African Studies 2019

We all know about the ivory problem in Africa, the killings of Elephants for there tusks in order to make different kinds of material objects. The poaching of elephants has been a big problem, but in Tanzania there was an arrest and conviction made of a trafficker; going by the name the "Ivory Queen" was sentenced to 15 years for smuggling over 350 elephant tusks to Asia -- described as a "major victory against poaching". Dating back to around 2015, Yang Fen Glan has been in the trafficking business where it was reported that she smuggled $3.5 million worth of ivory. The demand for ivory in asian countries has since created a rise in poaching all across Africa decreasing the number of elephants from 110,000 to a mere 40,000 between the years of 2009-2014. She has not been the only arrest and conviction of a Chinese person on those counts as there were other men sentenced 35 years in prison and another for 20 for trafficking rhino horns. Our elephant numbers are dra...

As we marveled over the fictional movie, Black Panther, one suddenly emerges on Kenyan soil. It is said that one has not been seen in over 100 years; and the rarity that it was spotted in Africa is pretty high. It was researchers from the San Diego Zoo that has made the discovery as they said that the existence of a Black leopard has always been but it wasn't until Tuesday that one has finally been spotted. They also state that since the percentage of all black leopards is only 11% reiterating the fact that it was seen in Africa so surprising. It is recorded that leopards have lost 75% of their population since 1750 and were even categorized under vulnerable on the endangered species list. The last sighting prior to the one on Tuesday was in 1909 in the capital of Ethiopia but are usually found more along Southeast Asia. another cool fact is that the Black Panther was actually spotted near where the movie "Black Panther" was fictionally based on. https://www.nytimes...

A boat leaving Djibouti sunk earlier today due to too much weight; the coast guard states to have recovered 30 bodies with 16 survivors out of the reported 130 migrants that were originally boarded. The boat leaving from Djibouti was headed to Yemen in search for a better life and jobs that were available in their planned destination. Though that intended route is known as the most dangerous, tens of thousands of Africans have made and/or attempted the trip; it is reported that approximately 100,000 Africans migrated to Yemen in 2017. The UN Migration has also reported nearly 200+ drownings in that very same water since 2014 with another roughly 160 deaths from the sea conditions. This really only shows you that even though that death is almost certain, people in desperation will do what it takes to have a better life for themselves and their families. Immigrants face imminent danger when making a trip anywhere using any route, but still decide to take the risk in hope that in the end...

21 innocent lives were taken as 3 masked men entered a hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya with guns and explosives and opened fire. Amongst those killed was an American man named, Jason Spindler, who was a survivor of another terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. As bullets rang out and explosions were set off, the lives of 700 people were saved as they were evacuated from the building. The incident started on Tuesday afternoon and did not come to a stop until early into Wednesday morning creating chaos around the area. With it coming to an end the number of those who were killed is yet to be sold as the Kenya red cross said that there were up to 50 people still to be unaccounted for. 

There has been a major upset throughout The Democratic Republic of Congo as  Félix Tshisekedi was declared the winner of the presidential election that many say was rigged being that he in  actuality is the leader of the opposing party. The runner up, Martin Fayulu states that he in fact beat Tshisekedi by a significantly wide margin  and many people demand a recount of the votes. Congo having a long history of corruption the people were hoping for a turn around with this election, but with the winner being the unexpected now no one knows what will happen next.