I hope you have come across the new issue of Ghana’s best free magazine, Dust. “It’s everywhere” is their clever slogan (but now I can’t find it on the mag – did I dream it?) and it is true as you can pick it up in different places, but also read it online: Dust December Issue 2010.

The magazine is the brainchild of my friend Chrystal and a bunch of Ghanabloggers are involved: Kobby Graham as editor, Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah as a returning contributor and Esi Cleland as this issue’s featured blogger!

Read it to get a glimpse of the cool, cultural, urban Ghana that also exists along the more traditional images of my home country.

Just reading this report from MyJoyOnline on how Ivory Coast is now closed for traveling and to foreign news agencies and the sore loser in the election, incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo is pulling strings to get back the power of the country, just awarded to the opposition leader Alassane Outtara. The report suggests:

The head of the independent electoral commission (IEC) , Youssouf Bakayoko, said Mr Ouattara had won 54% of the vote, compared to 46% for Mr Gbagbo.

He was speaking under armed guard at a hotel, rather than from the commission’s headquarters.

This interesting timeline of Ivory Coast by BBC reminds us of Ivory Coast’s volatile past and that Outtara was the presidential candidate who was accused of not being a national Ivorian (but rather from Burkina Faso) back in 1999. Violence seems to be lingering in the air, and attacks on party offices have already been reported.

Fellow Ghana blogger Osabutey suggests Gbabgo should be stopped before he burns down the country, but who would stop him?

Pic borrowed from BBC/AFP.