the worst thing is the waiting man.
And even if you aren't an avid K'naan fan I'm sure you can identify with the sentiment. The worst part about unrest (for me here) is waiting to see what will happen next. In the past months we've seen the continent of Africa explode. From conflicts in North Africa, protests & problem presidents in West Africa, to student strikes in South Africa. It's all been a little too much for the world.
And the crazy thing is this: there are multiple reasons for the protests. Each country has a unique set of interrelated issues that have lead to the unrest. And while each country faces unique circumstances there are unifiers too. One of these is the rising cost of food.
Burkina is no exception to this. Protests planned for April 8 seek to raise awareness to the plight of rising prices (la vie cher) in Burkina. In response to these planned protests schools have been closed again and are not expect to open until after the 8th. (Source)
The relationship between rising food prices and in-country protests is not a new phenomena. It’s a relationship that has been graphed, charted & observed for years. We saw increased rioting in 2008 as food prices reached all time highs. And today, as food prices reach similar levels (the average family in the 3rd world is spending 50% of their budget on food), protests have spread like wildfire. See Good's February article on this issue here.
In other news:
The soldier accused of raping a 14 year old girl has been returned to prison. He was freed last week during protests in Fada N’Gourma. (source)
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