Stories about French from May, 2011
Africa: African Champions League Results
In a post published on May 9 on Afrik.com, Ali Makha analyses [fr] the results of the African Champions League: ” The semi-quarter finals in the African Cup gave their verdict this week-end. In Champions League, TP Mazembe saved the day against WAC, while in the CAF Cup, FUS Rabat had...
Africa: Reactions to The Beatification of Pope John Paul II
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all around the world landed on Rome to participate in religious ceremonies for the beautification of Pope John Paul II, known as “JP2”, declared “Blessed” on May 1st by his successor, Benedict XVI, in the presence of official delegations from 87 countries and 2300 journalists. In Africa, where an estimated 150 million Catholics live, what stirred a controversy is the attendance of some African presidents and bloggers were particularly shocked by the presence of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
May 11, 1981: 30 Years Ago, Bob Marley and François Mitterrand
“François Mitterrand and Bob Marley, united for eternity on May 11th 1981″, [fr] is a post on the blog Calédosphère commemorating the 30th anniversary of the passing of the “God of Reggae”, Bob Marley, and the election of former French President François Mitterrand. Bob Marley fans can visit the blog [fr]...
Italy: How technology can help manage emergencies
In a crisis, how can Web 2.0 be of use to social movements and what practical help can it offer to facilitate collective action? In reality, there is no shortage of platforms which, established on a voluntary basis, using free software, harness the internet and mobile phones to gather and share information, sourced...
Mali: First Edition of “HIV-Aids Foot” Soccer Event
The first edition of the “Sida Foot” (HIV-Aids Foot) event will take place in Bamako from June 17 to June 19, 2011, and will be attended by soccer stars. The blog xibar.net writes [fr], “this festival has a special meaning because the year 2011 coincides with 30 years since the...
Gabon: Parliamentary Immunity Removal Could Spark Protests
Gabon's political crisis has deepened recently, with the removal of opposition politician Andre Mba Obame's parliamentary immunity by a National Assembly vote. There are fears the move could tip the country in further protests.
Africa: A Possible Al-Qaeda Redeployment in Africa?
On his blog, Dierry Diallo takes up an article [fr] on Slate.fr where one can read: “For the GSPC , the stakes are enormous: it's about controlling a formidable strip of land stretching from the Atlantic and Mauritania all the way to Sinai and the Red Sea. Hence Bin Laden's...
Côte d'Ivoire: Pro-Gbagbo Militiamen Chanting ‘ADO’
Youtube User Vespuca17 posted on May 1, 2011, a video [fr] of pro-Gbagbo militiamen chanting the name of the new President of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, ‘ADO’. To some this is one sign of the possible reconciliation the country has been seeking since the capture of former president Laurent Gbagbo.
Guinea-Bissau/Sao Tome and Principe: A Collection of Visual Arts
A collection of projects and experiences on visual arts in Sao Tome and Principe and Guinea-Bissau, by the french illustrator and author Alain Corbel, including illustrations, paintings and photography, is featured on the blog Noticias do Quelele (News from Quelele) [en, fr, pt].
Sub-Saharan Africa: Fighting Malaria, 2011 Report
On the occasion of World Malaria Day, April 25, 2011, the blog santelog.com reports: “Although funds to combat malaria have increased significantly since 2003, current levels of funding have reached US$1.6 billion annually, approximately only 25% of the estimated amount required to reach the goals of the RBM [Roll Back...
Senegal: “Enough is Enough” Movement: First the Web, Now the Presidential Palace
As the uprisings continue across the Arab World, several incidences of angry young people have sprung up on Senegalese websites. Since early March, this activism has left the web behind and a group calling itself "Y'en a marre" (Enough is Enough) has now become the main symbol of the protests. Founded in January 2011, Y’en a marre arose from frustration built up during power cuts that brought Senegal to a standstill. The group hails from the Dakar suburbs and is led by several local rappers, including Fou Malad, Thiat (from the group Keur Gui) and Matador.
France : demonstration at the Syrian Embassy
On Tuesday, 3 May 2011, World Press Freedom Day, representatives from Reporters Without Borders demonstrated in front of the Syrian Embassy in Paris. Video of the demonstration [in French and English].
Tunisia: Police Brutality is Back
Tunisians are back on the streets calling for the overthrow of the government, after former Interior Minister Farhat Rajhi announced on Facebook that Tunisia continues to be run by a shadow government, headed by a friend of Ben Ali, Kamel Ltaief, among other things. And once again, protesters were faced with police brutality and repression.
Sub-Saharan Africa: Surge in Use of Mobile Phones
André-Michel Essoungou writes the following on the site reseautelecom.com: “According to the ITU [International Telecommunication Union], investments in the African mobile phone sector, the prime mover of information and communication technologies, went from US$8.1 billion in 2005 to nearly US$70 billion today. These technologies are about to become the driving...
Tunisia: Blog Declines Award Sponsored by Bahrain Government
Award-winning Tunisian blog Nawaat, which has been instrumental in reporting the Tunisian Revolution, has declined the Arab eContent award, in protest against the Bahraini government's censorship policy and violations of human rights. The Arab eContent event is both organised and sponsored by the Bahrain government.
Algeria: Rachad Movement Website No Longer Censored; Radio Kalima Still Is
Blocked by the Algerian government on January 1, 2010, without motive or prior notice, the website of the Rachad Movement rachad.org [fr] is once again accessible in Algeria. Now, only the Radio Kalima site kalimadz.com [fr] continues to be censored. The Rachad Movement filed a complaint on May 11, 2010, with the...
Côte d'Ivoire: New Videos Detail Capture of Former President
After the arrest in the city of Abidjan on April 11, 2011, of Laurent Gbagbo, former president of Cote d'Ivoire, and his wife Simone, some confusion remains regarding the process that led to his capture. Website Abidjan.net has published a series of videos that show the sequence of events of the Gbagbos' arrest, from the bombing of their residence by French Special Forces, to the transfer of the Gbagbo family to the Hotel du Golf.
Tunisia: Habib Bourguiba Avenue, Post Revolution
On Bondy Blog, Widad Kefti portrays [fr] the capital “Tunis’ main road, stripped clean of Benalism”.
Tunisia: Illegal Tunisian Migrants in France
Illegal Tunisian migrants, who arrived in Paris via the Italian island Lampedusa and were rescued by a grass-root organization tell the Bondy Blog [fr] about their feelings of “regrets, anger, honor, and a little shame too”.
Morocco: “I Love Kech!”
Marrakech, the main tourist attraction in Morocco, was hit on Thursday by a bomb attack. Bloggers are asking people to send their pictures to show solidarity with the victims of the attack.
Morocco: Bloggers React to Marrakech Attack
Morocco's tourist hub cof Marrakech was hit on Thursday by a bomb blast that ripped through a popular restaurant killing 16 people, most of whom were foreigners. Netizens have been quick to react, sending instant eyewitness accounts and statements of support for the victims. Here's a roundup.