Safari Notes

The Lake Natron soda ash project will proceed. That's what the Tanzanian National Development Corporation has decided . Contrary to what the NDC says, it (NDC) is not conscious and serious with preserving the environment and biodiversity of Lake Natron and protecting the World's most important breeding site for the lesser flamingos. The NDC is only serious and conscious about the millions of Dollars involved. The so called 'benefits' and 'development' that the project will bring to the area and its people, is nothing compared to the destruction and impact that the project will cause to the Lake and the area. Three-quarters of the world population of Lesser Flamingos live and breed in East Africa. Many depend on Tanzania’s Lake Natron as a breeding site. Food is plentiful, nesting sites abound – and above all, the lake is isolated and undisturbed . But now, with the soda ash project, that will be no more. The 'multi million Dollar' project, by the Indian...

Of all people, South Africans - especially Blacks - should be the last people to hate a person or be against a person simply because of that person's origins or ethnicity. What a shock and how disturbing it has been to see Black South Africans brutalising and butchering other Africans! And to see some South African police seemingly supportive of that! Shame on all South Africans who in any way have been involved in the violence of the last few days. No reason whatsoever justifies it. We in other parts of Africa have been most proud of Nelson Mandela; we have always believed in Desmond Tutu's vision of South Africa as being a 'Rainbow Nation'; we have always cheered the Springboks and "Bafana Bafana" and felt great joy whenever they won. We have always hoped that South Africa would be a role model for Africa. And how could the South Africans forget the great support, both moral and material, that they were given all those years during their struggle for indepe...

Leafless, spiny and succulent. Found deep in the Kalahari desert in southern Africa, where it thrives in the extreme heat. It is the hoodia plant. A plant that very few know of but is becoming very popular especially with obese people. Of the 20 or so species of the plant, one contains a natural appetite suppressant. Extracts from it, can also be used to maintain a high energy level. The Bushmen of the Kalahari who use it to quench thirst in the very hot desert, call it xhoba. Hoodia is said to also be a cure for severe abdominal cramps, haemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and diabetes . More on the Hoodia plant: BBC , Wikipedia , Drugs.com , CBS News , Medicinenet , Thyroid-info , Cellhealthmakeover , rebirth.co.za , hoodia-advice , naturaingredients , health.propeller , MigFa , Doctor Weil , Books , Scholar Image: Google

Pachacuti Inca , whose name means "He who remakes the world" was the ninth Sapa Inca (1438-71 of the Kingdom of Cuzco, which he transformed into an empire,He began the era of conquest that, within three generations, expanded the Inca dominion from the valley of Cuzco to nearly the whole of civilized South America. He was the fourth of the Hanan dynasty, and his wife's name is given as Mama Anawarkhi or Coya Anahurque. Their son was Tupac Inca Yupanqui. Their other son was Prince Yupanqui, who married Coya Chimpu Cello, the parents of Prince Inca Tupac Yupanki, who married Mama Cello, the parents of Princess Beatriz Tupac Yupanqui, wife of Conquistador Pedro Álvarez de Holguín, son of Pedro Álvarez Golfín and wife Constanza de Aldana, and had female issue (ancestors of José Gervasio Artigas and Gabriel Antonio Pereira and three times ancestors of Princess Maxima of the Netherlands). His given name was Cusi Yupanqui and he was not supposed to succeed his father Inca Viraco...

While the west agonises over Darfur, another humanitarian and human rights disaster is brewing in the Horn of Africa. June, the Ethiopian government launched a major military campaign in the Ogaden, a sparsely populated and remote region on Ethiopia's border with Somalia. The counter insurgency operation was aimed at eliminating the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a rebel group which has been fighting for years for self-determination for the Ogaden's predominantly Somali population. In less than two months, Ethiopia's military campaign has triggered a serious humanitarian crisis. Human Rights Watch has learned that dozens of civilians have been killed in what appears to be a deliberate effort to mete out collective punishment against a civilian population suspected of sympathising with the rebels. Villages have been attacked, sacked and burnt. Livestock - the lynchpin of the region's pastoralist economy - have been confiscated or destroyed. A partial trade...

The Maasai Mara or Masai Mara. For those who love wildlife, no other place is as fascinating and unforgettable to be in and watch animals, as the Africa's greatest wildlife reserve. It is here that, each year, the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet, takes place.  More on the Masai Mara: masaimara.org , Magical Kenya , masai-mara , masai-mara.net , Explore Kenya , kilimanjaro.com , Mara Conservancy , The Mara Count , Wikipedia , Books , Photos

Heard all you need to know about Darfur? Think again. Three years after a government-backed militia began fighting rebels and residents in this region of western Sudan, much of the conventional wisdom surrounding the conflict -- including the religious, ethnic and economic factors that drive it -- fails to match the realities on the ground. Tens of thousands have died and some 2.5 million have been displaced, with no end to the conflict in sight. Here are five truths to challenge the most common misconceptions about Darfur: 1. Nearly everyone is Muslim...................... 2. Everyone is black..................................... 3. It's all about politics................................ 4. This conflict is international................... 5. The "genocide" label made it worse...... For more on the '5 Truths About Darfur' read the article from the Washington Post More on Darfur: Wikipedia , Khalifah.com , Darfur Information , Sudan Tribune , UN News , UNICEF , R...