This week’s most important headlines out of and about Africa.
In this week’s news, 16 countries compete in the African Cup of Nations and a crackdown on social media in Cameroon.
African Cup of Nations Holds in Gabon
[/media-credit] Nigeria’s national football team celebrates the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations win against Burkina Faso.
Football or soccer is a global sport. As the most popular sport in the African continent, it’s no wonder 14 countries are participating in the Africa Cup of Nations. Categorized into four groups, Uganda was eliminated when Day 3 of the tournament comes to a close. It is the third week of matches, with Senegal advancing to the quarter-finals.
The African Cup of Nations began in the the 1950s as the Confederation of African Football. The African Cup was originally held yearly but was moved to a two-year term to avoid a clash with the Fifa World Cup.
Egypt holds the most victories to date.
Cameroon cracks down on protesters
Social media is being blamed for helping spread propaganda to stir up trouble in Cameroon.
As a result, the current Francophone-led government is withholding internet access to the English-speaking regions of Bamenda, Buea and other parts of the country. There has been a ban implemented for all activities associated with Southern Cameroons National Council and the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium whose leaders were both arrested. These groups have been accused of disrupting peace within Cameroon by the current government.
Many Anglophones are saying the suspension of internet services is a tactic used by the government to retain control of the marginalized English-speaking regions. This blockade has restricted users from communicating with the media, family and friends, which is causing uneasiness among the large youth population of the country.
Additionally, services used for money transfer and payments have been severed. Many banks in the region are at a standstill.
