Stories about French from June, 2012
Benin: Introducing the African School of Economics
Dr. Leonard Wantchekon introduced the African School of Economics ASE at the World Bank on June 14. The campus will be located in the city of Akassato in Abomey-Calavi (Benin), near Cotonou. The goal of the school is to “to address the dearth of quality tertiary education, cutting-edge research, and innovative public policy in...
Mali: Timeline and Video of the War between MLNA and Ansar Dine in Gao
Weeks removed from striking an alliance to take over the North of Mali, the Tuareg rebel movement MNLA and the Islamist group of Ansar Dine are fighting in the town of Gao, Sila Aksou says. Adam Thiam has the timeline of the conflict [fr] over the control of the Northern part...
Africa: Celebrating Humanity through Photos and Videos
An article highlighting 21 pictures that will restore your humanity recently went viral. Unfortunately, Africans and Africa were absent from all of them. Yet, there is no shortage of great testimonies of human spirit from the African continent. Here are a few photos and videos that show, 'Africa's got Heart' too.
Morocco: Theater Group Adapts The Vagina Monologues
The association Théâtre Aquarium has begun the representation of the Moroccan adaptation of the play The Vagina Monologues called Le Spectacle Dialy [fr] in Rabat. Ali Amar opines that the Moroccan version of the play is a breath of fresh air in the current era of religious conservatism.
Comoros: Women Barred from Public Beach for Religious Reasons
Women are no longer welcome at the beach of Itsandra-Mdjini [fr] reports Mlimadji in Comores-Actualités. He explains that city officials decided to ban women from the beach at the request of religious leaders. The beach is managed by the cultural association Twamaya and has historically been open to everyone without consideration of...
Mali: 100 Sharia Lashes for Unwed Parents in the North
The grip of Islamist group Ansar Dine on northern Mali and their imposition of Sharia has recently been tragically demonstrated in Timbuktu. A couple who had a child out of wedlock, publicly received 100 lashes each and were forced to marry.
Senegal: Inaugural Use of Gender Parity in Upcoming Elections
This July 1, the Senegalese will be called again to the polls for parliamentary elections. These forthcoming elections are a first for West Africa as the law on absolute gender parity in electoral lists will be applied for the first time.
Tunisia: Salafis Run Amok over ‘Blasphemous’ Art Works
A group of Salafists attacked an art exhibition, Le Printemps des Arts, in La Marsa, (north suburb of Tunis) destroying some of the art works deemed blasphemous to Islam. The incident soon turned into a riot, with hundreds of Salafists attacking several areas across Tunisia and clashing with security forces.
Rediscovering Africa's ‘Forgotten’ History
Contrary to what former French President Sarkozy said in a speech in Dakar, the history of the African continent is full of rich civilisations and iconic characters. But this history is too often overlooked or ignored. Here you will find some reasons to rediscover Africa's history.
Cameroon: Officials’ Corrupt Behaviors
Salma Amadore, wrote [fr] about the bad habits of Cameroon officials, on blogitude.mondoblog.org: ” When they are assigned to another city, directors take it upon themselves to sell the TV, mobile phone (especially when it's a blackberry) and fridges that belong to the office. As for laptops, one director even bought...
Algeria: Twitter Protest Against the State of Education
Algerians on Twitter staged a protest against the state of education in their country, with Aboubakr Benbouzid, the Minister of Education, serving as a focal point. Borrowing from the slogan "Ben Ali dégage" (Ben Ali get out) made famous by the Tunisian revolution last year, they adopted the hashtag #BenbouzidDégage.
Togo: Violent Police Clash With ‘Save Togo’ Protesters
A peaceful march by the 'Save Togo' collective on June 12 degenerated into a stand off with security forces and around 120 injuries were recorded. Amongst other things, the protesters are calling for the implementation of recommendations relating to torture and wide ranging constitutional change. Other demonstrations are scheduled for the coming week.
Togo: Protests for Human Rights Repressed with Violence
The Association “Collectif Sauvons le Togo (Save Togo) ” published images and videos of violence following marching protests [fr] for Human Rights and Democracy in Lome, Capital City of Togo on June 12 and 13. Hundred of protesters were injured [fr] and dozens were arrested [fr].
Tunisia: Final Draft of New Constitution Preamble Causes Controversy
Tunisians are fuming over the final draft of the preamble (prelude) of the new constitution, drafted by their first elected parliament after the fall of the Ben Ali regime. Many netizens did not agree with the assembly members' vision of post-revolution Tunisia. Ahmed Medien summarises reactions.
Tunisia: Cyber-Activist Commits Suicide
Tunisian cyber-activist Karim Alimi, aged 29, committed suicide on June 16 in his Ariana home, reports Tunisia Live. Tunisie Secret sheds more light on the tragedy here [fr].
The Evolution of African Social Welfare Systems
The implementation of national social welfare systems is still in its evolutionary phase for many African countries. The achievement of the systems currently in place are discussed by social protection experts in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Gabon: Civil Society Leaders Arrested Prior to New York Forum Africa
News website Koaci.com [fr] reports that Marc Ona Essangui, of the civil society organisation ‘Ca suffit comme ça’ (Enough is enough) and other Gabonese activists were arrested this morning in the capital Libreville. They were planning to hold a ‘Forum of the indignants‘ [fr] to counter the New York Forum Africa,...
France: Interview with Pirate Party candidates
Framablog posts a long interview [fr] with 3 candidates from the Pirate Party for the upcoming French parliamentary elections of June 10/17. They explain their ideas about Internet freedom and a new way of doing politics.
Cameroon: Electric Dreams for Development by 2035
Cameroon hopes to reach the status of emerging market by 2035 through a series of “great achievements” in transport and energy infrastructure development. It's a deadline that fails to convince many commentators, if only because the challenges are so great.
Tunisia: Netizens Voice Frustration Over Slow Legislature
Tunisian netizens are turning to their keyboards and touch screens to voice their frustration with the performance of their representatives at the country's Constituent Assembly. Six months after their election, Members of Parliament and government officials seem to be having serious challenges meeting the people's various, and often exaggerated, expectations.
Tunisia: Protesting the Military's Lack of Transparency and Censorship
Two Tunisian journalists have gone on hunger strike in protest at the military which had confiscated their video taping equipment while they were covering a court hearing on the murder of protesters during the 2011 Tunisian uprising. The journalists accuse the military justice of its lack of transparency in handling this case.
