Stories about French from November, 2012
Tunisian Police Use Shotgun Shells Against Protesters
Over the last two days, Tunisian security forces fired shotgun shells at protesters in Siliana (north-west of the country), injuring 265 persons. Clashes erupted in this impoverished interior province, when police clashed with protesters calling for the departure of the local governor.
Young Volunteers Training to Free Northern Mali
Young volunteers engage to liberate Northern Mali. Meanwhile, Jemal Oumar and Bakari Gueye report that extremists in Northern Mali target women with curfews and arrests.
Mauritania: February 25th Movement says “No to Guardianship” of France
Mauritania is undergoing a period of great political uncertainty due to the evacuation for medical reasons of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz after he was shot on October 13, 2012. While Mauritania was preparing for his return, many citizens were left wondering what political role France would play in the current situation.
Impunity Prevails over State of Law in Guinea
Arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, rigged trials and executions are not difficult to find in Guinea's history. The impunity enjoyed by the officials guilty of these crimes is reviewed by different observers from Guinea.
Côte d'Ivoire: Online Campaign Says No to Holding Multiple Public Offices
Ivorian bloggers have initiated a campaign for a real public debate on the issue of parliamentarians simultaneously holding multiple elected offices in Côte d'Ivoire. Tired of seeing parliamentarians also being mayors or presidents of local councils, these netizens are using social media and organizing a petition.
Ivorian and Russian Bloggers Make Light of the Electoral Fiasco for the Presidency of the French Conservative Party
Ivorians should abstain from bombing the Head Quarters of the UMP (The main Conservative Party) in France and help them move forward with the recount. Notre Vision in Côte d'Ivoire...
Legal Framework in Madagascar Not Adequate for Size of New Gold Mines
Total Bemolanga Watch reports that [fr] awyers in Madagascar estimated that the legal framework of the mining code was not conceived to apply to the shear size of the new gold...
Brazil to Portugal and Back Again: Interview With Izabel Pimentel
Léa Promaja, the alias of an independent journalist working in the Balkans, posted an audio interview [in Portuguese, with English and French subtitles] with Izabel Pimentel, “the first Brazilian woman...
D.R. of Congo: Artists Sing Against War
As war is resuming in the Eastern part of Congo, with the takeover of Goma by M23 rebels, several Congolese artists decided to unite and sing against the war. The...
Two Tunisian Graffiti Artists to Face Trial
On December 5, graffiti artists Oussama Bouagila and Chahine Berriche, are due to stand trial, after police caught them inscribing "the people want the poor's rights" on a wall in Gabes, in South East Tunisia.
On World Toilet Day, Introducing the Crap Map Project
With both big technology players and local partners in Ghana, we’ll be hacking together our “crap map” using existing open source tools and software paired with meaningful offline facilitation around...
Moroccans Beaten Up for Protesting the King's Budget
Moroccans protested in the capital Rabat against the royal budget today. Their protest was violently repressed by police, who beat up activists as well as journalists who turned up to cover the demonstration. Reports claim that the royal palaces of Morocco cost the kingdom's coffers 700,000 Euros a day, in a country where the number of poor people has increased dramatically over the past few years.
Hurdles in Making Italy's Illegal Workers ‘Legal’
The results of the legislative decree passed this summer in Italy to regularise thousands of illegal workers by regularisation of their undeclared employment, have not lived up to expectations. Here's a review of online reactions and analysis.
What is the Role of the Army in Africa Today?
The army has often played a determining but ambiguous role in the African political process. Between 1950 and 2000, 53 African countries were subject to military coups leading to regime change. After a period of respite in the 1990’s, the African continent was once again the scene of many military coups in the first decade of the 21st century, with 27 attempts at takeover. Being both a factor in the consolidation and the destabilisation of regimes, the army is regarded with suspicion in most countries and does not seem to know how to adapt to changing mindsets.
Chad: A Petition to Fight Impunity
Makaila ‘s blog published [fr] a petition cosigned by several human right organizations in Chad that bemoans the absence of investigation regarding war crimes. In addition, the petition notes [fr] that : We would like to...
An Initiative to Keep Portuguese Language Teaching in French Universities
Portuguese is the sixth most-spoken language in the world, and there are about two million Portuguese speakers in France. Geneviève Fioraso, the French Minister of Higher Education and Research, said that having rare disciplines such as Portuguese in all French universities may not be efficient.
Côte d'Ivoire: Surprise Government Overhaul to Be Announced Today
Upon hearing that a government reshuffle [fr] will be announced today at 12h30 local time, blogger MacMady invites her readers to speculate on who stays and who will be let go...
Madagascar: Journalists and Blogger Prosecuted over Rosewood Trafficking Report
Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) reports that four journalists and a blogger are prosecuted for defamation and “complicity in spreading false news” [fr]. The charges against the reporters were submitted by...
