Stories about French from November, 2013
France Replaces Central African Republic Ambassador on the Eve of Military Drive
France is set to send an additional 1,000 troops to the Central African Republic to prevent an escalation of the conflict in the region. So it came as a bit of a surprise when France decided to replace its ambassador Serge Mucetti in the country on the eve of such an important military...
Reasons for Power Outages in Benin
Benin has suffered more power outages over the last few days with the national electric energy company (SEEB) denying all responsibility. Nigeria supplies a large quantity of Benin's power, even though it has difficulty providing its own citizens with electricity.
Racism, the United Nations, and the Dutch Saint Nicholas Tradition
While the children of Belgium, The Netherlands and other European countries prepare for the arrival of Saint Nicholas on December 6, the shadow of racism hangs over this tradition.
More Transparency Needed in Uranium Negotiation in Niger
Anne-Sophie Simpere reports that the Uranium exploitation contract between Niger and Areva, a french energy company, are set to be re-negotiated as it comes to an end as of December 2013. She writes [fr]: Il est incompréhensible que le Niger, 4ème producteur d’uranium au monde, et fournisseur stratégique d’Areva et...
PHOTOS: The Thrill and Agony of World Cup Qualifying Matches
While Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and France celebrated, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Tunisia saw their hopes of heading to Brazil vanish with the final whistle.
“Catalan Independence” Explained in 16 Languages
The debut video of The Catalan Project (@Catalan_Project) features Fernando de Castro, “a Catalan from Galicia and Spanish”, presenting the project and explaining why some Catalans want independence from Spain using the 16 languages he is able to speak. Subtitles are available in English, French, German, Spanish and Catalan. The Catalan Project, an...
No One Found Guilty of ‘Prestige’ Oil Disaster in Spain
After 10 years of investigation and a nine-month trial, Galicia's High Court of Justice has acquitted the three defendants of all crimes against the environment.
Massive Railway Project between Niamey and Cotonou Underway
A 1,500 km-long railway project between Niamey, the capital city of Niger and Cotonou, the capital city of Benin has been green lighted by the authorities of the two countries and construction will begin on March 2014 [fr]. Francois Ndiaye in Niamey unpacks the set up of the financial agreement [fr] that includes...
Long-Awaited Madagascar Elections Go to Second Round
Jean-Louis Robinson won 21.1 percent of the vote, and Hery Rajaonarimampianina won about 15.9 percent. The second round is scheduled for December 20, but many questions remain.
Have Racist Behaviors Been Unleashed in France ?
Epitomized by racial taunts [fr] towards the French Guiana-born Minister of Justice Christine Taubira on the cover of the weekly newspaper Minute, many observers bemoan the rise of racist behaviors [fr] in France. One of those observers is Harry Roselmack, a prominent reporter born in Martinique, who wrote an editorial in which...
An Investigation into the World of Prostitution in Burundi
Cedric Soledad Urakeza from Burundi reports on his investigation into the world of prostitution in Bujumbura [fr], published on the community blog Les voix du Burundi: Notre enquête montre trois catégories de prostituées. Il y a celles filles qui viennent de l’intérieur du pays pour chercher du travail domestique...
Sadness and Anger in Kidal, Mali
Blogger Wirriyamu mourns the two French journalists killed [fr] in Kidal, Mali. But beside his immense sadness, Wirriyamu also feels angry at seeing Northern Mali left helpless yet again to terrorists attacks. He writes [fr] about his silent anger at the situation there : Tant qu’il ne sera pas possible...
Tunisian Police Blamed for Torturing Young Man to Death
Only few weeks after the adoption of a new anti-torture law in Tunisia, Walid Denguir, died in police custody. Pictures of his dead body, show bruises and head injuries.
Egypt: The Sami Anan “Presidential Campaign” Goes Viral
Posters showing former chief of staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Sami Anan in what seems to be election campaign posters have gone viral. Victor Salama has more
Newfound Oil Met With Hope, Concern in Benin
The Benin government has announced the discovery of a source of oil in the Sèmè-Podji region. The find has pleased some, but others remain skeptical.
‘How Can We Stay Indifferent?': A Concern for Niger's Orphans
“To be an orphan in Niger is..a situation very close to my heart” writes one of the newest bloggers from the Rising Voices grantee project Mapping for Niger.
The FIRE Awards Winners for Internet Development in Africa
The FIRE programme awards, an initiative of AFRINIC, acknowledge the actors from the African region who strive to provide solutions to internet development for the African Continent. The 2013 FIRE Awards Winners are : Nikohapa Ventures Ltd for their customer engagement platform (Kenya) HSoft Africa, Ltd for an adapted mail-order pharmacy (Benin...
‘Women Should Be Submissive’, and Other Google Autocomplete Suggestions
Following UN Women's lead, Global Voices conducted its own experiments with Google's Autocomplete feature. The investigation revealed popular attitudes about women’s roles, sexuality, appearance and relationships with men.
87 Migrants Die of Thirst in Northern Niger
On 0ctober 30, 87 people trying to reach the Mediterranean sea died after being abandoned in the Sahara Desert when their drivers left them stranded to seek for help. The harrowing story of one the survivors, 14-year-old Shafa, highlights the plight of many migrants trying to reach Europe and the obstacles they face. In...
