China and Equatorial Guinea can increase cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng said Thursday.
Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks while meeting with Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, vice president of Equatorial Guinea.
Hailing the two countries' deep friendship and fruitful cooperation in various areas, Yu said China and Equatorial Guinea set a good example for South-South cooperation.
He urged giving full play to the two sides' advantages in political mutual trust, economic complementarity, and friendship among the people so as to push forward the bilateral comprehensive partnership of cooperation to a new level.
Expressing appreciation for China's longtime support and help to Equatorial Guinea, Mangue said his country is willing to further deepen cooperation and benefit the people of the two countries.
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Showing posts with label Equatorial Guinea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Equatorial Guinea. Show all posts
Monday, 17 July 2017
Thursday, 4 May 2017
CAMEROON: Person With Albinisim Plays Music
The 49-year-old Mengue Etienne lives with albinism. As a young boy he was chased out of a taxi and when he turned to a police officer, he told him "albinos are evil." The experience led to his fascinating musical career.
Singer-songwriter Mengue Ondou Etienne is best known by his stage name,, Calvino. His favorite instrument is the "mvet," which is common among the Fang people of Cameroon, Gabon, Sao Tome and Equatorial Guinea.
Playing the stringed mvet also known as the harp lute, Calvino is known to thrill his audiences in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. He has been invited to play for audiences around Africa in recognition of his musical skills and his stand against the superstitious beliefs and myths meted out on people like him who are living with albinism.
As a young teenager growing up in Cameroon, Etienne was often discriminated against because of his skin color. Many people in Cameroon believe that people with albinism are "evil spirits."
Every time I boarded a taxi or bus, people would immediately disembark in protest of my presence, Etienne said.
The musician added that like other albinos, he has been abused both physically and psychologically. When he was 15, Etienne sought the protection of a police officer after a small mob surrounded him as he was boarding a cab.
Instead of helping him, the officer refused, calling him "evil." This experience angered the now 49-year-old. He chose to fight back and his weapon of choice was music and the mvet. Etienne also reached out another musician living with albinism: the legendary Malian singer songwriter, Salif Keita.
I wrote to Salif Keita requesting that we create an association for our albino brothers and sisters. He shared my idea and we started the organization SOS Albinos.
I also started mobilizing people in Cameroon under the association for the defense of the rights and interests of albinos or ASMODISSA, Etienne said.
In many African countries, powerful ethnic groups and individuals have called for the killing of people living with albinism. Some even pay for their severed body parts for ritual practices.
But Etienne's organizations successfully lobbied the government which now recognizes the difficulties they face on a daily basis and even changed existing rules in schools to be more accepting.
An albino cannot clearly see an object from afar. We have difficulties reading small characters written on a blackboard. Now the state has asked for those characters to be increased, so that albino children are able to read alongside other children in classrooms,Etienne said.
Mengue Etienne says he wants albinos to be recognized as normal human beings.
I said to myself in primary school that I won't allow my current circumstances to dictate who I am or consider myself a different person. I saw myself as a black person and a human being. In fact, it is a gift from God and we have to accept ourselves like that,said 15-year-old Collette Manga who also lives with albinism.
Perceptions are changing in Cameroon too. I was afraid of them, but not anymore," said Tamba Clementine, a tailor living in northwestern Cameroon. One of Clementine's clients is a woman living with albinism.
She is a nice person and has a good heart, Clementine said. She has become like a mother to me. We spend a lot of time together. But some people are afraid because of their skin color and the way they look.
Calvino's message is creating an impact.
His music is geared towards telling people that they are people who have equal rights in the society. They are people, who also think, act, and do things that normal human beings do.
After his successes in putting the agenda of people with albinism at the core of discussion forums in the country, Etienne now wants to expand his campaign to others.
The state carries out so many projects in the name of the poor, but in reality only government workers benefit, he said.
Etienne said that these issues will feature largely in his upcoming album.
Thando Hopa is a South African lawyer in her mid 20s. She grew up with lots of sunblock, long clothing, and complexes. She was always hiding in the shade, she says. Now Hopa is working to tackle the discrimination faced by people living with Albinism in Africa as a catwalk model.
Thando Hopa was discovered four years ago in a shopping center by South African designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, behind her in the photo. Today she's one of the best known models in South Africa. Her photo has been published in the top fashion magazines, and in 2013 she was on the cover of the first issue of Forbes Life Africa.
Many Africans believe that albinos are not living beings but ghosts, and that their body parts can bring good luck and prosperity. Actually, albinism is a genetic disorder characterized by a lack of pigmentation in the skin.
Worldwide, around one in 20,000 people is born with the disorder. Albinism is fairly widespread in East and southern Africa - just like superstition.
Criminals hunt albinos, killing and selling their bodies to traditional healers, who believe they have magical properties.
According to the UN, the body of an albino person can be worth more than 60,000 euros on the black market ($68,000). A single leg can be sold for around 2,000 euros ($2,200). Tanzania has banned unregistered traditional healers - neighboring Malawi has not.
Dorothy, from Malawi's Machinga province, says she never feels safe. Around 10,000 albinos live in the South-East African nation.
According to Amnesty International, 18 of them have been murdered in the last year and a half. Malawian police have recorded more than 60 violent attacks on albinos. It's thought many more cases go unreported.
Razik Jaffalie doesn't let his sons out of his sight. To protect three-year-old Cassim, he even had to give up his job.
Malawians are proud of their reputation as kind, peaceful people. But following the latest attacks on albinos, Malawi's president Peter Mutharika said he was ashamed by the killings in the country.
Salif Keita is one of the stars of African pop music. He was born in Mali and knows how hard it can be to grow up with albinism in Africa.
He moved to Paris in 1984, and became famous when he performed at London's Wembley Stadium on 11 June 1988,a concert for Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday. Mandela was still in prison at the time.
A festival in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2015 kickstarted a small revolution. "Fièrement Ndundu" - "proud to be albino," a three day event in Kinshasa, provided a platform for people to share their experiences, challenge stereotypes and build up their self confidence. Now many Africans are making their voices heard online, for example with the Twitter hashtag #AlbinismIsJustAColor.
But albinism is not 'just' a skin color. Those with the disorder lack the skin pigment melanin, which protects the body from the sun's rays. The deficiency means albinos are at a high risk of developing skin cancer.
Many also have problems with vision, because of the lack of melanin in their eyes. For albinos, sun protection is essential.
For Said Seremani and his Team "Albino United," training sessions begin when the sun starts to set over the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam.
They only have a small, dusty pitch, but they have big dreams. The players want to become international football stars and prove that albinos can play just as well as role models like Didier Drogba or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Singer-songwriter Mengue Ondou Etienne is best known by his stage name,, Calvino. His favorite instrument is the "mvet," which is common among the Fang people of Cameroon, Gabon, Sao Tome and Equatorial Guinea.
Playing the stringed mvet also known as the harp lute, Calvino is known to thrill his audiences in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. He has been invited to play for audiences around Africa in recognition of his musical skills and his stand against the superstitious beliefs and myths meted out on people like him who are living with albinism.
As a young teenager growing up in Cameroon, Etienne was often discriminated against because of his skin color. Many people in Cameroon believe that people with albinism are "evil spirits."
Every time I boarded a taxi or bus, people would immediately disembark in protest of my presence, Etienne said.
The musician added that like other albinos, he has been abused both physically and psychologically. When he was 15, Etienne sought the protection of a police officer after a small mob surrounded him as he was boarding a cab.
Instead of helping him, the officer refused, calling him "evil." This experience angered the now 49-year-old. He chose to fight back and his weapon of choice was music and the mvet. Etienne also reached out another musician living with albinism: the legendary Malian singer songwriter, Salif Keita.
I wrote to Salif Keita requesting that we create an association for our albino brothers and sisters. He shared my idea and we started the organization SOS Albinos.
I also started mobilizing people in Cameroon under the association for the defense of the rights and interests of albinos or ASMODISSA, Etienne said.
In many African countries, powerful ethnic groups and individuals have called for the killing of people living with albinism. Some even pay for their severed body parts for ritual practices.
But Etienne's organizations successfully lobbied the government which now recognizes the difficulties they face on a daily basis and even changed existing rules in schools to be more accepting.
An albino cannot clearly see an object from afar. We have difficulties reading small characters written on a blackboard. Now the state has asked for those characters to be increased, so that albino children are able to read alongside other children in classrooms,Etienne said.
Mengue Etienne says he wants albinos to be recognized as normal human beings.
I said to myself in primary school that I won't allow my current circumstances to dictate who I am or consider myself a different person. I saw myself as a black person and a human being. In fact, it is a gift from God and we have to accept ourselves like that,said 15-year-old Collette Manga who also lives with albinism.
Perceptions are changing in Cameroon too. I was afraid of them, but not anymore," said Tamba Clementine, a tailor living in northwestern Cameroon. One of Clementine's clients is a woman living with albinism.
She is a nice person and has a good heart, Clementine said. She has become like a mother to me. We spend a lot of time together. But some people are afraid because of their skin color and the way they look.
Calvino's message is creating an impact.
His music is geared towards telling people that they are people who have equal rights in the society. They are people, who also think, act, and do things that normal human beings do.
After his successes in putting the agenda of people with albinism at the core of discussion forums in the country, Etienne now wants to expand his campaign to others.
The state carries out so many projects in the name of the poor, but in reality only government workers benefit, he said.
Etienne said that these issues will feature largely in his upcoming album.
Thando Hopa is a South African lawyer in her mid 20s. She grew up with lots of sunblock, long clothing, and complexes. She was always hiding in the shade, she says. Now Hopa is working to tackle the discrimination faced by people living with Albinism in Africa as a catwalk model.
Thando Hopa was discovered four years ago in a shopping center by South African designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, behind her in the photo. Today she's one of the best known models in South Africa. Her photo has been published in the top fashion magazines, and in 2013 she was on the cover of the first issue of Forbes Life Africa.
Many Africans believe that albinos are not living beings but ghosts, and that their body parts can bring good luck and prosperity. Actually, albinism is a genetic disorder characterized by a lack of pigmentation in the skin.
Worldwide, around one in 20,000 people is born with the disorder. Albinism is fairly widespread in East and southern Africa - just like superstition.
Criminals hunt albinos, killing and selling their bodies to traditional healers, who believe they have magical properties.
According to the UN, the body of an albino person can be worth more than 60,000 euros on the black market ($68,000). A single leg can be sold for around 2,000 euros ($2,200). Tanzania has banned unregistered traditional healers - neighboring Malawi has not.
Dorothy, from Malawi's Machinga province, says she never feels safe. Around 10,000 albinos live in the South-East African nation.
According to Amnesty International, 18 of them have been murdered in the last year and a half. Malawian police have recorded more than 60 violent attacks on albinos. It's thought many more cases go unreported.
Razik Jaffalie doesn't let his sons out of his sight. To protect three-year-old Cassim, he even had to give up his job.
Malawians are proud of their reputation as kind, peaceful people. But following the latest attacks on albinos, Malawi's president Peter Mutharika said he was ashamed by the killings in the country.
Salif Keita is one of the stars of African pop music. He was born in Mali and knows how hard it can be to grow up with albinism in Africa.
He moved to Paris in 1984, and became famous when he performed at London's Wembley Stadium on 11 June 1988,a concert for Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday. Mandela was still in prison at the time.
A festival in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2015 kickstarted a small revolution. "Fièrement Ndundu" - "proud to be albino," a three day event in Kinshasa, provided a platform for people to share their experiences, challenge stereotypes and build up their self confidence. Now many Africans are making their voices heard online, for example with the Twitter hashtag #AlbinismIsJustAColor.
But albinism is not 'just' a skin color. Those with the disorder lack the skin pigment melanin, which protects the body from the sun's rays. The deficiency means albinos are at a high risk of developing skin cancer.
Many also have problems with vision, because of the lack of melanin in their eyes. For albinos, sun protection is essential.
For Said Seremani and his Team "Albino United," training sessions begin when the sun starts to set over the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam.
They only have a small, dusty pitch, but they have big dreams. The players want to become international football stars and prove that albinos can play just as well as role models like Didier Drogba or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Tuesday, 22 November 2016
CAMEROON: Douala City
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon, and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport, it is the commercial and economic capital of Cameroon and the entire CEMAC region comprising Gabon, Congo, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, CAR and Cameroon.
Consequently, it handles most of the country's major exports, such as oil, cocoa and coffee, timber, metals and fruits. As of 2010 the city and its surrounding area had an estimated population that surpassed 3,000,000 inhabitants. The city sits on the estuary of the Wouri River and its climate is tropical.
Settlements had already existed in present-day Douala prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, British, and Germans; however, it was during the German colonization that the city began to develop rapidly as a commercial and political hub of the German colonial administration. During World War I a bitter battle was fought for control of Douala.
The city surrendered to British and French forces on September 27, 1914. A joint Anglo-French condominium governed the city until a comprehensive agreement ceded it and much of Cameroon to the French.
After the independence of Cameroon, Douala grew rapidly. Local industries, trade, and other opportunities have attracted an unprecedented influx of migrants, especially from the western region of Cameroon.
People from other countries in the region have also permanently settled in the city; they include Nigerians, Chadians, and Malians. In recent times city authorities have been overwhelmed by rapidly increasing population; services are stretched and there is an urgent need to enhance the city's ability to cope with the rapid growth.
Douala is the first city in tropical Africa to have a piped natural gas supply presently serving only industrial customers. It was ranked in 2015 as the most expensive city in Africa. It has had the highest standard of living among all African cities for the majority of the last 40 years.
A very high number of European, American and Asian expatriates live in the city due to its highly developed infrastructure and peaceful environment for successful business and good life.
The city is located on the banks of the Wouri River, the two sides linked by Bonaberi Bridge. In 2013, the president Paul Biya made a decree that a new bridge would be built over the Wouri River to accommodate the growing population of the citizens in Douala. The bridge is still under construction.
The city of Douala is divided into seven districts Akwa, Bassa, Bonabéri, Bonapriso, Bonanjo, Deïdo and New Bel and it has more than 120 neighborhoods.
Akwa is Douala's business district and Bonanjo its administrative district. Plateau Joss is the name used historically for the current district of Akwa. The name of the districts refer to the Douala lineage, as well as the neighborhoods.
For example, Akwa was historically divided between Bell and Deido into Bonadibong, Bonamilengue, Boneleke, Bonalembe, Bonejang, Bonamuti, Bonabekombo, Bonaboijan, and Bonakuamuang; the prefix "bona" means "descendant of".
Consequently, it handles most of the country's major exports, such as oil, cocoa and coffee, timber, metals and fruits. As of 2010 the city and its surrounding area had an estimated population that surpassed 3,000,000 inhabitants. The city sits on the estuary of the Wouri River and its climate is tropical.
Settlements had already existed in present-day Douala prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, British, and Germans; however, it was during the German colonization that the city began to develop rapidly as a commercial and political hub of the German colonial administration. During World War I a bitter battle was fought for control of Douala.
The city surrendered to British and French forces on September 27, 1914. A joint Anglo-French condominium governed the city until a comprehensive agreement ceded it and much of Cameroon to the French.
After the independence of Cameroon, Douala grew rapidly. Local industries, trade, and other opportunities have attracted an unprecedented influx of migrants, especially from the western region of Cameroon.
People from other countries in the region have also permanently settled in the city; they include Nigerians, Chadians, and Malians. In recent times city authorities have been overwhelmed by rapidly increasing population; services are stretched and there is an urgent need to enhance the city's ability to cope with the rapid growth.
Douala is the first city in tropical Africa to have a piped natural gas supply presently serving only industrial customers. It was ranked in 2015 as the most expensive city in Africa. It has had the highest standard of living among all African cities for the majority of the last 40 years.
A very high number of European, American and Asian expatriates live in the city due to its highly developed infrastructure and peaceful environment for successful business and good life.
The city is located on the banks of the Wouri River, the two sides linked by Bonaberi Bridge. In 2013, the president Paul Biya made a decree that a new bridge would be built over the Wouri River to accommodate the growing population of the citizens in Douala. The bridge is still under construction.
The city of Douala is divided into seven districts Akwa, Bassa, Bonabéri, Bonapriso, Bonanjo, Deïdo and New Bel and it has more than 120 neighborhoods.
Akwa is Douala's business district and Bonanjo its administrative district. Plateau Joss is the name used historically for the current district of Akwa. The name of the districts refer to the Douala lineage, as well as the neighborhoods.
For example, Akwa was historically divided between Bell and Deido into Bonadibong, Bonamilengue, Boneleke, Bonalembe, Bonejang, Bonamuti, Bonabekombo, Bonaboijan, and Bonakuamuang; the prefix "bona" means "descendant of".
Wednesday, 17 August 2016
Strong Dollar And Overpricing, Threaten Tourism Growth
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the incentive travel consultants training workshop ahead of the Sanganai/Hlanganani that kicks off today, Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) head of business development manager Adrian Fourie said the issue of pricing was an albatross to the growth of local tourism industry.
“Most the incentive programmes that we are looking at are priced in dollar terms, some people might think that because of the exchange, we are doing ourselves a favour. We should know that our luxury products are pricing in dollar terms and by so doing, we are pushing ourselves out the market.
“As southern region we need to come together in marketing, the pricing of tourism products in Zimbabwe has and is a major stumbling block, the currency has been devalued. In Zimbabwe obviously the currency fluctuates quite a lot, which is also the case with South Africa,” Foure said.
SITE southern African chairperson Tes Proos said incentive groups were always looking for new and unique experiences, destination management companies and need to explore the “wealth of opportunities within their region and work closely with their suppliers to come up with fresh ideas”.
Fourie also took a swipe at the prevailing visa regime, which he said was a major hindrance to the free movement of tourists around the region.
Meanwhile, the Immigration Department recently announced new regulations and a relaxation on the visa regime.
Under the revised visa regime, Immigration department principal director Clemence Masango said 37 countries had been moved from Category C to B meaning that nationals would receive visas on arrival.
The immigration department operates a three-tier model classified into categories A, B and C. Category A refers to countries whose national are exempt from visa requirements, while category B obtain visas at the port of entry.
Category C refers to nationals that are required to apply for visas prior to travel. Among the countries that moved from Category C to B include China, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Algeria, Turkey and Cuba.
The 9th edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani runs up to Saturday at the ZITF grounds in Bulawayo.
“Most the incentive programmes that we are looking at are priced in dollar terms, some people might think that because of the exchange, we are doing ourselves a favour. We should know that our luxury products are pricing in dollar terms and by so doing, we are pushing ourselves out the market.
“As southern region we need to come together in marketing, the pricing of tourism products in Zimbabwe has and is a major stumbling block, the currency has been devalued. In Zimbabwe obviously the currency fluctuates quite a lot, which is also the case with South Africa,” Foure said.
SITE southern African chairperson Tes Proos said incentive groups were always looking for new and unique experiences, destination management companies and need to explore the “wealth of opportunities within their region and work closely with their suppliers to come up with fresh ideas”.
Fourie also took a swipe at the prevailing visa regime, which he said was a major hindrance to the free movement of tourists around the region.
Meanwhile, the Immigration Department recently announced new regulations and a relaxation on the visa regime.
Under the revised visa regime, Immigration department principal director Clemence Masango said 37 countries had been moved from Category C to B meaning that nationals would receive visas on arrival.
The immigration department operates a three-tier model classified into categories A, B and C. Category A refers to countries whose national are exempt from visa requirements, while category B obtain visas at the port of entry.
Category C refers to nationals that are required to apply for visas prior to travel. Among the countries that moved from Category C to B include China, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Algeria, Turkey and Cuba.
The 9th edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani runs up to Saturday at the ZITF grounds in Bulawayo.
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
Gulf Of Guinea
Among the many rivers that drain into the Gulf of Guinea are the Niger and the Volta. The coastline on the gulf includes the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Bonny.
The Niger River in particular deposited organic sediments out to sea over millions of years which became crude oil. The Gulf of Guinea region, along with the Congo River delta and Angola further south, are expected to provide around a quarter of the United States' oil imports by 2015.This region is now regarded as one of the world's top oil and gas exploration hotspots.
The origin of the name Guinea is thought to be an area in the region, although the specifics are disputed. Bovill (1995) gives a thorough description:
The name Guinea is usually said to have been a corrupt form of the name Ghana, picked up by the Portuguese in the Maghrib. The present writer finds this unacceptable. The name Guinea has been in use both in the Maghrib and in Europe long before Prince Henry's time.
For example, on a map dated about 1320 by the Genoese cartographer Giovanni di Carignano, who got his information about Africa from a fellow-countryman in Sijilmas,ancient trading city in North Africa, we find Gunuia, and in the Catalan atlas of 1375 as Ginyia.
A passage in Leo Africanus points to Guinea having been a corrupt form of Jenne (2,000-year-old city in central Mali on Niger river), less famous than Ghana but nevertheless for many centuries famed in the Maghrib as a great market and a seat of learning.
The relevant passage reads: "The Kingdom of Ghinea . . . called by the merchants of our nation Gheneoa, by the natural inhabitants thereof Genni and by the Portugals and other people of Europe Ghinea."
But it seems more probable that Guinea derives from aguinaou, the Berber for Negro. Marrakech the city in southeastern Morocco has a gate, built in the twelfth century, called the Bab Aguinaou, the Gate of the Negro. The modern application of the name Guinea to the coast dates only from 1481. In that year the Portuguese built a fort, São Jorge da Mina (modern day Elmina), on the Gold Coast region, and their king, John II, was permitted by the Pope (Sixtus II or Innocent VIII) to style himself Lord of Guinea, a title that survived until the recent extinction of the monarchy.
The name "Guinea" was also applied to south coast of West Africa, north of the Gulf of Guinea, which became known as "Upper Guinea", and the west coast of Southern Africa, to the east, which became known as "Lower Guinea." The name "Guinea" is still attached to the names of three countries in Africa: Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea, as well as New Guinea in Melanesia.
Islands in the Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea contains a number of islands, the largest of which are in a southwest-northeast chain, forming part of the Cameroon line of volcanoes.
Annobón
Annobón, also known as Pagalu or Pigalu, is an island that is part of Equatorial Guinea.
Bobowasi Island
Bobowasi Island is an island off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea that is part of Western region Ghana.
Bioko
Bioko is an island off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea that is part of Equatorial Guinea.
Corisco
Corisco is an island belonging to Equatorial Guinea.
The Elobeys
Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico are two small islands belonging to Equatorial Guinea.
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe (officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe) is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea that became independent from Portugal in 1975. It is located off the western equatorial coast of Africa and consists of two islands, São Tomé and Príncipe. They are located about 140 kilometres (87 mi) apart and about 250 and 225 kilometres (155 and 140 mi), respectively, off the northwestern coast of Gabon.
Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. São Tomé, the sizeable southern island, is situated just north of the Equator.
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