My area of interest is centered on francophone Africa, the status of minorities and immigrants in Europe & media biases. Raised in Madagascar, I hold a Master of Public Policy from Princeton University at the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs with a focus on international development & international relations and PhD in Medical Sciences from Purdue University. I can be found on twitter at twitter.com/lrakoto.
Latest posts by Lova Rakotomalala from March, 2012
Madagascar: Details of the 1947 Massacre Still Unknown
TanaNews reports that prime minister Beriziky requested that France returns to Madagascar the archives [fr] regarding the massacre of about 100 000 people in 1947 to repress the movement for the independence of Madagascar. Olivier Herviaux provides some context [fr] to the massacre. French Amabassador Châtaigner states on twitter that the archives...
Senegal: The Provisional Tally of the Presidential Elections
The provisional tally of the second round of the presidential elections were published on March 27: The incumbent candidate Abdoulaye Wade is projected to have obtain 999,556 votes which is about 34.2% of the votes. Macky Sall was elected with about 1,909,244 votes which amount to 65.8%. The percentage of...
DR of Congo: Health Challenges in Goma Due to Clean Water Shortage
Passy Mubalama reports [fr] that the Town of Goma in North Kivu, DRC is facing multiple challenges due to shortage of clean water. She explains that water provision has been a problem since the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in 2002 that destroyed the pipe that conducted clean water to Goma.
Senegal: Wade Warned New President Sall of Shortage in Public Funds
M. Ndiaye reports [fr] that Wade warned newly elected president Macky Sall that the State will not be able to pay public servant salaries if he is not re-elected. Furthermore, P. Faye adds that Wade also stated before election Day that infrastructure construction in the city of Matam and Podor will stop...
Mali: Citizens Stunned by Sudden Military Coup
Rengade soldiers have announced that they are seizing power in Mali, after taking over the state television building and presidential palace. They say the government failed to adequately support their troops in an increasingly violent struggle with a Tuareg rebels in the north of the country.
Mali: Facing Secession and Food Crisis as Elections Loom
Mali is currently facing critical challenges while preparing for the presidential elections on April 29. After the fall of Gaddafi in Libya, returning Tuareg armed groups posted there threaten to seek secession for the Azawad territory, or Northern Mali.
Senegal: Meet Cheikh Bethio Thioune, President Wade Divine Helper
On the blog “Teranga, ici et là”, M-L Jossselin and M-A Boisvert share a video [fr] of Cheikh Bethio Thioune, a prominent leader of The Mouride brotherhood, a promiment order of Islamic Sufism in Senegal. In this video taken at a meeting on March 17, the religious leader declared that the late founder of...
After Kony 2012, “What I Love About Africa” Reclaims Narrative
An online campaign about Ugandan war criminal Joseph Kony has caused enormous controversy in Africa. A counter initiative to highlight positive aspects of the African continent #WhatILoveAboutAfrica is now trending on Twitter.
Africa: Tech Entrepreneurship Bubbling in the Developing World
To illustrate the technological transformation that the African continent is undergoing, CNN's African Voices has highlighted 10 leading tech voices from different African countries. While the article put a much needed emphasis on the innovation trend originating from the African continent and their achievements, many tech experts felt that the feature did not represent the whole scope of tech innovation and entrepreneurship that is brewing in all the regions of the continent.
Madagascar: Protesting Endemic Poverty
Rivonala Razafison reports in Africa Review that “scores of Antananarivo residents wore black clothes to denounce poverty in the country”. He adds that Madagascar has experienced over 10 different forms of protests since early January. The latest protest is still ongoing and was initiated by army officers of the CAPSAT, the same...
