sole source of religious legitimacy and rejecting other Islamic texts. “The court in Kalakla in south Khartoum has started the trial of 27 defendants brought before it under Article 126 of Sudanese criminal law, apostasy from Islam,” defense lawyer Ahmed Ali Ahmed told AFP. Sudanese USAID employee assassin killed by al-Shabaab in Somalia December 5, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – One of the four assassins who took out an employee of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Khartoum, was killed in Somalia by an affiliate of al-Qaeda after pledging allegiance to ISIS, Sudan Tribune has learned. The family of Mohammed Makkawi Ibrahim, who was sentenced to death in the murder of the US diplomat John Granville and his Sudanese driver in 2008, received the news of his demise via an anonymous phone call which mentioned that he was killed during clashes between armed groups. Ibrahim first came to the attention of Sudanese authorities in 2007 as a member of an extremist cell and was the head of the 4-man group that assassinated Granville.

Swaziland R Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 70% / 11% Population: 1,280,595

Penetration of population w/ internet 27.1% Labor Force: 435,000

GDP per capita USD$ 7,800 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 49

Unemployment / year est. 28.5% / 2010 Church Members: 1,768

Population below poverty line: 69% Congregations: 4

Tanzania R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 62% / 24% Population: 50,998,619

Penetration of population w/ internet 15% Labor Force: 25,000,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,900 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 61

Unemployment / year est. 10.7% / 2011 Church Members: 1,336

Population below poverty line: 36% / 2002 Congregations: 6

Tanzania wind farm to be ready by 2017 DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - The $285 million Singida wind farm project is expected to start operating by December 2017 writes ELISHA MAYALLAH. ‘Only 38% of Tanzania is electrified, with demand for electricity growing nearly 15% per year. The country’s vast water and gas reserves will continue to provide the bulk of power, but Tanzania seeks to wean its electricity away from aging, unreliable hydropower plants. Private initiatives like Singida are another step towards filling the power gap,’ the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the main backer in the project said in a recent statement. IFC is the private lending arm of the World Bank Group.

Uganda R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 64% / 11% Population: 40,777,196

Penetration of population w/ internet 23% Labor Force: 18,000,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,800 Life Expectancy: 59

Unemployment / year est. 4.2% / 2010 Church Members: 13,248

Population below poverty line: 25.5% Congregations: 26

Google launches wi-fi network in Kampala, Uganda Google has launched its first wi-fi network in Uganda's capital Kampala, as part of a project to broaden access to affordable high-speed internet. The company is making the broadband wireless network available to local internet providers, who will then charge customers for access. The web giant says the network is now live in 120 key locations in Kampala. Official statistics show Uganda has about 8.5 million internet users, making up 23% of the population. Google hopes that by improving internet capacity in the city, local telecom companies will then be able to offer faster, cheaper broadband access to their customers.

The company estimates that one day's unlimited data using the new network should cost 1,000 Ugandan shillings ($0.30, £0.20), although local providers will decide how much they want to charge for the service. Critics say it would have been better to focus on Uganda's rural areas, where high-speed internet access is very limited. Suspected Hard-Line Muslims in Eastern Uganda Kill Christian in Sword Attack PALISSA, Uganda (Morning Star News) — A Christian father of five in eastern Uganda who supported 10 children whose families had disowned them for leaving Islam was killed on Wednesday night (Dec. 2). One of three men who attacked Patrick Ojangole at 9:30 p.m. reproached him for failing to heed a warning to cease his Christian activities before the Christian was killed, said a witness who was with Ojangole and escaped. Ojangole was 43. Ojangole and the witness, a friend known only as Muluga, were about 15 kilometers (nine miles) from their home village of Kashebai after traveling by bicycle to visit Ojangole’s in-laws in Palissa when two Muslim women stopped them. The women were fully covered in burqas as they sat on the roadside. “Because it was late in the evening, we thought they needed some help from us, so we stopped, and while we were still talking with them, a man arrived and started asking for our identification cards,” Muluga said. ….

Zambia R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 73% / 10% Population: 15,549,296

Penetration of population w/ internet 18% Labor Force: 6,338,000

GDP per capita USD$ 4,100 Life Expectancy: 58

Unemployment / year est. 15% / 2008 Church Members: 3,359

Population below poverty line: 60.5% Congregations:

Zambia: Lusaka Suspends Four Bungoma Officials Over 'Special' Sh109,000 Wheelbarrow The Bungoma Governor has suspended four senior county officials over the September purchase of nine wheelbarrows at Sh109,000 each. Kenneth Lusaka suspended tendering committee chairman Howard Lugadilu, committee secretary Ayub China, evaluation secretary Jedida Kulundu and veterinary services director Wycliffe Wangwe. Lusaka said he reviewed the report on the purchase of the Chwele slaughterhouse wheelbarrows that the county and his government have been "highly ridiculed" for. The wheelbarrows supplied by Jagla Enterprise are made of "stainless and non-carcinogenic material that is insoluble in various reagents used in the food industry", he had said.

Zimbabwe R

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 102% / 98% Population: 15,762,551

Penetration of population w/ internet 47% Labor Force: 5,0 63,000

GDP per capita USD$ 2,000 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 60

Unemployment / year est. 95% / 2009 Church Members: 26,156

Population below poverty line: 68% / 2004 Congregations: 64

Zimbabwe: Banks Frantic to Avert Cash Crisis Banks are scrambling to avert a looming cash crisis with potentially disastrous consequences as financial institutions struggle to import cash timeously ahead of the festive season. The banks want government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), to assist in preventing a cash crisis during the Christmas holiday. Government sources say fiscal and monetary authorities are keen to intervene so that the re-engagement process with international financial institutions is not derailed. Cabinet in October approved an ambitious external debt and arrears clearance strategy to pay off US$1,8 billion overdue to multilateral creditors by June next year in a bid to break its debt vicious cycle and secure at least US$2 billion in new funding to rescue a crumbling economy ravaged by recession, a liquidity crunch and deflation, among a plethora of other chronic problems. The liquidity crunch is exacerbated by dwindling exports that have forced banks, in some instances, to physically repatriate cash in order to deposit into their nostro accounts and fund foreign telegraphic transfers. Robert Mugabe: China is doing everything that Africa’s colonizers should have done …. Speaking after Chinese president Xi Jinping at the China-Africa summit underway in Johannesburg, Mugabe countered the notion that China is a neocolonialist that is draining Africa of its natural resources: “Here is a man representing a country once called poor, a country which was never our colonizer. He is doing to us what we expected those who colonized us yesterday to do… We will say he is a God-sent person.” Mugabe is referring to the wave of Chinese infrastructure projects and loans given out across the continent over the past decade. Critics say these projects have done little to develop local economies and that China is exploiting the region while ignoring conflict human rights abuses. Zimbabwe, a former British colony whose economy has struggled under Mugabe, has been home to Chinese infrastructure projects for decades now. In the 1980s, China built the country’s National Sports Stadium, its largest shopping mall, as well as hospitals and power stations. China is also the largest buyer of Zimbabwean tobacco. ….. War vets push Mugabe President Robert Mugabe could be forced to reconfigure his handpicked Zanu PF politburo at the party’s conference starting tomorrow after war veterans yesterday reiterated their demands for two top posts in the party. Bulawayo-based war veterans resolved to demand the post of commissar held by Saviour Kasukuwere, in a clear escalation of the battle between a faction linked to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and G40, which backs First Lady Grace Mugabe. Mugabe's wife hints she could be in charge Grace Mugabe has said her husband Robert Mugabe may choose her as his successor when the 91-year-old Zimbabwean president leader decides to leave office. “I cannot be counted out,” Grace, 50, told a rally Friday in Masvingo province. “President Mugabe has the prerogative of choosing his successor.” Her statement appeared to contradict remarks she made at a Nov. 20 political rally that she had no presidential ambitions. The southern African nation is scheduled to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in 2018. Known by her critics as the “First Shopper” and “Gucci Grace,” for what they say is her extravagant lifestyle, Grace Mugabe has built support among a group of senior ruling party officials known as Generation-40 because most of them are in their 40s and played no role in Zimbabwe’s war for independence.

Mugabe’s foreign trips gobble US$33 million …. Actual figures of expenditure up to September 2015 outlined in the estimates of expenditure, referred to as the “Blue Book” by Chinamasa, show that Mugabe’s office spent US$33 270 491 on foreign trips, overshooting the budgeted US$27 446 000. This does not take into account Mugabe’s trips to India, Turkey and most recently France. …. Hyperinflation: How the wrong lessons were learned from Weimar and Zimbabwe (2 of 8) (This is a extremely interesting article. Should be read in its entirety.-rb) Did you know that most economists don’t really know what actually happened in the periods of hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic and Zimbabwe? Throughout history, governments have used their ability to create money to fund public spending. While none of these policies were called, “People’s QE”, “Sovereign Money Creation”, or “Helicopter Money”, they shared the common trait of using newly created state money to finance government spending, rather than relying on commercial banks to create new money through lending. The common response to the idea of allowing the state to issue money and spend it into the economy is that such an approach would be highly infla­tionary. In our previous post on this topic, we showed that theory and analysis have been dispensed with at the expense of this widespread misconception. In this post, we will show that misleading conclusions have been drawn from the case studies of state-led money creation in Zimbabwe and the Weimar Republic. …..

United States R Data Provided for comparison

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 102% / 85% Population: 324,343,287

Penetration of population w/ internet 90% Labor Force: 156,000,000

GDP per capita USD$ 54,800 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 79

Unemployment / year est. 5.5% / 2015 Church Members: 6,466,267

Population below poverty line: 15.1% / 2010 14,018 Congregations

Travel Advisories/Warnings R Democratic Republic of the Congo Travel Warning Saturday, December 05, 2015 :: Staff infoZine The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (a.k.a. DRC or Congo-Kinshasa). Washington DC - infoZine - U.S. citizens should avoid all but essential travel to the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, the provinces of Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele and Ituriz (northeastern part of the former Oriental Province) and particularly the new provinces of Tanganyika and Haut-Lomami (northeastern and central parts of the former province of Katanga), where instability and sporadic violence continues. Very poor transportation infrastructure throughout the country and poor security conditions in eastern DRC make it difficult for the U.S. Embassy to provide consular services anywhere outside of Kinshasa. U.S. embassy warns of possible 'terrorism' attacks in Nigeria 4 Dec 2015 The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria said on Friday it had received information that groups "associated with terrorism" may be planning attacks against hotels in the country that are frequented by Westerners. In a brief message for U.S. citizens, the embassy said it had no further information regarding the timing or method of any planned attacks. "The U.S. Mission advises all U.S. citizens to be vigilant when at hotels and around areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers ... locations where large crowds may gather; and government facilities," the statement said. Last month, 20 people, including one American, were killed in an attack on a luxury hotel in Bamako, Mali, claimed by two Islamist groups.

US issues global travel alert due to 'increased terrorist threats' 24 November 2015 The United States issued a worldwide travel alert on Monday warning American citizens of "increased terrorist threats" in the wake of the Paris attacks. "Current information suggests that ISIL (aka Daesh), Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and other terrorist groups continue to plan terrorist attacks in multiple regions," said the State Department advisory, which cited recent attacks in Denmark, France, Mali, Nigeria and Turkey. "US citizens should exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation," it said, advising Americans to avoid large crowds or crowded places and to "exercise particular caution during the holiday season."

Brussels on Lockdown in Fear of Paris-Style Attacks (23 November 2015) BRUSSELS: Brussels was on terror lockdown Saturday in fear of a Paris-style attack, with a gunman wanted over the deadly rampage in the French capital a week ago still on the run. The Belgian capital closed its metro system and shuttered shops and public buildings as a terror alert was raised to its highest level over reports of an "imminent threat" of a gun and bomb attack similar to the horror seen in Paris.

US Issues Travel Warning to Italy (20 November 2015) U.S. authorities have warned of potential militant attacks in Italy, whose security services are looking for five possible suspects, Italy's foreign minister said on Thursday. Speaking to state broadcaster RAI, Paolo Gentiloni referred to "possible terrorist attacks" that could be aimed at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome or the cathedral or La Scala theatre in Milan. The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning to American citizens in Italy, according to The Washington Post. The U.S. embassy in Rome said in a message to its citizens that - alongside the big tourist destinations - churches, synagogues, restaurants, theaters and hotels in the country's two main cities could also be targets.

Burundi Travel Warning 5 November 2015 This Travel Warning informs U.S. citizens that the Department of State has terminated the Ordered Departure status, allowing eligible family members and non-emergency personnel who departed Burundi to return. Washington DC - infoZine - The State Department continues to warn U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Burundi and recommends U.S. citizens avoid non-essential travel. This replaces the Travel Warning issued on May 14.

Political violence persists throughout Burundi in the aftermath of the country’s contested elections, an attempted coup d’etat, and the debate over the President standing for a third term. Exchanges of gunfire and grenade attacks are common but are typically not directed at foreigners and are usually limited to specific areas of the capital, Bujumbura. The terrorist organization al-Shabaab, based in Somalia, has threatened to conduct terror attacks in Burundi. It may also target U.S. interests in Burundi.

Chad Travel Warning Saturday, October 03, 2015 U.S. citizens are urged to carefully consider the risks of travel to Chad and, if already in Chad, are encouraged to review their and their families’ personal safety and security plans to determine whether they and their family members should depart. U.S. warns citizens not to travel to Somalia 2 October 2015 The Department of State reiterated its warning to U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to Somalia for the second time in a year, describing the situation in the country as “remaining dangerous.” While the Horn of Africa nation continues to recover from over two decades of civil war, the department of state said in a statement released on Thursday that its citizens should avoid all travel to Somalia because of the general threat of violent crime, terrorism, and the targeting of foreigners for murder and kidnappings, particularly by the extremist terrorist group al-Shabaab. Travel Warning: Central African Republic 9/30/2015 The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) due to an unpredictable security situation subject to rapid deterioration, activities of armed groups, and violent crime. The border between Chad and CAR is currently closed. Other land border crossings may close at short notice. U.S. citizens who have decided to stay in CAR despite this warning should seriously consider departing. Embassy Bangui cannot provide consular services to U.S. citizens in CAR at this time. This replaces the Travel Warning of May 1, 2015 to reflect the risk of remaining in CAR and continued lack of security. Indiscriminate violence and looting has occurred in CAR since the overthrow of the Government in March 2013. Sectarian violence is frequent and has resulted in thousands of deaths. Despite the creation of a transitional government in January 2014 and the presence of a United Nations stabilization force, the security situation remains highly fragile. Instability has increased as the political transition process unfolds around the upcoming constitutional referendum and elections which were initially scheduled for October 2015.

Cameroon Travel Warning Thursday, October 01, 2015 :: Staff infoZine The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the high risk of traveling to Cameroon, and urges U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to the North and Far North regions of the country because of the general threat of violent crime, terrorism, and the targeting of westerners for murder and kidnappings, particularly by the extremist terrorist group Boko Haram. Washington DC - infoZine - There is also a growing threat in the East Region, where former Seleka and criminal elements from the Central African Republic (CAR) occasionally cross the border of Cameroon to steal property and take hostages for ransom. Because of the security situation in country, the U.S. Embassy’s ability to provide consular services in remote and rural areas is extremely limited. This replaces the Travel Warning of August 5, 2015 to emphasize the continuing threat of armed attacks, bombings and kidnappings in the Far North region of Cameroon and Boko Haram’s aspirations to extend the threat to other parts of the country

Resource Section R

ASEA Mormon Newsroom and Mormon Newsroom Facebook pages YouTube and other Resource sites

Official Church pages: . 37 Official General Authority Facebook Pages &

27 Official Church Organizations Pages

YouTube Channels R

ASEA (Africa Southeast Area) Public Affairs Mormon Newsroom

Mormon Channel Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Africa Southeast Area Newsroom & Facebook sites

Countries

Mormon Newsroom Sites

Link from these sites to Facebook!

Mormon Newsroom Facebook sites.

Church HQ Mormon Newsroom Mormon Newsroom Facebook page (English)

Angola Angola Mormon Newsroom Angola Mormon Newsroom Facebook (Portuguese)

Botswana none Botswana Mormon Newsroom Facebook (English)

Congo DR DR Congo Mormon Newsroom DR Congo Mormon Newsroom Facebook (French)

Congo Rep none Republic of Congo Mormon Newsroom Facebook

(French)

Indian Ocean Indian Ocean Newsroom Indian Ocean Mormon Newsroom Facebook (French)

Kenya Kenya Mormon Newsroom Kenya Mormon Newsroom Facebook (English)

Madagascar Indian Ocean Newsroom Madagascar Mormon Newsroom Facebook (French)

Malawi None Malawi Mormon Newsroom Facebook (English)

Mozambique None Mozambique Mormon Newsroom Facebook

(Portuguese)

Namibia None Namibia Mormon Newsroom Facebook (English)

South Africa South Africa Mormon Newsroom South Africa Mormon Newsroom Facebook (English)

Uganda Uganda Mormon Newsroom Uganda Mormon Newsroom Facebook page (English)

Zambia none Zambia Mormon Newsroom Facebook (English)

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Mormon Newsroom Zimbabwe Mormon Newsroom Facebook (English)

Totals for ASEA 7 Country-Mormon Newsrooms 14 Country Newsroom Facebook pages!

Helping Hands Mormon Helping Hands - Africa Southeast Facebook page

Public Affairs All Public Affairs individuals are able to access the Public Affairs Network (Secure Site) at this link: Public Affairs Network

AFRICASE Africa Southeast Page Africa Southeast Area Facebook page

Liahona Issues (downloadable) Liahona Local Inserts

Online Resources Use of Online Resources in Church Callings Church Guidelines for setting up ‘Unofficial Pages’ R

CREAT.lds.org Create and Share your media Talents !!!!

Church Resources LDS.org Mormon.org Deseret News LDS Media Library

General Conference Life of Christ Bible Videos

Law and Religion Symposium

BYU Law International Center for Law and Religion Studies

Emergency Preparedness:

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Historical Events in Church History for Countries in the ASEA Area

(and related events)

R

Country Year Date Historical Event Zimbabwe 1999 January 1 * 1999: Zimbabwe’s first stake is organized in Harare. The first full edition

of the Book of Mormon is published in Shona, a native language of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe 1980 February 1 Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe

Swaziland 1990 February 21 In what has been termed a continuation of events in the "dawning of a new day in Africa," Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Council of the Twelve dedicated two African kingdoms to the work of the Lord and for the preaching of the gospel. Swaziland, an independent mountain kingdom bordered on three sides by South Africa and by Mozambique on its eastern side, was dedicated Feb. 21. Lesotho, a kingdom surrounded by South Africa, was dedicated Feb. 22.

Lesotho 1990 February 22 In what has been termed a continuation of events in the "dawning of a new day in Africa," Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Council of the Twelve dedicated two African kingdoms to the work of the Lord and for the preaching of the gospel. Swaziland, an independent mountain kingdom bordered on three sides by South Africa and by Mozambique on its eastern side, was dedicated Feb. 21. Lesotho, a kingdom surrounded by South Africa, was dedicated Feb. 22.

Zimbabwe 2013 APRIL 1 2013: Edward Dube is called to the First Quorum of the Seventy, making him the first General Authority from Zimbabwe.

South Africa 1853 April 19 When the first LDS missionaries arrived in Cape Town in 1853, they climbed Lion’s Head (which they called Mount Brigham Heber Willard, in honor of the Church’s First Presidency) and dedicated the land to the growth of the gospel.

Zimbabwe 2009 July 1 2009: Edward Dube becomes the first native mission president to serve in Zimbabwe.

Nigeria 2005 August 7 Aba Nigeria temple dedicated August, 2005

Zambia 1992

August 20 Zambia-On Aug. 20, at a secluded spot on a hill near a lake on university grounds in the capital city of Lusaka, Elder Nelson dedicated the nation of Zambia to the preaching of the gospel. "It was a touching scene," commented Pres. Vern Marble of the neighboring Zimbabwe Harare Mission who was present for the prayer of dedication.

Botswana 1992 August 21 The prayer of dedication on the nation of Botswana was offered by Elder Scott on Aug. 21, in a small clearing in the Gaborone Game Reserve. Nearly 100 people were present, including members and missionaries.

Cameroon 2009 August 21 Elder Holland dedicated the country of Cameroon on August 21, 2009, on a green hillside overlooking Cameroon's capital city of Yaounde in the company of local church leaders. Later in the day, approximately 600 people gathered to hear Elder Holland speak at Yaounde's City Center. http://www.mormonwiki.com/Missionary_Work

Namibia 1992 August 22 In Namibia, on Aug. 22, a small group of members gathered on Tower Hill in Windhoek to witness the dedication of the land by Elder Nelson. Namibia is part of the South Africa Cape Town Mission. Its president, Blaine Hudson, described the gathering as "the Lord's people who in the past years have been faithful in the desert and in the wilderness, and have made it blossom as a rose."

Congo Rep (Brazzaville)

1992 August 24 The nation of Congo was dedicated Aug. 24 by Elder Scott. Elder Nelson briefly addressed the small gathering of members and leaders who gathered in a peaceful setting in a shaded area located on a hillside overlooking treetops about 10 miles down the Congo River from the capital city of Brazzaville. A picturesque Congolese village was visible in the distance beyond the river's rapids. About 65 members and leaders of three branches in Congo attended the dedication.

South Africa 1985 August 24 1985: On August 24–25 the Johannesburg South Africa Temple is dedicated. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1993/02/south-africa-land-of-good-hope?lang=eng

Rwanda 2009 August 27 Elder Holland dedicated Rwanda on Aug. 27 during a sacred moment on the top of a mountain overlooking the capital city, Kigali. http://www.mormonwiki.com/Missionary_Work

Ethiopia 1993 September 16 The Church was officially recognized in Ethiopia on 16 September 1993.

Burundi 2010 October 19 The chosen dedication spot for the country of Burundi was located on a hill overlooking Bujumbura, the capital city, with Lake Tanganyika shining in the distance beyond. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve pronounced a blessing upon the country of Burundi in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa. Elder Holland offered a blessing on the people and the nation, dedicating the country of Burundi for missionary work on Oct. 19.

Angola 2010 October 20 On Wednesday, Oct. 20, a small group of Church leaders and members gathered at the base of a large, several-hundred-year-old baobab tree on a quiet hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the capital city of Luanda, Angola, to the north, where Elder Christofferson pronounced a blessing upon the country and formally opened Angola to missionary work.

Uganda 1991 October 23 In late October 1991, Elder James E. Faust of the Quorum of the Twelve dedicated Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe for the preaching of the gospel and the establishment of the Church. On October 23, Elder Faust, accompanied by Elder Richard P. Lindsay of the Seventy, who serves as president of the Africa Area, dedicated Uganda from the capital city, Kampala. Earlier this year, Uganda granted the Church official status. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/02/news-of-the-church/uganda-kenya-zimbabwe-dedicated?lang=eng

Kenya 1991 October 24 The next day, October 24, Elder Faust, Elder Lindsay, and President Larry Brown of the Kenya Nairobi Mission traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, where more than one hundred Church members gathered for the outdoor service. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/02/news-of-the-church/uganda-kenya-zimbabwe-dedicated?lang=eng In the dedicatory prayer, Elder Faust said, “We acknowledge this as a blessed land.” The prayer contained references to Kenya’s beauty, grandeur, and abundant plant and animal life. Elder Faust asked that “the beasts of the earth, which have historically been native to this land, may continue to find a home.”

Zambia 1964 October 24 1964: Northern Rhodesia becomes Zambia, and Southern Rhodesia becomes Rhodesia.

Zimbabwe 1991 October 25 1991: On October 25 Elder James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicates Zimbabwe for the preaching of the gospel.

Malawi 2011 October 25 While the first branch of the Church in Malawi was organized in 1999 and there are now about 1,000 members in four branches, the land had not been formally dedicated. Elder Nelson and others met as a small group for that purpose on Oct. 25. (2011)

Zimbabwe 1991 October 25 On October 25, Elder Faust and Elder Lindsay met Zimbabwe Harare Mission President Vern Marble for the dedication of Zimbabwe. “Before the meeting, the Saints of Zimbabwe had been fasting and praying for rain,” Elder Lindsay said. “As the dedicatory prayer by Elder Faust concluded, a gentle rain began to fall, and rainfall increased for days afterward.” In the prayer, Elder Faust asked for a blessing upon the earth of Zimbabwe and prayed that the land would “continue to provide the abundance which it has in the past. … May the rain fall and the streams flow, and the sun kiss the land to provide for thy people.” https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/02/news-of-the-church/uganda-kenya-zimbabwe-dedicated?lang=eng

Central Africa Republic

2012 October 29 On a heavily forested hillside overlooking the capital city of Bangui, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve offered a prayer of dedication and blessing upon the country and people of the Central African Republic. The prayer was offered Monday, October 29, on Gbazabangui hillside overlooking the Ubangi River—a major tributary of the Congo River—a few degrees north of the equator that is the original site of the Bangui people. https://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-dedicates-central-african-republic?lang=eng

Gabon 2013 November 5 On November 5, 2013, eleven days after the Church received full legal status in the Central African country of Gabon, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles performed a powerful and significant country dedicatory prayer in a forest clearing at the base of a tall tree. He was accompanied by his wife, Susan K. Bednar, and local leaders: Elder Carl B. Cook of the Africa Southeast Area Presidency and his wife, Sister Lynette H. Cook; President W. Bryce Cook, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission, and his wife, Sister Karol Cook; and President Armand Mpandou, president of the Libreville Gabon Branch.

Tanzania 2003 November 18 The East African nation of Tanzania was blessed and dedicated Nov. 18 by Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Nelson, who was accompanied by his wife, Sister Dantzel Nelson, gathered for the occasion on a sunny afternoon with some 15 members and Church leaders on a promontory overlooking Oyster Bay on the Indian Ocean, near the capital city of Dar es Salaam. http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/44749/Gospel-takes-root-in-Tanzania.html

Mauritius 1988 November 22 The islands of Mauritius and Réunion, in the Mascarene Islands Mission, were dedicated late in 1988 for the preaching of the gospel. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/03/news-of-the-church/mauritius-runion-dedicated-for-missionary-work?lang=eng Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Council of the Twelve dedicated the two islands, located off the southeast coast of Africa. He visited Mauritius, an independent nation of 1.1 million, on November 22, and Réunion, an overseas departmént of France with a population of 500,000, on November 23.

Reunion 1988 November 23 The islands of Mauritius and Réunion, in the Mascarene Islands Mission, were dedicated late in 1988 for the preaching of the gospel. Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Council of the Twelve dedicated the two islands, located off the southeast coast of Africa. He visited Mauritius, an independent nation of 1.1 million, on November 22, and Réunion, an overseas departmént of France with a population of 500,000, on November 23. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/03/news-of-the-church/mauritius-runion-dedicated-for-missionary-work?lang=eng

South Africa 1973 December 1 In 1973, President Spencer W. Kimball rededicated South Africa “to the preaching of the gospel … to the transformation of lives.” Among the many blessings pronounced by this prophet of God, none was more thrilling than his request that “processes might converge to bring a temple to this land” and that “no hungry or thirsty soul may ever miss the privilege of hearing and accepting the truth.” https://www.lds.org/ensign/1993/02/south-africa-land-of-good-hope?lang=eng

Books of Interest about Africa R

‘I Dreamed of Africa’ ISBN 0140287442 (ISBN13: 9780140287448)

This is a beautifully written book about a woman who moves to Africa from Italy, learns to love the country, learns to love the animals and especially learns to love its people. A tender story of survival through hard times. Very tender. (Review by Sister Ford serving in Kenya.)

‘Left to Tell’ by Immaculee Ilibagiza (2014) ISBN 978-1-4019-4432-2

‘Left to Tell’ tells Immaculée Ilibagiza’s experience during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. She survived hidden for 91 days with seven other women in a small bathroom, no larger than 3 feet (0.91 m) long and 4 feet (1.2 m) wide with an area of 12 feet. The bathroom was concealed in a room behind a wardrobe in the home of a Hutu pastor. During the genocide, most of Ilibagiza’s family was killed by Hutu Interahamwe soldiers: her mother, her father, and her two brothers Damascene and Vianney. Besides herself, the only other survivor in her family was her brother Aimable, who was studying out of the country in Senegal and did not know the war was going on. In Left to Tell, Ilibagiza shares how her Roman Catholic faith guided her through her terrible ordeal, and describes her eventual forgiveness and compassion toward her family's killers.

‘Unbowed: A Memoir’ by Wangari Maathai (2007) ISBN 978-0-307-27520-2

In Unbowed, Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai recounts her extraordinary journey from her childhood in rural Kenya to the world stage. When Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, she began a vital poor people’s environmental movement, focused on the empowerment of women that soon spread across Africa. Persevering through run-ins with the Kenyan government and personal losses, and jailed and beaten on numerous occasions, Maathai continued to fight tirelessly to save Kenya’s forests and to restore democracy to her beloved country. Infused with her unique luminosity of spirit, Wangari Maathai’s remarkable story of courage, faith, and the power of persistence is destined to inspire generations to come.

‘The Shackled Continent’ by Robert Guest (2004) ISBN-13: 978-0-330-41972 ISBN-10: 0-330-41972-2

The Shackled Continent provides a persuasive look into the persistent problems of modern Africa and offers some possible solutions.

‘Long Walk to Freedom’ by Nelson Mandela (2010) ISBN 9780230013858

‘Long Walk to Freedom’ is an autobiographical work written by South African President Nelson Mandela, and published in 1995 by Little Brown & Co. The book profiles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison. Under the apartheid government, Mandela was regarded as a terrorist and jailed on the infamous Robben Island for his role as a leader of the then-outlawed ANC. He has since achieved international recognition for his leadership as president in rebuilding the country's once segregated society. The last chapters of the book describe his political ascension, and his belief that the struggle continues against apartheid in South Africa.

‘Dark Star Safari’ by Paul Theroux (2004) ISBN-10 0618446877 ISBN-13: 978-8446872

‘Dark Star Safari’ (2002) is a written account of a trip taken by author Paul Theroux 'overland from Cairo to Cape Town' via trains, buses, cars, and armed convoy. Theroux had lived in Africa as a young and idealistic early member of the Peace Corps and part of the reason for this trip was to assess the impact on Africa of the many years of "helping" from Western countries. His assessment is generally critical of the long-term impact of aid programs.

If you have any books that you have read that you would like to include in this section, Please, email me the information.

Movies of Interest about Africa R

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom 2013 Zulu (1964)

Hotel Rwanda (2004) Out of Africa (1985)

Invictus (2009) The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Mandela and de Klerk (1997)

If you have any movies that you have watched that you would like to include in this section, Please, email me the information.

Sources of information for country banners:

All church membership information is provided by Mormon Newsroom by clicking on the ‘Africa’ continent on the map (at the right) and then finding the desired country on the list. The information is reviewed from the list and updated as necessary.

All keywords and country information is collected from an Internet scan of about 60 specific keywords that is supplied to me at 0300 each morning via Google alerts. This keyword list is reviewed and updated as needed.

All Population data are from Country Meters and is updated as needed.

All Cellphone and smartphone data are from GMSA Intelligence and is updated as needed.

All Internet users by country data are from Internet Live Stats and Internet World Stats is reviewed as needed.

GNI (Gross National Income per capita) and Life Expectancy data is from The World Bank

Unemployment and other data are from Photius , IECONOMICS, Quandl, Wikipedia, Theodora & The World Factbook.

Elder Robert Berg

Elder Berg & Sister Berg - Africa Southeast Area Assistant Directors of Public Affairs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Email: ASEAPublicAffairs@ldschurch.org Cellphone: +27 (0)83 443 3829 Office: +27 (0)11 645 1538

7 ASEA Newsrooms pages Angola Mormon Newsroom

DR Congo Mormon Newsroom

Kenya Mormon Newsroom

Indian Ocean Newsroom

South Africa Mormon Newsroom

Uganda Mormon Newsroom

Zimbabwe Mormon Newsroom

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