Stories about French from September, 2011
Morocco: Multiple Arrests Against Activists
There has been a sudden surge in arrests among pro-democracy activists and online campaigners in Morocco in recent days. Three have occurred in the past week alone. Little has been reported in the press and it took bloggers to report on the arrests for the mainstream media in Morocco to pick up on the stories.
Madagascar: The Lemur King Swan Song
Erik Patel's documentary of the Sifaka in the rain forest of Madagascar describes how this particular species of lemurs is now on the brink of extinction. Patel explains that the Sifaka's habitat has been destroyed by illegal logging of rosewood trees in the Marojejy Park.
Cote d'Ivoire: Ending the Culture of Corruption
Y. Doumbia writes about the measures taken by the Ouattara Administration to halt corruption [fr] : ” Under Ouattara today, the situation has radically changed. The state budget is managed with greater parsimony. Additionally, Ouattara also did away with the BNETD (the National Bureau for Technical Research and Development). The...
Cameroon: Hackers Worthy of the Name
Ntrjack writes [fr] in his blog: “So the youth of Cameroon have discovered the gold mine of the free Internet and everyone now wants to go online using multimedia telephones, which are getting more and more common. This in theory is not possible, because the operators restrict access, but crafty...
Haiti: UN Troops Must Go, Say Haitians After Rape Scandal
An online video showing four UN peacekeepers from Uruguay allegedly raping a 19 year-old man at a military base in Port-Salut has generated outrage and renewed calls for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to withdraw.
Morocco: The Twitter Opposition Party
On Monday, the Moroccan government launched a campaign to showcase its "achievements" since attaining power. A website was created to spearhead the campaign which comes only two months before a much expected parliamentary election later this year. Moroccan Twitter users used the platform to mock their government's claims.
Burundi: The Challenges of Making a Living from Farming
Lwesso writes [fr] :” It is difficult nowadays to find people who can make a living from farming in Burundi. Farmers often lack the necessary capital to run their businesses and end up putting their lands up for lease.”
Madagascar: Singles, Beware of Bloggers !
Andriamihaja, a young blogger from Toliara (a city in southern Madagascar) lists ten reasons not to date a blogger. [fr] One of the reasons is: “the rare times they will ask you for advice, it is probably to get materials for their blogs.”
Africa, Latin America: A Portfolio on Black Minorities in South America
Afrique In Visu interviews French photographer Philippe Guionie about his latest photo essay “Les Afros oubliés de la Cordillière” [fr] (The forgotten Africans of the Andes). Guionie traveled to Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile to portray black minorities in South America.
Guinea: Nadine Bari's Fight to Reduce Poverty in Guinea
Nadine Bari is a French citizen who has created one of the oldest humanitarian organizations in Guinea, Guinée-Solidarité. With donations from Europe they have helped supply schools, hospitals, and helped homeless, orphaned and disabled children to receive an education.
Morocco: SlutWalk Gets a Toehold
"Stand out for yourselves and demand respect. Shame has to switch sides!" This is the cri de guerre of Majdoline Lyazidi, the 20-year-old founder of SlutWalk Morocco, a Facebook page which aims at raising awareness against sexual harassment in the Moroccan society.
Burkina Faso and Niger: Haven for Gaddafi ?
René Dassié reports that Gaddafi and a heavily armed convoy might be headed to Burkina Faso via Niger [fr]. Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaoré has yet to confirm that he offered refuge to the deposed Libyan leader.
Guinea-Bissau: Unique Footage from 1969-74
Pierre Fargeas, a former aircraft technician from France, shared a unique film footage of daily life in Guinea Bissau from 1969-74 on Youtube.
African Women Striving to be Heads of State
Since Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became President of Liberia in 2006, several other African women have decided to run for the continent's top level political jobs. The increase of female candidates is undoubtedly a step in the right direction; Lova Rakotomalala introduces some of the rising stars.
Zimbabwe: Preventive Circumcision for Ministers and MPs
A post published [fr] by senegal.senego.com states that: “The Zimbabwean ministers will be circumcised as part of a campaign to curb the spread of HIV, to set an example, said Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe, stating that the idea has met some disapproval. Members of Parliament should follow suit”.
Madagascar: Wikileaks Cables Reveal Foreign Diplomatic Divergence after Coup
Sam Ganegie analyzes the dozens of newly published wikileaks cables related to Madagascar. He notes that the former mediator of the Madagascar crisis Mr Chissano believed that France unilateral support for the Rajoelina-led government [fr] after the military takeover prevented an exit to the crisis.
