Vote4Africa

Listen to the BBC Africa Debate today at 1900GMT (2pm EST)

BBC - BBC World Service Programmes - BBC Africa Debate, Is An African Spring Necessary? After the Arab Spring, is Africa ready for its own democratic leap forward?

BBC Africa Debate Launches Today at 1900 GMT (2PM EST)

Follow us on Twitter () -- we'll be tweeting commentary and analysis as the launches its first debate from Accra, Ghana.

Submit your comments on the potential of and your thoughts about the "African Spring" using the hashtag .

BBC Africa Debate launches from Accra A sub-Saharan "African Spring”? This is the theme of the inaugural edition of the new BBC World Service global monthly programme, BBC Africa Debate, which will be broadcast from Accra, Ghana, on Friday 27 January.

Goodluck Jonathan on considering talks with Boko Haram: "...if they clearly identify themselves then there will be a basis for dialogue."

Boko Haram urged to state demands The president of Nigeria challenges Islamist militant group Boko Haram to identify themselves and state their demands as a basis for dialogue.

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The Ivory Coast is on the brink of a renewed civil war. Laurent Gbagbo refuses to hand over power to Alassane Ouattara and is now enlisting thousands of young men into the Army. His forces have already shelled parts of Abidjan. What will the African Union do next?

Egyptian Constitutional Referendum passes with 77% of the vote. 41% of eligible voters turned out for the referendum. The ruling Army council will issue an election timeline soon.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/midoeldaly/5540170854/

Referendum to amend the constitution7 Egyptians are waitting to vote outside the Electoral Commission

96884693@N00/5541228068/" rel="ugc" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/96884693@N00/5541228068/

Another queue while leaving While leaving I found even longer queue in the street from men waiting for their turn. Taken at Kowmia language school polling station at Agouza, Giza

Observers are reporting high numbers of Egyptians have turned out to cast their ballots on constitutional changes. Last year's parliamentary election under the Mubarak regime saw turnout as low as 10%. We will wait to see how high turnout has been in yesterday's referendum. Some problems have been reported with the lack of officially stamped ballot papers. Stay tuned.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/19/egypt-big-numbers-vote-constitutional-change

Egyptians turn out in big numbers to vote on constitutional change | World news | guardian.co.uk Referendum is first major test of transition to democracy in wake of Mubarak's resignation

Mohammed El-Baradei [in arabic] on the Egyptian Constitutional Referendum scheduled tomorrow.

Referendum 19 March 2011.mov

Egypt to vote on proposed constitutional amendments this weekend. Polls suggest that most of the amendments will not be ratified. In this case, the Army council will likely act unilaterally to impose various constitutional amendments needed ahead of elections.

Niger presidential run-off election has ended peacefully and initial reports from election observers have signified that the vote was free and fair. However, turnout was much lower than the first round of voting.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/08/revolution-winds-change-reach-across-sahara

These winds of change may now reach across the Sahara | Wangari Maathai | Comment is free | The Guar Wangari Maathai: The revolutions in the north have inspired sub-Saharan Africans. We can only hope the region's leaders take note

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Follow on Twitter for news on African elections, and general links and updates to news on the continent.

Vote4Africa Board member Milton Allimadi speaks about the recent Ugandan elections on New York public radio. Share your views below.

The Brian Lehrer Show - Ugandan Elections Milton Allimadi, publisher of Black Star News talks about the recent reelection of Ugandan President Museveni. Will demonstrations spread to Sub-Saharan Africa?

Violence in Ivory Coast is escalating as opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara supporters took to the streets of Abidjan in the hopes of forcing out President Laurent Gbagbo. Tanks and other heavy weapons have been reported in the capital. This comes as the African Union continues to attempt to broker a transfer of power and international restrictions on economic activity have increased.

Kampala Mayoral Elections have been cancelled by the Electoral Commission because of evidence of massive vote rigging. Pre-filled ballots were found in vote boxes ahead of poll opening.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/02/201122164254698620.html

In search of an African revolution International media is following protests across the 'Arab world' but ignoring those in Africa.

http://www.vote4africa.org/blog/entry/statement-on-uganda-elections-by-dr.-kizza-besigye-ipc-president

Statement on Uganda Elections by Dr. Kizza Besigye, IPC President Vote4Africa has obtained the following press statement from Dr. Kizza Besigye, the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) President. Dr. Besigye held a press conference on Saturday February 19, 2011 the day after Uganda held parliamentary and presidential elections.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/21/ivory-coast-protesters-laurent-gbago

Ivory Coast protesters call for Laurent Gbago to step down | World news | The Guardian Security forces react violently in support of victor of last election who cannot assume office

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5If8sNW-JAo&feature=player_embedded

Decision Uganda: Mbale tear gas Confrontations occurred after eight ballot boxes from Bungokho North were delivered at the Mbale District tallying centre after results had been declared.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ9x_kuWlvQ&feature=channel

Decision 2011: Commonwealth observers react Election Observer teams started issuing their interim reports on their conclusions of the February 18th polls. The commonwealth Observer Group issued an interim statement in which they described the elections as "largely peaceful".

Rather than stop all SMS services, Ugandan mobile operators have slowed the throughput of text messages to disrupt activities such as election monitoring and incident reporting.

Vote4Africa has been collaborating with the FDC/IPC to report the Uganda election results as witnessed by election monitors. This operation has been halted because the Election Tally Centre has been raided and surrounded by armed assailants.

FDC/IPC Election Tally Centre Attacked and Surrounded By Armed Military and Security Operatives As of 1705 East African Time, The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)/ Interparty Cooperation (IPC) Election Tally Centre in Nakulabye has been surrounded by armed military and security operatives. This follows an earlier attack in which unknown armed assaliants stormed the centre damaging equipment

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/02/20112198299570670.html

Uganda leader takes early poll lead Provisional results by electoral commission give Yoweri Museveni 70 per cent versus 23 per cent for his main challenger.

Fascinating conversation on BBC Africa Have Your Say. Should the voting age in Africa be lowered to 16? Original article:http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/africahaveyoursay/2011/02/should-the-voting-age-in-afric.shtml Dialogue: http://www.facebook.com/bbcafricahaveyoursay

BBC - Africa Have Your Say: Should the voting age in Africa be lowered to 16? Our guest blogger is the Kenyan professor Calestous Juma, of Harvard University who argues the voting age in Africa should be lowered to 16 . The lowering the voting age...

Report showing thousands of children, foreigners & duplicates on voter registry is blocked by Uganda EC http://allafrica.com/c/-41R30

allAfrica.com: Uganda: EC Blocks Report On Ghost Voters allAfrica: African news and information for a global audience

Egypt is free! People's revolution realized as Mubarak quits. http://bit.ly/AXx2

Al Jazeera English: Live Stream Watch the broadcast here.

Hackers shut down Egyptian Govt website in support of the anti-government protestors. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/world/middleeast/03hackers.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=world

Egyptian Government Web Site Shut Down by Hackers The online group Anonymous said it brought down the sites of the Ministry of Information and President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party in support of the antigovernment protests.

Mahad Ibrahim's blog post on Vote4Africa, an in-depth look at what is happening in Egypt: what preceded it, and questions to consider moving forward. http://www.vote4africa.org/blog/entry/between-anger-and-boredom-a-report-from-cairo

Between Anger and Boredom: A Report from Cairo It is 4:30pm on Monday, January 31, 2011 and I have just got off the phone with an Egyptian friend living in ‘October 6th City’ on the outskirts of Cairo. I speak to Muhammad by cell phone as he, along with the other men in his neighborhood, stand watch against the looters and thugs that have been

http://www.vote4africa.org/blog/entry/between-anger-and-boredom-a-report-from-cairo

Between Anger and Boredom: A Report from Cairo It is 4:30pm on Monday, January 31, 2011 and I have just got off the phone with an Egyptian friend living in ‘October 6th City’ on the outskirts of Cairo. I speak to Muhammad by cell phone as he, along with the other men in his neighborhood, stand watch against the looters and thugs that have been

Clashes have broken out between pro-govt and anti-govt demonstrators in Cairo. http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/02/01/live-blog-feb-2-egypt-protests

Egypt is back online.