· July, 2006

Stories about D.R. of Congo from July, 2006

DRC: Post-Election Roundup

  31 July 2006

“A Peaceful Election” Congolese at the polls. Photo by Federico, courtesy of Extra Extra. By and large, the voting has ended in the DRC, according to The Salon: With the exception of the three towns that had to continue/report the voting for today, due to numerous arsons (Mbuji-mayi, Mweka and...

DRC: Counting of Ballots Has Begun

  30 July 2006

The Salon writes: “Counting has begun in many voting stations in the Eastern part of the country, which is an hour ahead of Kinshasa, and the West. Radio Okapi's live service is reporting an estimated level of participation that is higher than 70% in most of the stations that have...

DRC: Voting At Last

  30 July 2006

Extra Extra writes: “It has been a beautiful day here in Kinshasa, and the atmosphere has been very peaceful and more friendly than usual wherever I’ve gone. (…) The officials at the voting centres are doing a good job, helpfully explaining what to do. (…) There have been a few...

DRC: Carefully Hopeful

  30 July 2006

Echoing the optimism of another US-Based DRC blogger, The Salon writes (Fr): “The elections have finally begun. Though there are justified worries about the election's transparency, this is a a historic experience on this vast land which is as large as Western Europe. As a Congolese, while keeping a sane...

DRC: Optimism on Eve of Landmark Election

  30 July 2006

Foli Kat, a new blogger based in the US, has been following Global Voices's coverage of Congolese bloggers writing about the July 30th election and has a very different perspective from the largely pro-opposition bloggers highlighted in my previous posts. Foli Kat writes that whatever their shortcomings, these elections are...

DRC: Election Survey Results & EUFOR Crash

  29 July 2006

Extra Extra posts results of a DRC election survey he conducted from his blog (most respondents thought the election would take place without major disruptions) and explains that yesterday European Union Forces “managed to crash an unmanned drone into a residential area, injuring four and destroying a house.”

DRC: Documentary Video

  29 July 2006

The Salon posts a french-speaking video-documentary covering the last 6 year's events including the 6-day war between Rwandan and Ugandan armies, the assasination of Laurent Kabila and the promise of elections.

DRC: Last Minute Campaigning and Complaining

  28 July 2006

As Sunday's presidential election approaches, and the campaign period closes today, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) bloggers chronicle last minute campaigning and complaining by some of the 30 or so candidates and other actors. Candidates’ Backgrounds Prince du Fleuve du Congo continues a debate with Christian Geraud about Joseph Kabila...

DRC: Candidates’ Last Minute Punches

  27 July 2006

Light in the Heart of Darkness chronicles what she calls “last minute punches” by various presidential candidates including interim vice-President Bemba, Ruberwa and interim President Joseph Kabila. Strategies include marches to the capital and burning of campaign headquarters among others.

DRC: Catholic Church Favoring Boycott of Election

  26 July 2006

English-language DRC blogger Le Salon counts down to the July 30th election by reporting on a lukewarm response to Joseph Kabila's visit to the UDPS opposition party stronghold of East Kasai province and by estimating that the Congolese catholic church is by and large encouraging a boycott of the election.

DRC: “The Burning has begun”

  26 July 2006

Light in the Heart of Darkness, an english-speaking expat blogger based in the DRC, says Kabila's popularity in Kinshasa is waning and fears that if he is elected, “the country is going to burn.” She points to yesterday's UDPS-led poster-snatching protests as evidence that the burning may have begun.

DRC: Poster Snatching Protests

  26 July 2006

Le Renouveau Congolais posts a (Fr) photo-essay showing protesters tearing down presidential candidate posters in the DRC days to the July 30th election. From Azarias Ruberwa to Interim President Joseph Kabila to Professor N'Goma, the photos show a broad cross-section of political candidates are being targeted while slogans seem to...

DRC: Demonstrations Leading Up to Election

  24 July 2006

Opposition party blog UDPS Liege announces an intensification of peaceful protests in the capital Kinshasa leading up to the July 30 election. Protests are planned for July 25, 27, 28 and 30.

French-Speaking Bloggers on Rabat Conference on Migration

What Will the Conference Bring? Says France-based African blogger Le Pangolin, Du 10 au 11 juillet 2006, s'est tenue à Rabat au Maroc, la première rencontre interministérielle euro-africaine sur les problèmes des migrations entre ces deux continents.Elle a regroupé 57 pays africains et européens et certaines organisations humanitaires qui se...

DRC: Police Repression at July 11th Demo

  20 July 2006

Le Blog du Congolais writes (Fr):” Kinshasa, June 3oth Boulevard, Tuesday July 11th 2006. The Congolese police, trained and equipped by the European Union, unleashed itself against the 19 presidential candidates to the July 30 elections and the demonstrators of the Front to Defend the Congo (FDC) led by UDPS....

France: The Beginnings of Affirmative Action

  19 July 2006

Says (Fr) France-based Senegalese blogger Seckasysteme about the allegedly affirmative-action induced hiring and debut of Black French newsanchor Harry Roselmack on French national television: “Roselmack's (…) professional competence and the recognition he has earned from his peers is so obvious that even the detractors of affirmative action are starting to...

Voices from Zimbabwe and the Great Lakes

  18 July 2006

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's blogosphere has virtually been deflated by threats of new legislation allowing government to surreptitiously spy on people's cyber activities. Their numerous voices have been silenced leaving a marked void in the chronicling of the one the world's worst crises. Please keep this troubled nation's valiant bloggers in your...

DRC: Can a Finger Free the Congo?

  18 July 2006

UDPS Liege posts pictures (Fr) of Didier Bongeya and the finger which was allegedly severed from his body during a recent march in the DRC. The blog post is titled “The finger that will free the Congo.”