africa

The 24th country I visited as part of my cultural diplomacy tour was South Africa, where I gave lectures for six days from July 30 at the University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science in Johannesburg. It was my first lecture on the African continent.

WASHINGTON – The use of mobile telephones and the Internet have soared in Nigeria in the past few years, with clear implications for BBG and VOA activity in West Africa.

These were the major findings of a survey released here this morning by the Broadcasting Board of Governors and Gallup organization.

WASHINGTON – The use of mobile telephones and the Internet have soared in Nigeria in the past few years, with clear implications for BBG and VOA activity in West Africa. These were the major findings of a survey released here this morning by the Broadcasting Board of Governors and Gallup organization.

Notably, respondents to the survey tended to fault the U.S. most often for its foreign policy, in which a “hard power” approach is often emphasized. Dr. Margaret C. Lee, professor of African and Afro-American Studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, suggests that the U.S. could begin to reform its image in Africa and elsewhere by emphasizing soft power that achieves results for Africans.

Simply put, China deploys soft power in Africa very prudently. China projects soft power by building visible infrastructure projects on the continent. From the ‘Uhuru’ Tanzam Railway project to the Indian Ocean to the African Union’s new gleaming skyscraper headquarters complex. China is making real and noticeable differences in the lives of Africans all over Africa.

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama met Thursday with Chinese President Hu Jintao's special envoy Li Liguo, who arrived here to attend Friday's scheduled funeral of Ghana's late President John Evans Atta Mills. Mills died on July 24 at the age of 68 at a military hospital in Accra. During the meeting, Mahama said "China is a true friend of Africa, not only in terms of economic cooperation, but also in terms of political solidarity."

Relations between Indonesia and Namibia have matured to a point of good friendship since they were inaugurated 21 years ago. It was their historical background that initially helped lay the foundation for close ties between the two countries. Back then, Indonesia, being a promoter of decolonization of all Asian and African nations, was working together with SWAPO in the UN forum during the struggle for Namibia’s liberation. After independence, the two countries witnessed huge changes and progress.

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