UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
Dr. Paul Godard
Gondwana asbl
Universit Catholique de Louvain, Plant Biology Dept, CISAFA project
5/14 pl. Croix du Sud, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Phone : 32 (10) 47 34 68 Fax : 32 (10) 47 34 71 E-Mail : godard@bota.ucl.ac.be
This paper has been published in Telecommunications and Development in Africa (1994) Kiplagat B.A. & Werner M.C.M. Eds, IOS Press, Amsterdam; the book is edited by the Telecommunications Foundation for Africa (TFA) and published under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Abstract
The intention of this document is to dress the actual status of electronic networking in Africa from
the user view side. What are the networks in Africa? What are their limitations, from Fido
technology to Full Internet access? Which services do they offer? What is the cost of an connection
to Internet?
Before answering these questions, the article introduces the major electronic networking services, the
most common management protocols in use, and the hardware & software requirements for an individual
user.
Then, the current status of electronic networking in Africa is described in detail in terms of networks and services availability; comparative maps and table are given. Following the last recommendations about electronic networking in Africa, the Gondwana project addresses the awareness and sensitisation aspects. This is a large-scale project which intends to establish an electronic communications network and information system for research, development and training on sustainable systems of land and resource use in Africa.
Introduction
Africas poverty and developmental problems could be eliminated to a large extent through the use of
science and technology as the driving force of economic and social progress.
On the other hand, a good scientific or technological base needs a sound information system to sustain
it.
Although the African region is notoriously known for its weakness in information systems, the communication infrastructure can vary from very good to abysmally from one country to another. Recent developments in microcomputer technology and communication software make it possible to envisage the provision of a comprehensive and efficient system for the dissemination of information. Personal computers are increasingly available in Africa and, with the limited addition of a modem and an appropriate communication software, they can transfer data over poor quality telephone lines at minimal cost.
These recent telecommunication technologies can immediately benefit to Africa even before global networking is spread over. Low cost solutions are indeed already available to give individuals access to electronic networking.
Electronic networking refers to any form of information exchange between computers through various method of interconnection. Advantages are multiple : speed and inexpensiveness (many messages in one phone call), reliability of transmission (error-correcting modems) and easiness of set-up and use. Why re-invent the wheel, when there are people out there who are willing to share information?
Electronic Networking Services
There are two basic kinds of services : computer mediated communications which allow people to
exchange messages and resource sharing that offers access to computing resources such as files and
databases. Either type of services may be interactive, when messages are delivered and read
immediately, or batch when messages are received after a certain delay.
Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)
CMC services may be primarily either one-to-one (electronic mail), one-to-many (mailing lists &
bulletin boards systems) or many-to-many (conferencing systems) users.
Electronic Mail (e-mail)
E-mail allows an individual user to post a message to another user who is registered on the same or an
interconnected network.
The message is delivered to the addressees registered mailbox either immediately when all the links are interactive or after a delay that might reach several days in the other cases; the frequency at which the target user checks his mailbox also influences the total delay between posting and reading the message; this can be immediate in the best case when the user is always connected to his network and receives an in-box notification.
The reliability of e-mail varies considerably, especially when network boundaries are crossed. Nevertheless, most network systems usually inform the sender when messages can not reach their destination.
Mailing or Distribution List
Networks that support e-mail by individuals to individuals often extend to support mailing lists.
These distribution lists involve people who want to hold extended discussions on the same subject.
When a user is interested in a subject discussed on a specific mailing list, he has to subscribe by
sending an e-mail message. Then, when his subscription becomes active, he receives all the messages
posted to the list.
These mailing lists are normally supported by the same software than for e-mail. Although at the beginning this feature is a good advantage, it can becomes a real problem for verbose lists to archive back messages, retrieve and manage information.
Computer Conferencing System or Electronic News (e-news)
The computer conferencing system differs from the mailing list in scale, both in the numbers of people
within a conference group and in the numbers of groups. One copy of a message is kept per host rather
than one per user as for e-mail. Automatic separation of messages into categories are usually
supported.
A true conferencing system can thus displays lists of categories and lists of subjects of messages per category in which the user can select or avoid messages by subject, sender or any logical combinaisons of these and other attributes.
Bulletin Board System (BBS)
Because BBS usually have a small number of topics and unsophisticated user interfaces and are
rudimentary single machine conferencing systems run by a system operator (sysop), they should be
considerated as intermediate systems between mailing lists and conferencing system where users
post messages as if on a physical pegboard and with no real idea of who will read them or reply to
them.
Resource Sharing
Remote Login
Most interactive networks support remote login which is the use of a network to access a remote
computer as if one were logged in on it from a local terminal.
File Transfer
The ability to get a file from a remote host and put it back is called file transfer. The major file
transfer services is file transfer protocol (FTP) and its associate anonymous FTP for which the user
does not need an access password. The most generally usable file transfer format is plain text in 7
bit USASCII.
Although this service is faster and easier to use in interactive mode, it is also supported on top of e-mail as batch file transfer for some public databases or libraries of information.
Remote Device Access
This service provides a way to use devices such as printers, drives, CD-ROMs on other systems as
if they were connected on the local system.
Management Protocols
To keep complexity manageable, protocols are designed in layers, building up from those near the
hardware to those near the user. The International Standardisation Organisation reference model
called the Open Systems Interconnection (ISO-OSI) has 7 basic layers : physical, data link, network,
transport, session, presentation and application.
The major protocol suites used in wide area networks (WAN) are the Internet (which layers organisation is close to the ISO-OSI model), the coloured book (UK & Australia), MAP/TOP from GM & Boeing, XNS from XEROX, DNA from Digital, NCA from Appolo and SNA from IBM. These protocols are designed with the assumption of dedicated links between nodes and networks. Among the protocols adapted to intermittent connections (dialup protocols), the major ones are UUCP, Fido, Kermit and Xmodem.
Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP)
The TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) protocol suite is certainly the most
implemented of the vendor independent protocol suites, and is available on computers ranging in size
from super computers to personal computers. The main goal of this protocol is to develop a robust
communication architecture to accommodate multiple types of communications services over a wide
variety of networks.
TCP/IP is widely used within South Africa, and over some leased lines from Africa to USA and Europe.
UUCP
The UUCP (Unix-to-Unix Copy Protocol) is the most used in dialup connections. The g protocol is used
over the public switched telephone network (PSTN), the f protocol on the public data network (PDN),
and the t protocol over TCP/IP.
UUCP is largely used in Africa, especially now because it allows an easy transition towards TCP/IP which is definitely the full Internet solution.
Fido Protocol
Fido protocol is similar to UUCP and uses variants of Xmodem and Zmodem. This protocol is largely
used in FidoNet (see below).
Fido is the first protocol in use in Africa. It is very reliable over bad quality phone lines.
Kermit
Kermit is an error correcting file transfer protocol usually used in manually dialed connections.
Xmodem
X-, Z- and Y-modem play the same function as Kermit. These protocols including Kermit are widely used
within communication packages.
Hardware & Software Requirement
Assuming that personal computers are widely available in Africa, the only additional hardware needed
is a high speed modem with compression and error detection/correction protocols (V32bis & MNP10) to
overpass the poor quality of phone lines ($ 300-500).
The choice of the communication software depends on the transport protocol in use at the node (Fido, UUCP or TCP/IP). Most of these are freeware and can be downloaded from different servers worldwide.
Current Status of electronic Networking in Africa
The community of electronic networkers in Africa is still relatively quite small. However, thanks to
the pioneering efforts of dedicated individuals helping to establish projects, collect and
distribute mail, improve and disseminate software, and train users electronic networking has gained
a foothold in Africa. The various levels of success already achieved by some pilot projects such as
ESANET, CGNET, Healthnet, NGONET, PADISnet and RIONET have raised interest in African networking and
laid large-scale project such as RINAF.
Non-Profit Networks
Most of the non-profit network purposes are either to link research and academic institutions,
healthcare centres and hospitals, or NGOs.
ARSONET
ARSONET is a CIDA professional development project to link the Africa Regional Standards Authorities
in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Nairobi (Kenya) and Cairo (Egypt) with Fido networking technology.
CGNET
CGNET (Consultative Group NETwork) is a conferencing system specialised in agriculture.
It has been Founded in 1985 by the CGIAR and is funded by the FAO, the World Bank and the UNDP.
The CGNET machine is a Digital VMS system located in Palo Alto that connects 130 hosts (agricultural
research centres, CGIAR centres, UNDP offices) in 70 countries (about 200 mailboxes for 10000 people)
through PDN when available.
In Africa, CGNET links the following organisations in the following countries : IITA in Benin, IMI in Burkina Faso, CIP in Burundi, CIP, IITA and NCRE in Cameroon, ACDI, Ford, FAO, ICARDA, IDRC, IRRI & PLAN in Egypt, ILCA in Ethiopia, FG in Ghana, IBSRAM, IIRSDA, RTI and WARDA in Ivory Coast, CIP, Ford, ICIPE, ICRAF, ICR, IDRC, ILCA, ILRAD, PLAN, Rockefeller, TSBF, UNEP and USAID in Kenya, CIAT in Malawi, IER and ILCA in Mali, IAV, IIMI and USAID in Morocco, ICRISAT and IMMI in Niger, IITA and ILCA in Nigeria, CIP in Rwanda, IDRC, IIEN and Winrock in Senegal, CIAT and PLAN in Tanzania, FG and IFDC in Togo, CIP in Tunisia, CIAT and ICRAF in Uganda, and CIMMYT, FAO, ICRISAT, ILCA and PLAN in Zimbabwe.
Based on Dialcom, CGNET offers other services such as databases, airline reservation and interfaces to fax and telex.
The cost is quite prohibitive for a single user : basic rate at $ 50 (host) + $ 5 / mailbox (user) per month and connection rate at $ 6-9 per hour + $ 0.095 per 1 Kb ($ 0.2 / page).
EARN
EARN (European Academic Research Network) was formed in 1983 on the model of BITNET.
Its charter states that it is a network for Europe, Middle East and Africa. In Africa, EARN hosts
exist in Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Tunisia.
EARN links more than 600 hosts corresponding to about 30000 users. Many links to national and international networks exist.
EARN is funded by each participating country (i.e. FNRS in Belgium), but is not charging the individual user.
ESANET
ESANET (East and Southern African Network) is a pilot project to link researchers at universities in
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe with each other and with other researchers worldwide by
installing e-mail facilities at their computer centres.
Zambia, Kenya and Zimbabwe can connect directly to the GreenNet gateway, while Uganda and Tanzania can only connect via Nairobi because direct dialling facilities outside the (Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) area are not available. Zambia has begun to experiment with direct dialling to London and the other nodes are expected to begin testing connectivity later.
Based at the University of Nairobi, Institute of Computer Science, it is partially funded by the Nirv Centre (Web) in Toronto, Canada, and is co-ordinated with NGOnet project to allow NGOs without host to use campus resources.
The system is based on Fido software running on PC-AT/40 and using high speed modem and dedicated phone line.
FidoNet
Started in 1984 in USA, FidoNet is owned and operated by end-users and hobbyists who pass messages
from node to node.
For this reason it is a point-to-point and store-and-forward e-mail system. It uses dialup telephone links and has over 13000 public nodes with 1 000 000 users (e-news) - 100 000 users (e-mail). Normally each node is a single caller BBS but some can admit up to 20 users at the same time; the average is 200 active users per BBS.
FidoNet offers gateways to Internet & UUCP.
Initially based on Xmodem for MS-DOS personal computer, Fido technology now uses Zmodem and is
available for Unix and Apple machines.
This is the most affordable e-mail and e-news system used by many NGOs throughout Africa, the zone 5
(to many sites to list).
Henk Wolsink is the Zone 5 co-ordinator
GHASTINET
GreenNet Elsewhere, it links to Devel Workshop in Angola, AlgeriaNet in Algeria, University of
Botswana in Botswana, ADB in Ivory Coast, PADIS in Ethiopia, the ACHRDS in Gambia, FOE-Ghana and
GastiNet in Ghana, the ELCI and the University of Nairobi in Kenya, the National University of Lesotho
in Lesotho, the University of Malawi in Malawi, the CIUEM in Mozambique, the University of Namibia in
Namibia, ENDA-Dakar in Senegal, the University of Swaziland in Swaziland, the COSTECH in Tanzania,
IRSIT in Tunisia, the Makarere University in Uganda, the UNZA in Zambia and the University of Zimbabwe
and MANGO in Zimbabwe.
It uses Fido protocols and links to WorkNet/SANGOnet and UniNet in South Africa.
HealthNet
The network was initially addressed to exchange health and medical information within the universities
participating in the ESANET project and via Memorial University in Newfoundland in Canada.
HealthNet uses store-and-forward micro satellite called HealthSat to pick up and deliver e-mail
messages and electronic publications for health. The ground station uses technology that is
affordable and appropriate for Africa.
Ground stations are operational in Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
and Zimbabwe, and licensed in Botswana, Gambia, Malawi, Mali and Sudan.
Although the current traffic is limited to health related issues, it will be up to the individual
participating institutions in Africa to obtain clearance from the authorities for a wider
interpretation of the health mandate. As far as the funders of the HealthNet project are concerned,
this could encompass a much broader range of environmental and social issues.
Internet
The Internet is a set of many networks all running the TCP/IP protocol suite. Its major component
networks are PRNET, AMPRNET used by short-wave radio amateurs (hams), DDN, NRI, CSNET and NSFNET.
The Internet has recently developed many links to other major networks, such as ACSnet, ARISTOTE,
EUnet, JUNET and NORDUnet.
Although the Internet is often referred as The Worldwide Network, the following well-known
international networks are not part of the Internet : BITNET, EARN, HEPnet, JANET, NetNorth, USENET
and UUCP.
NGONet
MANGO connects three times daily with the Web gateway in Toronto. In addition it connects three times
a day to WorkNet in Johannesburg.
PADISNET
The PADISNET links 37 African countries into a network of participating development planning centres
which exchange databases and information.
PADIS is based at the UNECA in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) which operates the PADISNET node connecting on
demand to London, South Africa and the US.
NGONet and PADISNET share resources in the support of other nodes in Dakar (Senegal), Accra (Ghana)
and Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania).
PADISNET is based on Fido technology.
As a FidoNet node in Africa, PADISNET participates in several on-line conferences such as the
consultation conference of experts in the Africa region (EXPZONE5) and the global NGONET conference.
RINAF Project
The technical administration is under the auspices of the CNUCE Institute of the Italian CNR in Pisa.
The African Committee has been designated to approve all the actions and to survive to the RINAF
project after the 2-year initiation phase.
The project is meant to bring basic Internet services to several African countries by establishing 5
regional nodes CERIST in Algeria, NCST & Moi University in Kenya, NCTM & Obafemi Awolowo University
in Nigeria, CNDST in Senegal and University of Zambia in Zambia and 10 national nodes Cameroon,
ENSTINET/FRCU in Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Universit de Conakry in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mozambique,
Manzini University in Swaziland, Tanzania and Tunisia.
RINAF relies on the co-operation with other existing initiatives operating in the African continent
such as the IDRC and the RIOnet projects.
The protocols used are heterogeneous Fido, UUCP and TCP/IP because of the variety of
interconnections.
The Project Co-ordinator is Stefano Trumpy
RIOnet
RIOnet is member of the Internet. The central node is located in Montpellier, France.
The RIOnet links LAN of Unix workstations and of Apple & IBM-compatible PC LAN, set up in ORSTOM and
at its partners laboratories. It uses available telecommunication links (dialup lines or X.25
network) and TCP/IP or UUCP (g & f) protocols.
The RIOnet counts 800 accounts (1000 users) among researchers, engineers, technicians and
administrative staff.
Users pay a cost depending on the quantity of data; local access is free and intercontinental transit
ranges from $ 0.35-070 / 1 Kb.
The Project Manager is Pascal Renaud
SANGOnet
The major networking centres in South Africa Cape Town, Grahamstown, Durban, Johannesburg and
Pretoria are connected via 64 Kbd digital leased lines. Other links range from 9.6 Kbd analogue
lines to 64 Kbd digital ones.
UniNet is only funded by participating universities.
Telkom, the South African telecom company, imposes regulations that no other traffic but university
may flow over UniNet.
The contact person at FRD is Vic Shaw
UseNet
WEDNET
WorkNet
WorkNet operates as the national electronic network host for NGOs in South Africa, called SANGOnet.
Users include the labour movement, human rights groups, the alternate press, documentation centres,
service organisations and church groups.
SANGOnet runs a proprietary network format, using store-and-forward. By converting the internal
format to Fido format, users can send and receive messages to other systems and obtain conference
postings. It is connected to the GreenNet Fido gateway via London (high speed modem and X.25 leased
line), as well as to NGOnet via MANGO in Harare (daily dialup).
The contact person is Paul Nash
Commercial Networks
Afrimail
It has been initiated at CNI and CIRIA of Tunisia in collaboration with UBC and IDRC both in Canada.
Based on the Ean software, the system uses PDN, leased lines, PSTN and telex lines as well; it links
other countries through UUCP from the machine tuniscni.
AT&T-Mail & MCI-MAil
Compuserve
The low basic rate at $ 9 per month including 60 e-mail messages and offering Internet e-mail access
is a good bargain for some African countries although there are very few local dialup access numbers
in Africa (Kenya, South Africa & Djibouti).
SAPONET
Telkom400
TWICS
Tymnet
Future Directions
Attention must be given to flexible networking technologies suitable for local conditions : Fidonet as
an entry level where computerisation is weak, UUCP in academic institutions with high level of
computing skill and goal for building national links to Internet. In any case, the first activities
in setting up electronic networks include the sensitisation of the institution to the idea of
networking and then human resources development.
Since most telecommunications infrastructures in Africa is still based on PSTN, direct dialling will
continue to be the major focus for the next future. By the end of 1995, the telecommunication
regulatory situation on the African continent will have undergone substantial changes. Separation of
PTT and RTT operators is already effective in 16 countries, under way in 11 countries or planned in
10 other countries. This will lead to a certain form of liberalisation and joint ventures with
foreign partners. The global improvement of the telecommunication infrastructure will thus be helped
by such opportunities, as, on the other hand, higher demand on the user side will increase pressure on
telecommunication authorities to provide better services. Then only, X.25 network will be used to
cross borders and to build national networks as well.
On the other side, alternative transport mechanisms, such as satellite and radio, should have a place
in network plans. Satellite links can be most economically provided with low orbit micro-satellites
which act as flying store-and-forward mailboxes. The earth station requirement can be met as little
as $ 5000. HF and VHF radios can provide real-time message delivery at low cost ($ 3000).
Gondwana Project
More information can be obtained at the authors address
References
Annex
The GHASTINET (GHAna national Scientific and Technical Information NETwork) offers e-mail service in
Ghana to FOE, GAPVOD and other institutions.
It uses Fido protocol and connects twice a week to the GNFido gateway in London.
The charging is $ 0.57 per page.
GreenNet started in UK in 1986 as a conferencing system. It is now member of the APC.
The network regroup academic and research institutions and NGOs as well among 31 African countries.
In most of the French speaking countries Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Mali,
Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles and Togo it links to ORSTOM nodes (see
RIOnet).
HealthNet is operated by a Boston based NGO called Satellife which was initiated as a project of the
IPPNW.
The Internet exists to facilitate sharing of resources at participating organisations such as
government agencies, educational and research institutions, and private corporations and
collaboration among researchers, as well as to provide a testbed for new developments in networking.
The Internet was formed in 1983 when ARPANET, its oldest constituent network (1969), splited to form
MILNET. The Internet is very large; initially located in USA, it now extends to Canada, Europe, the
Philippines, Korea, Japan and recently to Africa, in Algeria, Egypt, South Africa and Tunisia. At
present the Kenya Computer Institute is working towards establishing an Internet node in Kenya, which
will be shared and co-sponsored by the University of Nairobi, the Kenyatta University, RICOSIX-WHO and
some other NGOs. Internet links are also in progress at EMI in Morocco and at the Addis Ababa
University, CLEO networking project in Ethiopia.
NGONet is funded by IDRC.
The MANGO project is a Fido bulletin board service located in Harare, Zimbabwe.
It is operated by a collective of NGOs : the Africa Information Afrique (a regional news agency),
EMBISA (religious development group), SARDC, EDICESA and SAPES.
Initially, from its inception in 1980, PADIS (Pan African Development Information System) network
proceeded by non-electronic means. It was established to assist African countries in strengthening
their national capacities for collection, storage, and utilisation of data on development, and to
promote information exchange in Africa. Later in 1990, PADISNET was formed as the largest of all
African networking project and supported by IDRC.
The local BBS at Addis Ababa is organised around four items : PADIS news, ECA news, data
communications issues and general news on information systems and technologies. PADIS also offers a
public on-line access to the databases maintained on its HP3000.
The RINAF (Regional INformatics Network for AFrica) project was conceived by the Intergovernmental
Informatics Program (IIP) of UNESCO and financed by a grant of the Italian Government and by a
contribution from Korea. The project started in 1992.
The Paris based research organisation ORSTOM has involved itself through the RIOnet (Rseau Inter-
tropical dOrdinateurs) in the setting up of a network that presently interlinks many laboratories
in inter tropical countries including 11 French speaking African countries ESI, ARTS, CECI and UERD
(Ouagadougou & Bobo-Dioulasso) in Burkina Faso, ENSP and OCCGE (Yaound) in Cameroon, Brazzaville in
Congo, Abidjan in Ivory Coast, CIMAD (Antananarivo) in Madagascar, ISFRA, INRSP, CERPOD, WHO/OCP, IER
and PNVA (Bamako) in Mali, Maurice in Mauritius, SEAG, AGHRYMET and CERMES (Niamey) in Niger, ISRA,
ENSUT, CSE, CORAF, the Universit CAD de Dakar, the Ministre Sngalais de la Modernisation and the
Agence Panafricaine de lInformation (Dakar) in Senegal, Victoria in Seychelles and Lom in Togo.
International organisations are also partner of the RIO project : CIRAD, OSS, GRET, EPH, UNITAR and
the World Bank.
See WorkNet.
UniNet
UniNet is the South African university TCP/IP network connected to the Internet via a 64 Kb digital
leased line from Rhodes University to IMCnet-Atlantic in Washington DC.
It connects via UUCP dialup lines to other universities in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique,
Namibia and Zimbabwe.
UseNet is a e-news system which counts more than 2500 newsgroups.
African netters can access UseNet except for the picture/sound files.
WEDNET supports research on women and natural resource management.
WEDNET is based at ELCI in Nairobi.
The aim is to link researchers in Senegal, Ghana, Burkino Faso, Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya, Zimbabwe,
Zambia and Canada via electronic communications and conventional networking.
The network has been established in 1990 and now has about 150 users on a multi-user BBS programme
called MajorBBS.
Afrimail is a bilingual (French & Arabic) e-mail system.
Both AT&T-Mail and MCI-MAil are worldwide commercial e-mail network, originally based in USA.
Compuserve is a worldwide commercial network based in USA.
Based on the EasyPlex software for e-mail, Compuserve also offers databases BBS mostly related to
computer technology and business services and interfaces with fax and telex.
SAPONET is the X.25 PSN carrier run by Telkom in South Africa. Thus it is not a network.
It also provides routing to Beltel, a teletext system similar to the French Minitel.
Telkom is running a commercial X.400 e-mail service, known as Telkom400.
A e-mail passerelle exists from and to Internet.
TWICS (Two Way Information Communications System) is a commercial e-mail service serving Japan
primarily but providing a link to South Africa. It also links to the U.S.
Tymnet, a commercial Public Data Network, has links in South Africa.
In Africa, the primary demand for an awareness campaign is focused on the potentials of electronic
networks.
Following the recommendations of the last conferences about electronic networking in Africa, the
Gondwana project intends to inform and train African scientists in using affordable electronic tools
to better communicate with their colleagues and get informed in their research discipline.
Through an expedition crossing 20 countries in East, Central and Southern Africa, the Gondwana team
will also establish communication links with international networks for a selected group of individual
researchers chosen among the AABNF (African Association for Biological Nitrogen Fixation). This
association has been chosen because its presence and dynamism in nearly every African country.
The ultimate goal of the Gondwana project is to develop a continent-wide network for all the decision
makers, scientists, technicians and trainers working for sustainable development in agriculture and
forestry. This is the CISAFA (Communication and Information systems for Sustainable Agriculture and
Forestry in Africa) network project that has been submitted for funding by international organisations
and foundations.
We can suggest the following references:
The Matrix, Computer Networks and Conferencing Systems Worldwide. 1990 John S. Quaterman. Digital
Press.
Electronic Networking in Africa. Advancing Science and Technology for Development. Proceedings of
Workshop on Science and Technology, Communication Networks in Africa. 1992.
The African Academy of Sciences & The American Association for the Advancement of Science, Nairobi,
27-29 Aug 92.
RINAF. 1992
Proceedings of the Launching Meeting of the Regional Informatics Network for Africa, Dakar 27-29 Feb
92. UNESCO & ACCT
and the following servers (ftp anonymous) to download information files and electronic publications:
GNET : ftp dhvx20.csudh.edu in /global_net directory (co-ordinated by Larry Press
Acronyms
AABNF African Association for Biological Nitrogen Fixation
ACDI Agence de Cooperation et de Dveloppement International, Canada
ACHRDS African Centre for Human Rights, Gambia
ACSnet Australian Computer Science Network, cooperative, Australia & New-Zealand
ADB African Development Bank
AGHRYMET AGro-HYdro-METeorological center, Niger
AMPRNE Amateur Packet Radio Network, research, USA
APC Association for Progressive Computing, USA
ARISTOTE research netork, France
ARPANET Advance Research Projects Agency NETwork, research network, USA
ARTS Agriculture Research and Training Support project, Burkina Faso
BITNET Because Its Time to Network, cooperative, world
CECI Centre Canadien d'Etude et de Cooperation Internationale, Burkina Faso
CERIST Centre de Recherche sur lInformation Scientifique et Technique, Algeria
CERMES CEntre de Recherche sur les MEningites et les Schistosomiases, Niger
CERPOD Centre d'Etude et de Recherche sur la POpulation et le Dveloppement, Mali
CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
CGNET Consultative Group NETwork
CIAT Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical
CIDA Canadian International Development Agency
CIMAD Conservatoire International de MADagascar, Madagascar
CIMMYT Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo
CIP Centro Internacional de la Papa
CIRAD Centre International de Recherche en Agronomie pour le Developpement, France
CIRIA Inter-University Centre for Informatics and Automatics, Tunisia
CIUEM Computer Institute of the University Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique
CNI Centre National de LInformatique, Tunisia
CNR National Council of Research, Italy
CNUCE Centro National , Italy
CORAF Confrence des responsable de Recherche Agronomiques AFricain, Senegal
COSTECH COuncil for Sciences and TECHology, Tanzania
CSE Centre de Suivi Ecologique, Senegal
CSNET Computer Science Network, research, USA
DDN Defense Data Network, USA
EARN European Academic Research Network, cooperative, Europe
EDICESA Ecumenical Documentation and Information Centre for Eastern and Southern Africa
ELCI Environment Liaison Centre International, Kenya
EMI Ecole Mohamed V des Ingnieurs, Morocco
ENSP Ecole Nationale Suprieure Polytechnique, Cameroun
ENSTINET Egypt National Scientific & Technological Information Network, research, Egypt), Egypt
ENSUT Ecole Nationale Suprieur Universitaire de Technologie, Senegal
ESANET East and Southern African NETwork
ESI Ecole Suprieur d'Informatique, Burkina Faso
EUnet European Unix Network, cooperative, Europe
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation
FNRS Fond National de la Recherche Scientifique, Belgium
FOE Friends of the Earth, Ghana
FPH Fondation pour le Progrs de l'Homme, Switzerland
FRD Foundation for Research and Development, South Africa
GAPVOD Ghana Association of Private Voluntary Organisations for Development, Ghana
GHASTINET GHAna national Scientific and Technical Information NETwork, Ghana
GRET Groupe de Recherches et d'Etudes Technologiques, France
HEPnet High Energy Physics Network, research, world
IBSRAM International Board for Soil Research and Management
ICARDA International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas
ICIPE International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
ICRAF International Centre for Research in Agroforestry
ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics
IDRC International Development Research Centre, Canada
IER Institut d'Economie Rurale, Mali
IFDC International Fertilizer Development Centre
IIE Institute for International Education
IIMI International Irrigation Management Institute
IIRSDA Institut International de Recherche Scientifique et Dveloppement en Agriculture
IITA International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
ILCA International Livestock Centre for Africa
ILRAD International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases
INRSP Institut national de recherche en sant publique, Mali
IPPNW International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
IRRI International Rice Research Institute
ISFRA Institut suprieur de Formation et de Recherche Applique, Mali
ISRA Institut Scientifique de Recherche Agronomique, Senegal
ISRA Institut Sngalais de recherche Agricole, Senegal
JANET Joint Academic Netork, research & academic, UK
JUNET Japan Unix Network, cooperative, Japan
MANGO Microcomputer Assistance for NGO, Zimbabwe
MILNET MILitary NETwork, USA
NCRE National Cereals Research and Extension project, Cameroon
NCST National Centre for Sciences and Technology, Kenya
NetNorth Northern Network, cooperative, Canada
NORDUnet Nordic Network, academic, Nordic countries
NRI National Research Internet, research, USA
NSFNET National Science Foundation Network, research, USA
OCCGE Organisme de Coopration et de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Grandes Endmies en
Afrique Centrale, Cameroun
OSS Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel, France
PADIS Pan African Development Information System, Ethiopia
PLAN Foster Parents PLAN International
PNVA Programme National de Valorisation Agricole, Mali
PRNET Experimental Packet Radio Network, ressearch, USA
RTI Research Triangle Institute
SAPES Southern Africa Press Service
SARDC Southern African Research and Documentation Centre
SEAG Innovation et Rseaux pour le Developpement, Niger
CISAFA Communication & Information systems in Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry in Africa
UBC University of British Columbia, Canada
UERD Unit d'Etudes et de Recherches dmographiques, Burkina Faso
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UNECA United Nations Economic Council on Africa, Ethiopia
UNEP United Nations Environmental Program
UNICS University of Nairobi, Information and Computer Service, Kenya
UNITAR United Nations Institute for training And Research, Switzerland
UNZA University of Zambia, Zambia
URD Unit de Recherche Dmographique, Togo
USAID United States Agency for International Development
USENET Users Network, cooperative, world
UUCP UUCP Mail Network, cooperative, world
VITA Volunteer In Technical Assistance, USA
WARDA West African Rice Development Association
WHO World Health Organisation, Mali
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