Ismail Akwei

After many years of harm, African girls still face cruel ‘breast ironing’ custom

Prevalent in Cameroon and other African immigrant communities in the United Kingdom, breast ironing or flattening – also known as breast sweeping in South Africa – is taken lightly when it is clearly a harmful practice. This is the pounding and massaging of a girl’s breasts to stop them from developing. Practised mainly in WestContinue reading “After many years of harm, African girls still face cruel ‘breast ironing’ custom”

Could harsh prison sentences annihilate slave-owning societies in Mauritania?

Slavery is widespread in the northwestern African country of Mauritania where black individuals and families are bought by light-skinned Mauritanians who subject them to slavery. Despite years of caution and legislation by the government, United Nations and other international bodies and agencies, the practice is ongoing. For the first time in the history of theContinue reading “Could harsh prison sentences annihilate slave-owning societies in Mauritania?”

These smartphones were ‘produced’ in Africa by Africans

The mobile telephony industry has evolved over the years with a transition from feature phones to smartphones. Smartphones have gained huge popularity worldwide and have become a viable business venture. The biggest producers of smartphones are Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Huawei and many others with little or none from the African continent which is considered toContinue reading “These smartphones were ‘produced’ in Africa by Africans”

Botswana to raise age of consent to address child defilement

Botswana’s government has tabled a bill before parliament to amend the country’s penal code to raise the legal age of consent from 16 to 18 years. This means having sex with a person below the age of 18 with or without their consent is a criminal offense and will be termed as defilement. The MinisterContinue reading “Botswana to raise age of consent to address child defilement”

This country in Africa is also building a border wall like the U.S.

United States President Donald Trump has been criticized for plans to build a wall on the border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants. As Americans and Mexicans negotiate the possibility of Trump’s border wall, East African nation Kenya has already begun building a wall at the border with Somalia to control the activities ofContinue reading “This country in Africa is also building a border wall like the U.S.”