It's not all peaches and roses in Africa....

Egypt has been at the forefront of international media since January 25th, when thousands of protesters took to Tahrir Square in a peaceful bid to remove the regime and have democractic change and reform in the country.

Tony Blair, amongst many other high profile diplomats and political bigwigs, spoke of the change taking place in Egypt and the positive change happening throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East with a new drive to see the 'Liberal Peace' extended through the region. Little do people know though, that in a small landlocked country in southern Africa (just a hop, skip and a step away from Egypt), there is a country whose citizens have tried protesting peacefully in their thousands . However, instead of meeting military officials encouraging of peaceful protests (as has been the case in Egypt) these protesters have been met with heavily armed police ordered to shoot or kill anyone protesting unlawfully. The protests have been to do with fuel shortages and unfair new laws - for example a new law that criminalises anyone caught farting in public - and the quashing of public opinion does nothing to advertise this country's renewed move to democracy, openness and a move away from corruption and oppression.

It is certainly a shame that whilst protests and violence are continuing in Libya and elsewhere, little attention is drawn to the plight of a small, unknown country where the rule of law is not upheld and protesters are unable to exercise their own freedom of speech.