The News Review:

- Hundreds protest against food prices in Senegal
- Senegal mobile market slows in Q1
- Rice price already hurting poor in Africa

Hundreds protest against food prices in Senegal
Reuters AlertNet – Apr 26, 2008
0 article title –> Hundreds protest against food prices in Senegal 26 Apr 2008 18:12:21 GMT Source: Reuters. 0 article title end –>. Aid experts say soaring global prices for foodstuffs and fuel threaten to push 100 million people worldwide into hunger and governments in the poorest countries are scrambling to find ways to mitigate the effects. Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade whose nation imports more than 80 percent of its rice needs announced an ambitious plan last week to increase rice production five-fold to 500000 tonnes in a season. But many people say the measures are not enough to prevent rice the daily staple from becoming a luxury. They accuse Wade of focusing on glamorous infrastructure projects to the detriment of his people’s more basic needs.

Senegal mobile market slows in Q1
Telecom Paper – Telecom Paper (subscription) – Apr 26, 2008
The total number of subscribers rose to 4. 136 million at the end of March from 4. 123 million at the end of 2007 according to figures from market regulator ARTP. Mobile penetration was at 39.

Rice price already hurting poor in Africa
stuff.co.nz – Apr 26, 2008
Eric Hazard Oxfam International's regional campaign manager for economic justice in West Africa said most ordinary people in the region were already spending between 50 to 80 per cent of their income on food so the price spikes were really hurting. "Those living on the edge are particularly vulnerable to these high food prices" Hazard told Reuters. In Senegal which with Nigeria and Ivory Coast is among the world's top rice importers the increases threaten to put the traditional midday rice meal out of reach of the poor. "It's difficult because rice is the base of all our dishes. We eat it with fish meat and chicken" said Nafissatou Ndiaye who runs a canteen kitchen serving 50 customers a day in Dakar. "I already had to put prices up. I don't dare do it again because I'll lose my clients" she said pointing to the pink 25 kg bags of "Thai Flavour" imported rice that she buys locally… so maybe this is an opportunity to switch and go to a new scenario where agriculture will be put at the top of the development agenda" Oxfam's Hazard said. Senegal which imports more than 80 percent of its rice needs announced an ambitious plan last week to increase its current rice production five-fold to 500000 tonnes in a season. "There will be no famine here" said President Abdoulaye Wade. Last week he called international food aid a "huge swindle" saying many non-governmental organisations made a "business" out of hunger. Liberia is signing over fresh land to commercial rice production and Nigeria says it will promote year-round farming. Guinea the world's leading exporter of bauxite has held talks with Malaysia about exchanging minerals for rice.