Stories about French from April, 2014
When Will Impunity End for Slave Traders in Mauritania ?
A protest coordinated by several Mauritanian civil society organizations and political parties was held on April 29, 2014 in Nouakchott. The protest was initiatied by members of Haratin tribe who demand more rights and the enforcement of existing laws. This protest marks the first anniversary of the Haratin Manifesto [fr]. The...
A ‘Stressful’ Taxicab System in Cameroon
Ghanaian blogger Kuukuwa writes about her experience with the taxicab system in Cameroon: There are no taxi stations, so taxi drivers move around town all day looking for passengers. And, mind you, this is a shared taxi system. Depot (“dropping” in Ghanaian English), where one person hires a taxi isn’t...
Catching Up with the Togolese E-Waste 3D Printer Makers
In 2013, we were introduced to the E-Waste 3D Printer project by Woelab engineers in Togo. My Africa Is gives the genesis of the WoeLab project and what the makers hope to achieve going forward : The Woelab team has organized conferences with individuals in the medical field in Africa, to...
Collaborative Economy Visionaries Gather at OuiShare Fest 2014 in Paris
The OuiShare Fest 2014 will gather thousands of activists for a conference on collaborative economy from May 5 -7 in Paris, France. The objective of the festival is to exchange on a common vision of an economy relying on horizontal networks and communities. Here is a video presenting the festival:
So You Need to Get Around Madagascar?
Public transportation can be a challenge in Madagascar. The country's road infrastructure is antiquated and underdeveloped and overcrowded buses and minivans are often the only option.
Tunisia: ‘I Too Set a Police Station on Fire’
Tunisian netizens have taken to social media to denounce the judicial prosecution of 2011 revolution protesters accused of "setting police stations on fire".
Hordes Flock to ‘Apparition’ of Jesus in Cameroon Home
"I am still waiting for someone to post a selfie with Jesus at Odza."
Algeria's Opposition Report Threats, Intimidation Following President's Reelection
An amendment to the country's constitution had allowed President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in power since 1999, to run again.
French Newspaper Publishes Chart on What Nationalities Commit Crimes
The newspaper Le Progrès based in Lyon, France published an infographic [fr]entitled “”Délinquance : à chacun sa spécialité – principales nationalités impliquées” (Crimes: To each his own- the main nationalities implicated [for each type of crimes]) (see image in the twitter update below): Dans son édition du jour, Le Progrès...
Who Benefits from Trafficking Women from Madagascar to the Middle East?
Aaron Ross reports on his investigation in the heart of the ongoing human trafficking of young women from Madagascar to Middle Eastern countries: For some enterprising businessmen, the collapse heralded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So-called placement agencies sprang up in Antananarivo and other cities across Madagascar, promising the good life in...
French Economist Piketty Links Inequality to Instability of Democracies
French economist and Associate Chair at the Paris School of Economics, Thomas Piketty recently published a book called “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” that has generated quite a buzz among fellow economists and political leaders. Piketty's central thesis is that inequality is not an accident, but one of the consequences of the excess of capitalism. Piketty...
Meet Mamy and Zo, Editors of Global Voices in Malagasy
Mamy and Zo explain the challenges they face as translators providing up-to-date news and maintaining high standards for the Malagasy language.
French NGO Tackles the ‘Roma Question’ Through Community Building Projects
The Embassy of PEROU aims to bring together suburb residents and their shantytown neighbors by building community centers together and improving general living conditions.
An African Tale of The First Love Story Ever Told
The website Histoire Africaine/African History [fr] narrates the tale of the oldest love story ever told, the story of Osiris and Isis [fr] and explains what makes it stand out [fr] from the other love stories. Osiris was the king god of Egypt and Isis his queen. Set, his brother, murdered...
Pope Francis, a Pope Unlike the Rest
A global view of Pope Francis, a year and half into his papacy.
Cameroonian Bloggers ‘Are the Future, and We Are Writing That Future Now’
An interview with Florian Ngimbis, president of the Cameroonian Bloggers Association, about language, the country's poor Internet penetration and more.
The New Government of Prime Minister Roger Kolo Announced in Madagascar
Tananews in Madagascar has published the full list of the 31 members of the new Malagasy government [fr]. Mitsangana Madagascar notes that the list includes 6 women and that 7 ministers were already part [fr] of the previous transitional government. Former prime minister Beriziky wished the new government well on twitter :...
Meet Suzanne Lehn, Co-Editor of Global Voices en Français
Portrait of Suzanne Lehn, co-manager of French language Global Voices, by Marie Bohner. Her vision of today's media and the subjects she is passionate about.
The Overlooked Crisis in Burundi
While neighboring Rwanda is making news with the commemoration of the 1994 genocide and the increased tension with France, Burundi is marred in an overlooked political crisis and surge of violence that opposes, again, Hutus and Tutsis. Tshitenge Lubabu in Burundi opines that the roots of the crisis [fr] are the current political leaders:...
Are Economic Sanctions Effective Against Rogue Rulers?
Economic sanctions are often proposed to penalize countries guilty of bad government. But do they actually help bring about good government?
A 80 Year-long Wait: Niger Gets its First Train Station
On April 7, Niger inaugurated in the capital Niamey its first train station ever [fr]. The authorities already projected the construction of the train station 80 years ago but the project never took off. The event will kick start the construction of railroads between Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire....
