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Contents

NEW AFRICAN The bestselling pan-African magazine, founded in 1966 JANUARY 2009 ISSUE 480 WWW.AFRICASIA.COM

GM food Not wholly holy

8The former advisor to the British government, Sir David King, thinks Africa cannot feed itself because we have rejected GM food. He has criticised the UN and NGOs supporting traditional farming techniques in Africa. But is GM food the future for Africa, and how safe is it anyway? Read it all in the cover story, including a revealing article on nuclear food.

24

28Ghana Lessons in democracy Nigeria Mrs Obasanjo tells all

As we went to press, Ghana’s presidential election, held on 7 December, had produced no winner and a run-off had been fi xed for 28 December. But the conduct of the polls and the general peaceful atmosphere in which they were held had provided vital lessons in democracy for Africa.

A taboo has been broken. For the fi rst time in Nigeria’s history, a former president’s wife, Mrs Oluremi Obasanjo, has written a book revealing all about their marriage and her husband’s alleged multiple affairs. It is riveting stuff.

Letters 4 Your news and views

Cover story: GM food 8 Is GM food the future for Africa? 14 Seeds of destruction 20 Rather than GM, here comes nuclear food

Features 24 Ghana: Lessons in democracy 28 Nigeria: Mrs Obasanjo reveals all about her husband 32 Sweden: How aid fi nances wars in Africa 36 Tanzania: The Zanzibar question 38 Nigeria: Jos erupts again

Analysis 40 South Africa: Ticking time bomb 44 South Africa: The shenanigans behind Mbeki’s removal

Lest We Forget 48 Sudan: Are Arabs killing black Africans?

NA Market 50 African bananas: Ripe for the picking

54 Germany: Cotton made in Africa 56 Kenya: Where have all the tourists gone?

Under the Neem Tree 58 The geniuses who gave us such fun

Sport 62 The Gambia: Welcome to real football

The Arts 64 Blakk Rasta: “Ghana needs redemption”

Diaspora 68 Eric Clarke and the pioneer generation 71 Britain: Will there ever be an Obama? 72 Australia: We’ve survived 73 USA: Leading by example 74 USA: African trade offi ce opens

CALL TO ACTION WHAT WOMEN REALLY WANT ADAM MINUS EVE REDEFINING A WOMAN’S STATUS MARVELLOUS MARSHA THE UNSUNG SONGBIRD

New African Woman No 6 2 Marsha, the unsung songbird 6 Claudia Jones and the fi ght for black dignity 10 Adam minus Eve 14 What African women really want