Latest posts by Alice Backer from April, 2006
St-Maarten: Video Montage of Juliana Airport
InternetRapide.com (FR) posts a video montage of planes taking flight from Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten.
DRC: UDPS Reiterates Political Muscle
In a post titled “UDPS is Congolese Political Gold”, UDPS Liege writes (FR) “we are the depositaries of democracy in our country. […] UDPS has not agreed to any alliances with the political parties that use our name. […] The real UDPS is preparing for a final assault on June...
DRC: UDPS Protest on Monday April 24, 2006
UDPS Liege announces (FR) a peaceful protest to take place Monday, April 24, 2006 in Kinshasa. The Belgium-based opposition party blog explains that UDPS is “determined to receive a favorable response to its memoranda to UN Secretary General Koffi Annan dated November 5, 2005 and March 22 of this year.”...
A Seamless Caribbean Network?
InternetRapide.com, a blog dedicated to telecommunications in the Caribbean says (FR) Digicel, a cell phone company owned by Irishman Denis O'Brien that covers 60% of the Jamaican market, celebrates its fifth anniversary this week. The company has expanded to 14 other Caribbean countries since its inception in 2001 and plans...
Rep. of Congo: Campaign to Release Two Political Prisoners
At Le Pangolin , Musi Kanda calls (FR) for a letter faxing drive to President Denis Sassou N'Guesso to demand the release of Christian Mounzéo and Brice Mackosso, two human rights activists he says are being detained on fake charges. Mr. Kanda is outraged by the lack of activism on...
DRC: Upcoming UDPS Forum in Belgium
Opposition party UDPS will hold a forum entitled “Political Crisis in the DRC and UDPS’ Refusal to Participate in the Electoral Process” on May 1 in Liege-Outremeuse, Belgium, writes (FR) UDPS Liege. ( Time and address provided in the post.)
DRC: Civil Society Criticizes Electoral Process
Congolese civil society (about 2o organizations) issued an indictment of various national and international institutions involved with the electoral process on Monday, writes (FR) Tony Katombe at Le Blog du Congolais. The statement specifically asked the international community to resist imposing an electoral process that might benefit them but harm...
DRC: Building the Demosphere
Blogger Tony Katombe from Le Blog du Congolais invites (FR) readers to sign up for the Demosphere, ” a network of sites, blogs and emails of activists and militants involved with the struggle for democracy in countries under dictatorship.” Last week, Katombe and the Demosphere were the subject of a...
DRC: More UDPS Revelations
UDPS Spokesman Valentin Mubake was on Congolese TV again. Blogger Tony Katombe explains (FR) that Mubake unveiled attempts by electoral commission head Rev. Malu-Malu to act as a demographer by deflating population numbers in regions where UDPS is popular. In Katombe's words, Mubake also charged that international community officials in...
Africa: European Double Standards on Corruption
While the EU prepares to impose sanctions on Bielorussian authorities who allegedly committed election fraud, says (FR) Generation Consciente, “numerous African dictators [who commit election fraud…] consistently visit Europe without difficulty while freely managing their personal affairs[…].”
Chad: French Military Presence Worries Blogger
French troops killed 60 unarmed civilians in Ivory Coast 4 years ago alleging self-defense, writes (FR) Generation Consciente, Une Autre Afrique in a skeptical tone. In light of these events the blogger wonders what will come of the recent influx of french troops in Chad, 3 weeks to elections. “What...
Cameroon: Deputy Convicted of Murder
Doh Gawanyim III, deputy to the National Assembly, was convicted of murdering John Kohtem, a district-chairman of opposition party SDF, following a dispute between the two over whether Doh Gawanyim was blocking voter registration in their district, says (FR) Fojrega.
Cameroon: Privatization Under Way
Fojrega provides (FR) an update on plans to privatize certain state-owned enterprises, some of which should be completed as early as June of this year.
DRC: Legal Void after June 30
Transitional institutions stop being constitutional after June 30, 2006, writes (FR) blogger Mafelly-Makombo at Prince du Fleuve du Congo. He suggests that if elections should take place past that date, all of Congolese civil society including political parties and religious groups aided by the international community should be called on...
DRC: UDPS Says It Is Not Dead
Etienne Tshisekedi's political career is not dead and UDPS has not imploded, says (FR) UDPS Liege. “UDPS has become a spirit and conscience spread among the people. […] UDPS will never die” writes the blog which also reminds readers that the electoral commission stayed open until midnight on the last...
Benin: New President's Cabinet
The blog of recently elected President Boni Yayi publishes (FR) a decree listing the members of his newly formed cabinet.
DRC: Is Tshisekedi an Extremist?
Over at Le Blog du Congolais, Ben-Clet analyzes (FR) the “180 degree turn” in the international image of UDPS leader Etienne Tshisekedi from sympathetic Mobutu opponent in the 90s to modern-day extremist. Among factors, Ben-Clet cites the fall of the Berlin wall, the fact that Congolese national interests often clash...
DRC: Kabila Resigns from Army
Renouveau Congolais deplores (FR) the fact that interim president Joseph Kabila signed the decree that accepts his resignation from the DRC's army … himself: “How can the one resigning sign his won resignation? Only a PPRD member can accept such a thing.”
Francophone Journalists who Cover Africa
Generation Consciente, Une Autre Afrique publishes (FR) a list of francophone journalists who cover Africa.
DRC: Resolutions from Belgian UDPS’ Last Meeting
Under pressure from UDPS sympathizers, UDPS will organize a conference on May 1st to answer questions and make available documentation on several questioned actions of the party and its leader Etienne Tshisekedi in the 1990s, writes (FR) UDPS Liege. The blog also announced that the party's next priority is to...
DRC: UDPS to Take Part in Election After All?
UDPS spokesperson Jn-Baptiste Bomanza made several revelations on a Congolese talk show, reports (FR) Le Blog du Congolais. Bomanza's most surprising comment waa that “[t]here will be no election without UDPS” but he also accused the president of the Electoral Commission Rev. Malu-Malu of belonging to the same party as...