Update August 2nd: It's official -- Yeah Samake finished as an also-ran, earning just 0.56 percent of the vote. Former prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita will have a run-off with former finance minister Soumaila Cisse on August 11th because Keita’s 39.24 percent of votes failed to secure a 50 percent + 1 majority. Cisse earned 19.4 percent of the vote. Some complaints about irregularities, particularly spoiled ballots, have surfaced.
Although the first official figures from the July 28th, 2013 Presidential election aren't due to be released until July 30th at the earliest, a preliminary report published by Blouin News indicates that Yeah Samake, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who graduated from BYU-Provo, is unlikely to win the election, although there's a remote possibility that he could qualify for a runoff. Full provisional results are expected by Friday August 2nd, and a runoff election between the two leading candidates would take place on August 11th if no candidate secures over 50 percent of the vote. Turnout has been reported at 51.54 percent, although several hundred thousand northern Malian refugees who fled their homes during last year’s fighting were reportedly excluded from the vote. Nevertheless, two days before the vote, Louis Michel, who is the head of the EU observer mission, declared that the conditions required for a credible vote had been met, and the U.S. State Department has issued a statement congratulating the Malian people on a peaceful and orderly election. Here's a video showing Samake on the campaign trail just two weeks before the election:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imsuxVLyiIY
Although Samake, who represented the Party for Civic and Patriotic Action (PACP), was one of 27 candidates in the race, the media is touting former Malian prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, ex-finance minister Soumaila Cisse, former prime minister Modibo Sidibe, and Dramane Dembele, the candidate of Mali's biggest party, as the leading candidates. Keita and Cisse are considered the most likely to win. France24 published a list of the top eight candidates back on July 24th; the list appears to be grouped in order of prominence, and Samake was included on the list. One of the primary challenges facing the winner is to secure a long-term peace with Tuareg separatist rebels based in the northern part of the country, which is mostly desert. The election is expected to pave the way for donors to disburse some three billion euros in reconstruction aid promised back in May 2013, well after the Tuareg rebellion was put down in January with the help of France. The Tuareg rebels were helped by al-Qaeda fighters.
While most of the leading candidates are prepared to accept the outcome, Soumalia Cisse said he would contest the results if there was no runoff, claiming significant instances of fraud at polling stations in Bamako, the country's capital. As for Samake himself, he's posted no new statements on his official campaign website pending the first official results. Samake's economic success as mayor of Ouélessébougou indicates that if he doesn't win the presidency, he could be a lead candidate to to serve in the country's Economics Ministry.
But even if Samake is given no role in a future national government, he has, by virtue of his faithfulness, integrity, and personal courage, performed a valuable service mission for the LDS Church. Like Mitt Romney in the United States, Yeah Samake in Mali brought many people to a knowledge of the church who otherwise might not have been exposed to it. Because of his example and influence, the LDS Church could begin to seriously grow in Mali. And it needs to grow, since the LDS website indicates no formal LDS Church organization in Mali yet. Yeah Samake's the man who could jumpstart it.
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Monday, July 29, 2013
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
LDS Member Yeah Samake Continues His Campaign To Become President Of Mali Despite Military Coup
On November 26th, the Salt Lake Tribune reports that Samake has not given up his quest for the presidency. In the months since the coup, Samake has been working as an emissary for Interim Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra, meeting with world leaders to try to fashion support for the new government while continuing his candidacy. Elections are tentatively scheduled for April 2013, although John Campbell, an expert on Africa with the Council of Foreign Relations, believes a strong interim government would need as much as two years and international support to restore order in Northern Mali and create enough stability to hold valid elections. The northern two-thirds of Mali is controlled by Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, and instability and harsh Sharia law have displaced as many as 1.5 million Malians while further aggravating the existing food scarcity.
Samake was personally devastated by the coup, and his wife had to kick him in the ass to get him started again. She told him to knock off the pity party and start acting like a leader again. So Samake strapped on a bullet-proof vest under his suit, prayed for safety, and, despite a military-imposed curfew, walked through five checkpoints and waited hours to meet with Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo, the leader of the coup. Samake said he demanded that Sanogo return power to a democratically elected civilian government. Capt. Sanogo listened and allowed Samake to depart in peace. Soon afterward, an interim prime minister was appointed.
Samake still serves as the mayor of Ouelessebougou, a post to which he was elected in 2009. He provides numerous updates on his political activities on his blog, and is soliciting donations. If elected, Samake's goals are to ensure efficient use of scarce resources, stamp out corruption, increase food sufficiency, reform health care and education, and promote greater economic investment and development by improving security. Samake's wife, who describes herself as a "still hopeful First Lady" on her blog, recently wrote that the one thing the coup failed to destroy is the Malian entrepreneurial spirit. Instead of hollering for more "gimmedats", Malians are selling their wares on the roadside and finding more ways to provide for their families. She says that the women are taking the lead.
Perhaps Yeah Samake can succeed in Mali where Mitt Romney failed in the United States.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
LDS Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland Leads A Delegation To Offer Prayer Of Dedication And Blessing In The Central African Republic
Although the capital of the Central African Republic, Bangui, has a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there has been no formal proselytization taking place in the country. In June 2012, the first step towards changing that was taken when President Brent Jameson, who presides over the Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa Mission within which boundaries the Bangui Branch is contained, visited the Republic and visited with the Republic's President, President François Bozize. President Jameson's purpose was to assess the country for expansion of the LDS Church, and he met with President Bozize, explaining the Church's purpose in his country, and presenting him with a Book of Mormon, a copy of The Family: A Proclamation to the World and a copy of the Articles of Faith. The meeting was facilitated by one of President Bozize's cabinet ministers, Roger Langue, who just happens to be president of the Bangui Branch.
Apparently Mission President Jameson delivered a favorable report back up the Priesthood chain of command, because on October 29th, a three-person delegation consisting of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Seventy and president of Africa Southeast Area arrived in Bangui and offered a prayer of dedication and blessing upon the country and people of Central African Republic. Elder Holland pronounced the moment of dedication as a turning point for the small branch of members and all the country, and promised a new day for the people as the gospel light fills their land. Dedication of a land is a priesthood ordinance performed only by an ordained apostle as directed by the First Presidency. That same afternoon, Elder Holland and the others met in a special devotional with about 150 people, members of the Bangui Branch and some of their friends. They filled the chapel to overflowing so that some of the audience had to remain outside. There are a total of 406 members in the branch.
Of the meeting in Bangui, Elder Holland said, "I was so moved by their faith. These are believing people. They accept the gospel when they hear it — it is in their bones. They have genuine faith. They will walk scores of miles to attend meetings and perform their duties. It isn't superficial. It isn't a fleeting thing with them. They just believe. The thing I come back with from Africa is the spirituality and faith of the people who have so little materially."
Elder Holland's stop in Bangui was just one of many activities during his visit in the Africa Southeast Area from October 19-30. But this stop was special to the Church members in Bangui because the Central African Republic is one of many African nations with a tough history. After becoming independent on August 13th, 1960, the Republic was ruled by presidents and an emperor who either were not freely elected or took power by force. The emperor was the most infamous; originally known as Jean-Bédel Bokassa, he took power by a coup in 1965 and declared himself President for Life in 1972. Not satisfied with those honors, he then declared himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire in December 1976. Bokassa squandered an estimated $20 million on his coronation ceremony alone, and acquired a reputation for personal brutality, although rumors that he consumed human flesh proved to be unfounded. Bokassa was overthrown in 1979. After another series of dictators, the first multi-party democratic elections were held in 1993. President Bozize took power, first by coup in 2003, then winning successive elections in 2005 and 2011. Bozize has a favorable reputation.
Satan's grip on Africa, historically strong, is weakening. God loves all His children.
Apparently Mission President Jameson delivered a favorable report back up the Priesthood chain of command, because on October 29th, a three-person delegation consisting of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Seventy and president of Africa Southeast Area arrived in Bangui and offered a prayer of dedication and blessing upon the country and people of Central African Republic. Elder Holland pronounced the moment of dedication as a turning point for the small branch of members and all the country, and promised a new day for the people as the gospel light fills their land. Dedication of a land is a priesthood ordinance performed only by an ordained apostle as directed by the First Presidency. That same afternoon, Elder Holland and the others met in a special devotional with about 150 people, members of the Bangui Branch and some of their friends. They filled the chapel to overflowing so that some of the audience had to remain outside. There are a total of 406 members in the branch.
Of the meeting in Bangui, Elder Holland said, "I was so moved by their faith. These are believing people. They accept the gospel when they hear it — it is in their bones. They have genuine faith. They will walk scores of miles to attend meetings and perform their duties. It isn't superficial. It isn't a fleeting thing with them. They just believe. The thing I come back with from Africa is the spirituality and faith of the people who have so little materially."
Elder Holland's stop in Bangui was just one of many activities during his visit in the Africa Southeast Area from October 19-30. But this stop was special to the Church members in Bangui because the Central African Republic is one of many African nations with a tough history. After becoming independent on August 13th, 1960, the Republic was ruled by presidents and an emperor who either were not freely elected or took power by force. The emperor was the most infamous; originally known as Jean-Bédel Bokassa, he took power by a coup in 1965 and declared himself President for Life in 1972. Not satisfied with those honors, he then declared himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire in December 1976. Bokassa squandered an estimated $20 million on his coronation ceremony alone, and acquired a reputation for personal brutality, although rumors that he consumed human flesh proved to be unfounded. Bokassa was overthrown in 1979. After another series of dictators, the first multi-party democratic elections were held in 1993. President Bozize took power, first by coup in 2003, then winning successive elections in 2005 and 2011. Bozize has a favorable reputation.
Satan's grip on Africa, historically strong, is weakening. God loves all His children.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
LDS Member Yeah Samake Running For President Of Mali, But Election Now Uncertain Because Of Military Coup; Samake Condemns Coup
Update November 22nd: Yeah Samake still continuing his campaign for President of Mali despite military coup; an interim prime minister currently rules the country. Updated post HERE.
Yeah Samake is a citizen of the West African republic of Mali who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One of 18 siblings in his family, he went on to complete a bachelors degree in teaching English as a second language in Bamako, Mali and obtained a masters degree in public policy at Brigham Young University.
But he didn't come to the United States to stay. Moved by compassion towards his own people, he returned to Mali and ran for mayor of Ouélessébougou, elected with 86 percent of the vote. At that time, the municipality was ranked 699 out of 703 in terms of economic development, transparency, and management, with a tax collection rate below 10 percent. Within one year, Ouélessébougou jumped to the top ten cities in Mali with a tax collection rate about 68 percent. Samake accomplished this by increasing citizen participation through a tribal council system, and by challenging the culture of corruption.
His success triggered a popular movement to elect him president of the country. So Samake accepted the challenge and launched a campaign for the April 29th, 2012 elections. Samake wants to champion principle-centered leadership, ensure efficient use of scarce resources, stamp out corruption, increase food sufficiency, reform health care and education, and promote greater economic investment and development by improving security.
Unfortunately, fate has just thrown Samake a curve. On March 22nd, 2012, a barracks mutiny turned into a full-fledged military power coup in Mali, replacing the highly-regarded outgoing President Amadou Toumani Toure with a cadre of unknown junior officers. In a televised statement, the military officers representing the country's new rulers said they were "putting an end to the incompetent regime of Amadou Toumani Toure." The new leaders are upset over the fact that President Toure has been unsuccessful in putting down a persistent rebellion by Tuareg tribesmen in the north. Unfortunately, the indigenous Tuareg tribesmen were fleshed out by an influx of Libya Tuareg tribesmen who left after the Obama-instigated rebellion against Moammar Qaddafi to the point where Malian military forces could not effectively cope with it. The Malian troops complained they did not have enough arms to counter the northern rebellion, and the young officers who took power seem to have tired of Toure's rhetoric of reconciliation, and his government's inability to restore control in the north.
The BBC reports that the leader of the coup is Capt Amadou Sanogo, and that the objective of the Committee for the Re-establishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State (CNRDR)is not to permanently retain power, but will return power to a democratically-elected president as soon as national unity and territorial integrity are established. However, Capt. Sanogo also said the constitution has been suspended.
Yeah Samake wasted little time in reacting and choosing sides. He put on his Captain Moroni "Title of Liberty" hat and issued the following statement:
Yeah Samake's wife posts her own reaction on her website.
The new military junta has not made any statements about the effect of the coup upon the impending elections, thus it's possible they might be delayed. The coup itself may yet falter, since the mutinous troops are poorly equipped, led by a mid-ranking soldier and they do not have the backing of all Malian forces. In fact, the well-trained and organized Red Berets unit is loyal to the president and he is believed to be under their protection. International condemnation of the coup has been voiced by the U.N. Security Council, the United States, the European Union, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States.
Yeah Samake's decision to return to Mali instead of remaining in the United States now seems to be particularly inspired.
But he didn't come to the United States to stay. Moved by compassion towards his own people, he returned to Mali and ran for mayor of Ouélessébougou, elected with 86 percent of the vote. At that time, the municipality was ranked 699 out of 703 in terms of economic development, transparency, and management, with a tax collection rate below 10 percent. Within one year, Ouélessébougou jumped to the top ten cities in Mali with a tax collection rate about 68 percent. Samake accomplished this by increasing citizen participation through a tribal council system, and by challenging the culture of corruption.
His success triggered a popular movement to elect him president of the country. So Samake accepted the challenge and launched a campaign for the April 29th, 2012 elections. Samake wants to champion principle-centered leadership, ensure efficient use of scarce resources, stamp out corruption, increase food sufficiency, reform health care and education, and promote greater economic investment and development by improving security.
Unfortunately, fate has just thrown Samake a curve. On March 22nd, 2012, a barracks mutiny turned into a full-fledged military power coup in Mali, replacing the highly-regarded outgoing President Amadou Toumani Toure with a cadre of unknown junior officers. In a televised statement, the military officers representing the country's new rulers said they were "putting an end to the incompetent regime of Amadou Toumani Toure." The new leaders are upset over the fact that President Toure has been unsuccessful in putting down a persistent rebellion by Tuareg tribesmen in the north. Unfortunately, the indigenous Tuareg tribesmen were fleshed out by an influx of Libya Tuareg tribesmen who left after the Obama-instigated rebellion against Moammar Qaddafi to the point where Malian military forces could not effectively cope with it. The Malian troops complained they did not have enough arms to counter the northern rebellion, and the young officers who took power seem to have tired of Toure's rhetoric of reconciliation, and his government's inability to restore control in the north.
The BBC reports that the leader of the coup is Capt Amadou Sanogo, and that the objective of the Committee for the Re-establishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State (CNRDR)is not to permanently retain power, but will return power to a democratically-elected president as soon as national unity and territorial integrity are established. However, Capt. Sanogo also said the constitution has been suspended.
Yeah Samake wasted little time in reacting and choosing sides. He put on his Captain Moroni "Title of Liberty" hat and issued the following statement:
Dear compatriots,
The Party for Civic Action and Patriotic (PACP) followed with amazement the mutiny of men of rank which has degenerated into a usurpation of democratic authority.
The PACP condemns with the utmost vigor the confiscation of power by the military calling itself the National Committee for the Recovery of Democracy and the Restoration of the State (CNRDR).
The PACP asks all of the Sovereign People of Mali to mobilize for the defense and consolidation of democratic gains.
Our personal political ambitions should not get away from pledges to spend the splendor and purity of the great values that are based on the foundations of living together. This is what strengthens confidence and cohesion among citizens of a country that is our Mali.
We ask the military to urgently restore the unity of the various military corps for the tranquility of the population and make appropriate arrangements for the protection of persons and goods throughout the national territory.
We invite Malian politicians to organize and demand the immediate transfer of power to the people of Mali by the formation of a unity government to ensure continuity of administration and maintenance of the electoral calendar in strict compliance with the constitution.
Long live democracy!
Long live Mali!
Divided we all lose! United we all win!
Yeah Samake's wife posts her own reaction on her website.
The new military junta has not made any statements about the effect of the coup upon the impending elections, thus it's possible they might be delayed. The coup itself may yet falter, since the mutinous troops are poorly equipped, led by a mid-ranking soldier and they do not have the backing of all Malian forces. In fact, the well-trained and organized Red Berets unit is loyal to the president and he is believed to be under their protection. International condemnation of the coup has been voiced by the U.N. Security Council, the United States, the European Union, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States.
Yeah Samake's decision to return to Mali instead of remaining in the United States now seems to be particularly inspired.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Two African LDS Missionaries Convicted Of Defiling A 14-Year-Old Girl Acquitted And Freed By High Court In Ghana On Appeal
Two missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who were jailed for defiling a 14-year-old girl have been acquitted and discharged by an Accra High Court.
The two, Omale Ojonugwu Uwa aka Elder Omale, 25, from Nigeria, and Thatayaone Keeng aka Elder Keeng, 20, from Botswana, were sentenced to prison in August 2010 by an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mrs. Georgina Mensah Datsa. Omale was convicted of conspiracy and defilement and sentenced to 10 years, while Thatayaone Keeng was convicted of defilement and sentenced to 7 years. They appealed. and the High Court presided over by Justice C.A. Wilson said the trial court was wrong in convicting the missionaries, reversed the verdict and freed them. Justice Wilson said he would give his reasons for the decision later.
Defense lawyer Kwabena Addo Attuah argued that the original trial judge erred in convicting his clients when the prosecution had failed to establish a case beyond reasonable doubt against them. He claimed the evidence presented by the prosecution was fraught with inconsistencies. In particular, the prosecution could not produce a birth certificate to prove the alleged victim’s age; instead, the prosecution only brought a weighing card in place of a birth certificate and there were three different birth dates on the card.
The medical examination of the victim did reveal that her hymen was indeed broken. However, it's now quite possible that the victim may have had sex with someone else, and blamed it on the missionaries. It has not been reported whether or not the prosecution will appeal the reversal.
The LDS Church did not disclose what action, if any, was taken against the missionaries' Church membership. Conviction of this type of crime normally results in excommunication. However, it should be a relatively simple process for them to appeal to the First Presidency and have their membership restored, along with restoration of all blessings. This means that while they will have to be re-baptized and re-confirmed, restoration of all previous blessings, to include Priesthood membership, Priesthood offices, and temple endowments, would be automatic thereafter.
Perhaps they might even be allowed to resume and complete their full-time missions.
The two, Omale Ojonugwu Uwa aka Elder Omale, 25, from Nigeria, and Thatayaone Keeng aka Elder Keeng, 20, from Botswana, were sentenced to prison in August 2010 by an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mrs. Georgina Mensah Datsa. Omale was convicted of conspiracy and defilement and sentenced to 10 years, while Thatayaone Keeng was convicted of defilement and sentenced to 7 years. They appealed. and the High Court presided over by Justice C.A. Wilson said the trial court was wrong in convicting the missionaries, reversed the verdict and freed them. Justice Wilson said he would give his reasons for the decision later.
Defense lawyer Kwabena Addo Attuah argued that the original trial judge erred in convicting his clients when the prosecution had failed to establish a case beyond reasonable doubt against them. He claimed the evidence presented by the prosecution was fraught with inconsistencies. In particular, the prosecution could not produce a birth certificate to prove the alleged victim’s age; instead, the prosecution only brought a weighing card in place of a birth certificate and there were three different birth dates on the card.
The medical examination of the victim did reveal that her hymen was indeed broken. However, it's now quite possible that the victim may have had sex with someone else, and blamed it on the missionaries. It has not been reported whether or not the prosecution will appeal the reversal.
The LDS Church did not disclose what action, if any, was taken against the missionaries' Church membership. Conviction of this type of crime normally results in excommunication. However, it should be a relatively simple process for them to appeal to the First Presidency and have their membership restored, along with restoration of all blessings. This means that while they will have to be re-baptized and re-confirmed, restoration of all previous blessings, to include Priesthood membership, Priesthood offices, and temple endowments, would be automatic thereafter.
Perhaps they might even be allowed to resume and complete their full-time missions.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
LDS Missionaries Evacuated From Ivory Coast And Redeployed To Benin And Togo As A Precaution Because Of Disputed Presidential Election
Due to escalating unrest and political instability in the wake of the Ivory Coast’s contested presidential election, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it is pulling its non-African missionaries out of the small West African nation and redeploying them to Benin and Togo, which are all part of the same LDS mission. Although no threats to missionaries have been reported, the move is considered a precaution. The missionaries who have been moved will likely serve the remainder of their missions in Benin and Togo unless political conditions in the Ivory Coast stabilize.
The evacuation may be good news for Benin and Togo, because it could improve prospects for a new mission due to limited travel and missionary resources in this region, where the people have been highly receptive to the Gospel. LDS Church Growth projects that Benin and Togo may be amputated from the Ivory Coast Mission and organized into a separate mission. Membership statistics for the three nations:
-- Ivory Coast: 14,417 members in 41 congregations
-- Togo: 1,034 members in three congregations
-- Benin: 201 members in one congregation
Map of the area available HERE.
Meanwhile, the LDS temple in Abu, Nigeria, which had been closed in June 2009 after a temple worker reported seeing four gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles shoot holes in the temple’s guardhouse, has since been re-opened on a limited basis.
According to the Guardian, the latest round of political instability in the Ivory Coast was triggered by the fact that the loser in their presidential election has refused to accept the outcome. Following the November 2010 election, the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to accept his defeat by former prime minister Alassane Dramane Ouattara. Gbagbo is using his personal connections to the constitutional court to declare votes from Oattara's northern strongholds invalid. Ouattara was initially declared the winner with 54% of the ballot – and he disputes claims some of those votes were invalid. Subsequently, both men have sworn the presidency oath and presented their cabinets – to the bemusement of Ivorians and the international community. With Gbagbo having the control of the military and the media as well as the Young Patriots nationalist group, the scene seems set for another sad tale that spirals into hostility and violence and splits the country in half.
The Ivory Coast was once firmly united under the rule of Felix Houphouët-Boigny, who ruled with an authoritarian hand from independence in 1960 to 1993. Houphouët-Boigny was actually better than most authoritarian African leaders; he did not stoop to the hideous excesses of Idi Amin in Uganda or Jean-Bédel Bokassa in the Central African Republic. But human rights were a secondary concern to Houphouët-Boigny, and his control over the country was so systemic that his departure left a power vacuum which has yet to be fully resolved. As a result, civil war broke out on September 19th, 2002, at which time the LDS Church first withdrew non-African missionaries from the country, and did not resume sending them there until 2009. Although most of the fighting ended by late 2004, the country remains effectively split in two, with the rebels dominating in the north, and the government predominant in the south.
Despite the electoral impasse, there have been few reports of political disturbances – and the role of civil leaders is apparent in the population's apparent determination to avoid either embracing Gbagbo's nationalism and xenophobia, or being seduced by the international support Ouattara's premiership would bring.
The evacuation may be good news for Benin and Togo, because it could improve prospects for a new mission due to limited travel and missionary resources in this region, where the people have been highly receptive to the Gospel. LDS Church Growth projects that Benin and Togo may be amputated from the Ivory Coast Mission and organized into a separate mission. Membership statistics for the three nations:
-- Ivory Coast: 14,417 members in 41 congregations
-- Togo: 1,034 members in three congregations
-- Benin: 201 members in one congregation
Map of the area available HERE.
Meanwhile, the LDS temple in Abu, Nigeria, which had been closed in June 2009 after a temple worker reported seeing four gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles shoot holes in the temple’s guardhouse, has since been re-opened on a limited basis.
According to the Guardian, the latest round of political instability in the Ivory Coast was triggered by the fact that the loser in their presidential election has refused to accept the outcome. Following the November 2010 election, the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to accept his defeat by former prime minister Alassane Dramane Ouattara. Gbagbo is using his personal connections to the constitutional court to declare votes from Oattara's northern strongholds invalid. Ouattara was initially declared the winner with 54% of the ballot – and he disputes claims some of those votes were invalid. Subsequently, both men have sworn the presidency oath and presented their cabinets – to the bemusement of Ivorians and the international community. With Gbagbo having the control of the military and the media as well as the Young Patriots nationalist group, the scene seems set for another sad tale that spirals into hostility and violence and splits the country in half.
The Ivory Coast was once firmly united under the rule of Felix Houphouët-Boigny, who ruled with an authoritarian hand from independence in 1960 to 1993. Houphouët-Boigny was actually better than most authoritarian African leaders; he did not stoop to the hideous excesses of Idi Amin in Uganda or Jean-Bédel Bokassa in the Central African Republic. But human rights were a secondary concern to Houphouët-Boigny, and his control over the country was so systemic that his departure left a power vacuum which has yet to be fully resolved. As a result, civil war broke out on September 19th, 2002, at which time the LDS Church first withdrew non-African missionaries from the country, and did not resume sending them there until 2009. Although most of the fighting ended by late 2004, the country remains effectively split in two, with the rebels dominating in the north, and the government predominant in the south.
Despite the electoral impasse, there have been few reports of political disturbances – and the role of civil leaders is apparent in the population's apparent determination to avoid either embracing Gbagbo's nationalism and xenophobia, or being seduced by the international support Ouattara's premiership would bring.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Outgoing LDS Harare Zimbabwe Mission President Andre Bester Says Zimbabwe's Hospitality "Best In Africa"
According to the Zimbabwe Herald, which is an official government publication and cannot be fully trusted, outgoing Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Harare Zimbabwe Mission President Andre Bester has characterized Zimbabwe's hospitality as "the best he has ever encountered on the continent and rues leaving the country for his Johannesburg home". [Ed. Note: This is undoubtedly excessively hyperbolic, and if this was not an LDS blog, I would describe it in more earthy terms.]
Bester had been called from South Africa to head the Harare Mission in July 2006. During his stewardship, which he undertook with the help of his wife Joy, the LDS population in Zimbabwe reportedly grew to 7,000, while his assistance increased membership in neighboring Zambia to 3,000 and almost 1,000 in Malawi. "I am saddened at the prospect of leaving this country because I felt safer here than in Johannesburg. I like the people here because they are very hospitable. I will really miss this environment". [Ed. Note: This may be somewhat true. Johannesburg, in the province of Gauteng, is plagued by crime in general and home invasions in particular. Read the Death of Johannesburg blog to see how that city has deteriorated since the end of apartheid.]
Elder Bester will be succeeded by Edward Dube, who has been serving in the church for more than 20 years, having been in charge of Harare Urban for 12 years and serving in various foreign missions for 13 years. More information about the Zimbabwe Harare Mission can be found on the Church News website. The Mormon Times regurgitates the story uncritically without informing the reader that the Zimbabwe Herald is an official government publication.
According to official LDS statistics:
-- Zimbabwe: 17,241 members, 1 mission, 44 congregations
-- Zambia: 2,237 members, 11 congregations (serviced by the Zimbabwe mission)
-- Malawi: 742 members, 3 congregations (serviced by the Zimbabwe mission)
In accordance with the Twelfth Article of Faith, LDS authorities do not interfere with the politics of Zimbabwe so long as they are permitted to operate in the country with minimal interference. And despite the unsavory reputation of the regime of Robert Mugabe, apparently the Church is relatively free to operate.
This, of course, does not take away from the fact that the Mugabe regime is among the most tyrannical and corrupt upon the face of the earth. Their hyperinflation has become legendary. Once the breadbasket of southern Africa, it cannot feed itself now because Mugabe began expropriating land from the whites who farmed it efficiently and who provided jobs for so many black Zimbabweans. A June 2008 post by Jeff Lindsay on Mormanity provides more insight on the economic situation. Here's a WNTube video showing a typical day in the life of a Zimbabwean family:
Those who want to learn more about Zimbabwe's political situation should visit Jan Lamprecht's African Crisis website.
Bester had been called from South Africa to head the Harare Mission in July 2006. During his stewardship, which he undertook with the help of his wife Joy, the LDS population in Zimbabwe reportedly grew to 7,000, while his assistance increased membership in neighboring Zambia to 3,000 and almost 1,000 in Malawi. "I am saddened at the prospect of leaving this country because I felt safer here than in Johannesburg. I like the people here because they are very hospitable. I will really miss this environment". [Ed. Note: This may be somewhat true. Johannesburg, in the province of Gauteng, is plagued by crime in general and home invasions in particular. Read the Death of Johannesburg blog to see how that city has deteriorated since the end of apartheid.]
Elder Bester will be succeeded by Edward Dube, who has been serving in the church for more than 20 years, having been in charge of Harare Urban for 12 years and serving in various foreign missions for 13 years. More information about the Zimbabwe Harare Mission can be found on the Church News website. The Mormon Times regurgitates the story uncritically without informing the reader that the Zimbabwe Herald is an official government publication.
According to official LDS statistics:
-- Zimbabwe: 17,241 members, 1 mission, 44 congregations
-- Zambia: 2,237 members, 11 congregations (serviced by the Zimbabwe mission)
-- Malawi: 742 members, 3 congregations (serviced by the Zimbabwe mission)
In accordance with the Twelfth Article of Faith, LDS authorities do not interfere with the politics of Zimbabwe so long as they are permitted to operate in the country with minimal interference. And despite the unsavory reputation of the regime of Robert Mugabe, apparently the Church is relatively free to operate.
This, of course, does not take away from the fact that the Mugabe regime is among the most tyrannical and corrupt upon the face of the earth. Their hyperinflation has become legendary. Once the breadbasket of southern Africa, it cannot feed itself now because Mugabe began expropriating land from the whites who farmed it efficiently and who provided jobs for so many black Zimbabweans. A June 2008 post by Jeff Lindsay on Mormanity provides more insight on the economic situation. Here's a WNTube video showing a typical day in the life of a Zimbabwean family:
Those who want to learn more about Zimbabwe's political situation should visit Jan Lamprecht's African Crisis website.
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