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 November, 2013
France Replaces Central African Republic Ambassador on the Eve of Military Drive
France is set to send an additional 1,000 troops to the Central African Republic to prevent an escalation of the conflict in the region. So it came as a bit of a surprise when France decided to replace its ambassador Serge Mucetti in the country on the eve of such an important military...
More Transparency Needed in Uranium Negotiation in Niger
Anne-Sophie Simpere reports that the Uranium exploitation contract between Niger and Areva, a french energy company, are set to be re-negotiated as it comes to an end as of December 2013. She writes [fr]: Il est incompréhensible que le Niger, 4ème producteur d’uranium au monde, et fournisseur stratégique d’Areva et...
PHOTOS: The Thrill and Agony of World Cup Qualifying Matches
While Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and France celebrated, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Tunisia saw their hopes of heading to Brazil vanish with the final whistle.
Massive Railway Project between Niamey and Cotonou Underway
A 1,500 km-long railway project between Niamey, the capital city of Niger and Cotonou, the capital city of Benin has been green lighted by the authorities of the two countries and construction will begin on March 2014 [fr]. Francois Ndiaye in Niamey unpacks the set up of the financial agreement [fr] that includes...
Have Racist Behaviors Been Unleashed in France ?
Epitomized by racial taunts [fr] towards the French Guiana-born Minister of Justice Christine Taubira on the cover of the weekly newspaper Minute, many observers bemoan the rise of racist behaviors [fr] in France. One of those observers is Harry Roselmack, a prominent reporter born in Martinique, who wrote an editorial in which...
An Investigation into the World of Prostitution in Burundi
Cedric Soledad Urakeza from Burundi reports on his investigation into the world of prostitution in Bujumbura [fr], published on the community blog Les voix du Burundi: Notre enquête montre trois catégories de prostituées. Il y a celles filles qui viennent de l’intérieur du pays pour chercher du travail domestique...
Sadness and Anger in Kidal, Mali
Blogger Wirriyamu mourns the two French journalists killed [fr] in Kidal, Mali. But beside his immense sadness, Wirriyamu also feels angry at seeing Northern Mali left helpless yet again to terrorists attacks. He writes [fr] about his silent anger at the situation there : Tant qu’il ne sera pas possible...
The FIRE Awards Winners for Internet Development in Africa
The FIRE programme awards, an initiative of AFRINIC, acknowledge the actors from the African region who strive to provide solutions to internet development for the African Continent. The 2013 FIRE Awards Winners are : Nikohapa Ventures Ltd for their customer engagement platform (Kenya) HSoft Africa, Ltd for an adapted mail-order pharmacy (Benin...
87 Migrants Die of Thirst in Northern Niger
On 0ctober 30, 87 people trying to reach the Mediterranean sea died after being abandoned in the Sahara Desert when their drivers left them stranded to seek for help. The harrowing story of one the survivors, 14-year-old Shafa, highlights the plight of many migrants trying to reach Europe and the obstacles they face. In...
