Stories about D.R. of Congo from May, 2006
DRC: Mining industry
Peaceful Rising, a blog about Chinese influence in the developing world comments the state of the DRC cobalt mining industry which has run into decay “Since the Gecamines went bankrupt in 1990, its open mines have been invaded by thousands of self-employed hand-diggers and artisan miners, known in French as...
Voices from Zimbabwe and the Great Lakes
Zimbabwe: The first anniversary of Zimbabwe's notorious “cleanup” operation, Operation Murambatsvina passed recently. There was a marked reticence among Zimbabwean bloggers towards organized commerations. Accoustic Motorbike explains her reasons; Marking the “one year” anniversary of this destruction ignores the fact that Murambatsvina is on going. It’s become a verb, a...
DRC: Coup Attempts and More Questions on the Upcoming Elections
Free and Fair Elections? Joseph Kabila, the founder of the PPRD (the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy), has overseen an interim administration established by the 2002 peace agreement. The Democratic Republic of the Congo's first post-conflict presidential elections are set to be held on July 30th after months of...
Senegal: Immigration as colonization
“No Sarkozy! Immigration does not come from a vacuum,” says (Fr) Semett in a post on French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy's immigration policies. “With centuries of merciless exploitation of subsaharan countries and a continuous transfer of their riches to the North, it is logical that the disinherited masses from Africa...
DRC: arrest of mercenaries
Congo Girl reports on the arrest of 32 mercenaries reportedly planning to overthrow the government of the DRC.…Some think the whole thing is a joke whilst others believe the arrested were employed by a security company as a cover for the attempted coup.
African Diaspora: Victory for Sarkozy's Immigration Law
” [French Interior Minister] Sarkozy's immigration law [CESEDA] passed in the French National Assembly! ” says (Fr) Aimafrica . “For a country like Mali, this could be the beginning of an economic catastrophy. France … after having looted our riches and our people, wants business as usual. She no longer...
DRC: Pastor Kutino's Detention
Rvd. Kutino Fernando, founder of Sauvons le Congo [Save the Congo], was recently taken from his church by policemen and his whereabouts are unknown, says (Fr) Tony Katombe at Le Blog du Congolais. The blogger is skeptical that Kutino was stocking weapons in his church or inciting violence as alleged...
Senegal: Tiff with France over “Chosen Immigration”
Commenting on a recent tiff between French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade over France's new policy of “choosing its immigration,” Forum Realisance says (Fr): “Wade is dead on because it is evident that France wants its pick of the best of African elites and takes for...
Chad: What is France doing there?
Generation Consciente, Une Autre Afrique asks (Fr) “What is France doing in Chad? In Africa?” and answers: “The day before yesterday, they waved the communist threat to explain France's presence in Africa. Yesterday Anglo-American jolts justified the need to stay. Today Islamist regimes peak their heads in and explain our...
DRC Diaspora: DPLC Demonstration in Liege Yesterday
UDPS Liege posts pictures and an account (Fr) of yesterday's Debout Pour Le Congo demonstration in Liege, Belgium. The demonstration was sparked by a journalist's decision to film undocumented Congolese for remuneration. The people filmed fear consequences on behalf of Belgian authorities but also retribution by the Congolese government if...
Africa: Clandestine Emigration
Seckasysteme would like to see (Fr) “a summit of West African heads of state so that clandestine emigration can be uprooted and so as to find a durable solution to the problem.” “Hundreds have died since the beginning of the year for having simply tried to escape misery,” continues the...
Africa: List of French Institutions Specialized in the Continent
Generation Consciente, Une Autre Afrique posts (Fr) a list of French universities, centers, laboratories and other French institutions that specialize in the study of Africa.
DRC: Demonstration for Congolese in Belgium
Renouveau Congolais announces (Fr) that Debout Pour Le Congo [Stand Up for Congo] is organizing a demonstration today in Liege, Belgium against the “regular explusion [of Congolese] in collaboration with the Congolese government, author of many crimes and ongoing violations of human rights.” The demonstration will also demand that Belgium...
Voices From Zimbabwe and the Great Lakes
Zimbabwe:A whirlwind tour of Europe by Arthur Mutambara the leader of the “pro-senate” faction of Zimbabwe's oppposition the MDC was the center of the nation's largest “cyber controversies” over the last two weeks. In an attempt to reach out to Zimbabweans in the diaspora, Mutambara, the robotics scholar-cum-politician stumbled into...
France & Francophonia Commemorate Slavery Amidst Curriculum Controversy
Image courtesy of oliviermr2 A Day of Remembrance France commemorated slavery for the first time on May 10, reports Haiti's Alterpresse: Le président francais qualifie d’infamie, la traite négrière et invite les Français à « regarder tout notre passé en face », « sans concession ». Abdou Diouf, Secrétaire général...
Francophonia: Remembering Bob Marley
“May 11, 1981 – May 11, 2006: It's been 25 years since Bob Marley left us”, says (Fr) Martiniquan blog Bondamanjak. France-based Forum Realisance posts lyrics to Redemption Song and commemorates the Jamaican legend (Fr): “I had the incredible fortune of meeting him in Brussels in a private club; I...
DRC: Free Alaa
Le Blog du Congolais joins in (Fr) the campaign to free Egyptian blogger Alaa.
Interhamwe hiding in DRC
Environmentalist, Kim Gjerstad goes looking for gorillias in the DRC. Instead they come across “Interhamwe, “Those Who Fight Together”, hiding in Congo after they committed Rwanda’s genocide in 1994. They appear no worse than any other faction.”
DRC Diaspora: Questions for UDPS
According to UDPS Liege, during a May 1 forum organized by UDPS in Belgium, several questions (Fr) sprang from the audience: “What political mistakes has UDPS made that might explain its inability to take power in the Congo in 26 years? Why does Etienne Tshisekedi lead UDPS in a dictatorial...
DRC: Questions about Western Press
Over at Le Blog du Congolais and in light of what he considers the Western press’ derogatory coverage of opposition party UDPS, Tony Katombe asks (Fr): “Now that the high command of the Catholic Church, the country's most influential social force […] is siding with UDPS, is the western press...
DRC: Alleged Belgian Citizens Running for Office
Two Belgian citizens are running for deputy positions in the Congo, in violation of Articles 10 and 102 of the Constitution and Article 120 of the Electoral Law, says (Fr) Prince du Fleuve du Congo. Their names are Mboyo Ilombe and Richard Ilunga. According to the blogger, this is evidence...
