Latest posts by Julie Owono
Côte d'Ivoire: Is Charles Blé Goudé alive ?
After weeks of uncertainty about his whereabouts, an alleged audio recording of Charles Blé Goudé [fr], the former Ivorian Minister of Youth under ousted president Laurent Gbagbo, has appeared in the Facebook group, “RESEAU MONDIAL FACEBOOKERS POUR GBAGBO” (Worldwide Network of Facebookers for Gbagbo). In the recording, posted by Cyrius...
Africa, France: Who is Nafissatou Diallo? Victim or Conspirator?
In the debate over the alleged sexual assault by French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn of a Guinean hotel chambermaid in New York, attentions from France to Africa have now shifted to the identity of the alleged victim, Nafisatou Diallo.
Cameroon: Google Android Developer Challenge in Douala
Bill Zimmerman shared photos on Twitter from the Google Android Developer Challenge which took place in Douala, Cameroon on May 14, 2011. A post is also available on his blog, 27 Months. More pictures were posted by DotCom on their Facebook Page.
France: Anti-Racism Group Expelled from Slavery Commemoration Event
During a National Slavery Day ceremony in Paris attended by French president Nicolas Sarkozy on May 10, eight members of anti-racism group Alliance Noire Citoyenne [Black Citizens Alliance] were expelled for wearing shirts that said “Anti Negrophobia Brigade”. A video of the action has been viewed more than 600,000 times.
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.
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.
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.
Côte d'Ivoire: Brutality Continues After Gbagbo's Capture
Since their capture on April 11, 2011, pictures of former Côte d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo, his wife, and their entourage have spread on the web and via international newspapers. One picture in particular provoked a strong reaction: an image of Simone Gbagbo being humiliated by her captors.
Côte d'Ivoire: Laurent Gbagbo's Fall
On April 11 2011, Laurent Gbagbo was arrested at his residence in Cocody, with his wife, Simone, and their close entourage. The crisis that plagued the country has now seemingly found its epilogue. The sequence of events that led to Ggagbo's arrest was documented in details by online videos and intensely commented on the web.
Côte d'Ivoire: Gbagbo Resists, Africans Protest
While former Côte d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo is still holed up in a bunker in the country, resisting arrest for continuing to deny his loss of the 2010 presidential election, the participation of France in the bid to oust him is raising reactions amongst French politicians and citizens, as well as within the African community in France.
Gabon: Documentary Wins Prize At Web TV Festival 2011
WebDocu.fr [fr] has announced that the documentary “Gabon : violence d'un coup d'état électoral“[fr] (“Gabon: violence of an electoral coup d'etat”) is the winner of the Jury Prize in the Web-Politique category. The documentary was produced in 2009 after the violence that followed the controversial election of Ali Bongo as...
Côte d'Ivoire: Diaspora in France demonstrate against French military intervention
On YouTube, Talentscom posted a video on April 4, 2011 showing people demonstrating at 11pm in Paris against the intervention of the French armed forces in Côte d'Ivoire (Operation Unicorn) in a military assault launched against Laurent Gbagbo and his forces. The motto is “Sarkozy, Killer”.
Côte d'Ivoire: Is Foreign Intervention Legal?
The struggle for power in Côte d'Ivoire may soon reach its conclusion in Abidjan, where The Republican Forces (FRCI) loyal to Alassane Ouattara have started an offensive against the positions controlled by forces of Laurent Gbagbo on Monday April 4. The United Nations and French Armed Forces intervened, and the legality of this was debated at length on the web.
Côte d'Ivoire: Humanitarian Aid Via Twitter Hashtag
In the midst of the current political turmoil in Côte d'Ivoire, the Twitter hashtag #civ2010 has been providing an essential source of information in the country. However, many Twitter users have complained that it is becoming too confrontational. A new hashtag, #civsocial, has been set up to provide an outlet for humanitarian information.
Côte d'Ivoire: Who is in Control of RTI State Television?
Confusion surrounds the question of who is currently in control of the Radio Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI), the Ivorian national television station.
Côte d'Ivoire: Abidjan in the Waning Hours of Gbagbo's Regime
The last two days have been rich in twists and turns in Côte d'Ivoire.The Forces Loyal to Ouattara started an offensive towards the South and the West of the country. In less than three days, they succeeded in taking the cities of Douékoué and reached Yamoussoukro on March 30th. Ivorians react to the escape of prisonners, the shutting down of national television RTI and the whereabout of Gbagbo:
Cameroon: Government Interferes With Internet Service
Ingenieris.net [fr], a Cameroonian information website focused on ICT news, announced [fr] on March 24, 2011, that the Cameroonian government intends to request Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the country to register the IP (Internet Protocol) addresses of their users. G. Izane, the author of the article, explains that the same type...
Gabon: Citizen Web Documentary Wins Award
Website Web Docu [fr] has announced that the citizen web documentary Gabon : violences d'un coup d'état électoral [fr] (Gabon: The violence of an electoral coup) has won the award for best web-politics documentary at the Web TV-Festival 2011 [fr]. The documentary was produced in 2009 during the post-electoral turmoil that...
Côte d'Ivoire: Laurent Gbagbo Facebook Fan Page Deleted
Claudus Kouadio revealed in a blog post [fr] on March 23, 2011, that the Facebook fan page of Laurent Gbagbo – the incumbent Côte d'Ivoire president who refuses to step down after losing the 2010 presidential election – has been deleted. The memory cache of the page on the social networking...
Côte d'Ivoire: When Ethnic Hate Shadows Politics
Abobo and Yopougon are two districts of Abidjan, the economic capital city of Côte d'Ivoire. Different ethnic and religious groups have mixed peacefully in the areas, until the recent Ivorian political crisis began. For the last ten days, they have witnessed incidents of ethnic violence, crystallising political disputes and the threat of civil war.
Gabon: Two Rival Presidents, One Accused of Embezzlement
As the power struggle between two opposing presidents continues in Gabon, Ali Bongo (the official president) now stands accused of "misappropriation of shares for personal profit" in a World Bank suit. Supporters of the opposition led by Mba Obame anxiously await his next move.
