Global Voices » French

Tunisia: Spoiling the Revolution

Lova Rakotomalala — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:54:58 +0000

Jolanare is weary of where the Tunisian revolution is heading to in terms of women's rights [fr]. She writes: ”A young man verbally attacked me because I was wearing red lipstick. He shouted at me : “these are the so-called women of the democracy.” I replied that it is thanks to the democracy he makes fun of that he can open his big mouth.”

Germany, France: Disparities in Policies Regarding the Integration of Foreign Students

Abdoulaye Bah — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:09:41 +0000

Elsa Doladille writes [fr] on the Educators Without Borders blog : ” While the Guéant Bill in France aims at toughening the conditions for foreign students to obtain a work permit, Germany encourages the integration of students from abroad in their workforce.”

France: How Are PACS and Marriage Different?

Laura Charron — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:57:47 +0000

Pierre Vicari [fr] had this to say about the results of a survey [fr] which appeared on the site Lefigaro.fr, “To the ignoramuses who say that PACS and marriage are the same thing: No! A PACS does not provide any of the same rights as marriage! In addition, you intolerant people who do not want equality for all human beings, please tell us why because so far, despite the years that this debate has been going on, nobody has been able to put forth any real arguments.”

Africa: 2012 Cup Semi-Finals Put West Africa in the Spotlight

Jane Ellis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:02:14 +0000

Three of the four teams remaining in the 2012 Cup of Nations at the time of writing [Tuesday 7 February, 2012] are from West Africa: Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Ghana are set to play in the tournament semi-finals on Wednesday 8, 2012. Games will be played in Bata, Equatorial Guinea (Ghana) and at Libreville, Gabon (Mali vs Côte d'Ivoire). They are joined by Zambia, participating in their first semi-finals for 16 years.

The 3-0 quarter-final victory of Zambia against Sudan revived the hopes of supporters. A goal from defender Stopilla Sunzu in the fifteenth minute, followed by a second after 66 minutes from Captain Chris Katongo and another four minutes from the end by James Chamanga, clinched Zambia's first semi-final place since 1996.

eggwinedu commented on www.fifa.com:

Congratulations Zambia. You deserve it :) It may have occurred at the dismay of Sudan (another well improved team), but Zambia has now really set the world stage with great finesse. Good job

silvanorsa7 in South Africa added:

We are with you all the way Zambia…. the only Southern African country still in the competition! Viva Chris Katongo

Vicente Vizo Ngobeni tweeted:

@Mahuntsu: People are undermining Zambia. #Afcon2012

And Sipho Mazibuko replied:

@msiphola: They'so focused, they got a chance. Ghana is not convincing

Meanwhile, the Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire secured their seventh semi-final place since 1970, beating Equatorial Guinea, one of the host countries, 3-0.

Equatorial Guinea fan in tears by @Noella_ELLOH

The Eagles of Mali overcame the Panthers of Gabon with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory following a full time 1-1 draw:

The Black Stars of Ghana confirmed their place in the semis with goals from John Mensah and André Ayew giving a 2-1 victory over Tunisia. Tunisia held the score at 1-1 until injury time before bowing out after a 101st minute blunder from their goalkeeper, Aymen Mathlouthi, gave Ghana their second goal.

There is a great atmosphere of celebration and interest surrounding this tournament. From Mali to Zambia, fans have shared their excitement as well as their predictions regarding the 28th Africa Cup of Nations Final, scheduled to take place on Sunday 12 February, in Stade de l'Amitié, Libreville, Gabon.

Fans of Ivory Coast by @Ceschod

Fans shared reactions on Twitter [fr]:

@Monsieur__K: Moi je dis la finale c'est Ghana/Cote d'ivoire #can2012

@Monsieur__K: I think the final will be between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire

@Ceschod: Football Africain: qui s'attend comme moi à une finale #GhanaVS #CôtedIvoire, #can2012 ? #afcon

@Ceschod: African Football: Who else is waiting for the final like me? #GhanaVS #CôtedIvoire

@aliounedia: #can2012 ça sent 1 finale Ghana Côte d'Ivoire … heureusement que yayah est la @miezanezo

@aliounedia: I think it will a Ghana Côte d'Ivoire final. Thankfully Yaya Touré is here @miezanezo

Swithin Swaray went further on Facebook, giving his opinion of some weak points of the Ghana team:

The Black Star has not got what it takes to win CAN2012….30 years down the line, we are still counting. Lacking ideas up front, no fire power, no man daring enough to shoot from around the 18.

Ghana and Mali each got the better of their respective opponents after long matches of more than 120 minutes. Will they have the necessary energy and stamina to face Zambia and the Côte d'Ivoire?

The semi-finals of Wednesday 8 February will reveal the answer.

Sahel Region: 1.6 Million Children at Risk of Malnutrition

Lova Rakotomalala — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:11:31 +0000

Afrik.com reports that [fr]: ” because of the low harvest and an increase of 60 to 80 % in cereal pricing, 10 millions people across Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Chad will be affected by food security issues, including 1.6 million children.”

Tunisia: Reports About a Court to Decide on “Interim” President's Title Refuted

Afef Abrougui — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:26:43 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

In a statement published on its Facebook page, the office of the presidency denied that President Moncef Marzouki, filed a lawsuit against state owned media for referring to him as ”Interim President”.

The statement came in reaction to an article published by Al-Sabah newspaper, claiming that on February 13, a court in Tunisia will issue a verdict about the use of the term “interim” by the state media when referring to the current President Moncef Marzouki and his government.
According to the same source, a lawyer lodged a complaint to the court of first instance of Tunisia, claiming that the use of such a term does not have “a legal basis”.

This is not the first time that the use of term “interim” sparks a debate in Tunisia. Back in January, the Minister of Provisional Justice, and spokesperson of the government, criticized Tunisian media for the use of the word “interim”, claiming that it does not adapt to the current situation”.

In reaction to the complaint a photo with the term "interim" in different languages was created. Image posted to Facebook.

Here are some reactions from the Tunisian Twittersphere, when the news (which then turned out to be rumors) about the President's lawsuit first emerged.

@Tanbirat: Au fait monsieur @Moncef_Marzouki je voulais juste vous dire que vous êtes notre président PROVISOIRE de la république !

@Tanbirat: In fact, Mr. @Moncef_Marzouki I just want te tell you, that you are our interim President!

@Emnabenjemaa: #Dilou ministre provisoire dans un gouvernement provisoire avec #Marzouki président provisoire

@Emnabenjemaa: #Dilou is an interim minister, in an interim government, with Marzouki an interim President

@ahmedchaabane: عجبا في حكومة مؤقتة تقلقها كلمة “مؤقت” أكثر مما يقلقها المليون بطال… #tunisie #tngov #marzouki

@ahmedchaabane: How strange, an interim government, more bothered by the term “interim” than one million unemployed people

@funnypurp: @Moncef_Marzouki et moi je vais porter plainte pour publicité mensongère après avoir voté CPR…

@funnypurp: @Moncef_Marzouki and I will lodge a complaint over false advertisement after voting for the CPR (CPR or Congress for the Republic, is the party that Moncef Marzouki used to preside before becoming a President

Indeed, those who do not feel at ease with the term “interim”, believe that this government is not interim because it was formed following free and fair elections. On the other hand, the opposition in Tunisia has fears that the current government might stay in power too long - although Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali has recently declared that Tunisia will hold parliamentary and presidential elections within 18 months.

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Morocco: Busted for Posting Caricatures of the King on Facebook

Hisham Almiraat — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:23:23 +0000

On February 7, 2012, Walid Bahomane appeared before a court in the Moroccan capital Rabat. The 18-year-old is accused of “defaming Morocco's sacred values” by posting pictures and videos on Facebook mocking king Mohammed VI of Morocco.

This isn't the first time a Moroccan Internet user has faced such charges. In 2008, Fouad Mourtada, a young engineer, was sentenced to three years in prison for impersonating the king’s brother on Facebook. An international outcry and a campaign of support forced the authorities to release Mr Mourtada a month after his arrest.

Walid Bahomane's arrest is the first since a constitutional reform last summer (theoretically) revoked the “sacred” character of the monarch. The king is still, however, the focus of a great deal of devotion in the country.

A copy of the police report filed against Mr Bahomane emerged on the Internet, revealing a first: according to the document, items seized by the police are “two Facebook pages (sic) containing phrases and images insulting the sacred values, and an IBM computer.”

Copy of the police report filed against Mr. Walid Bahomane as posted on Facebook.

Despite calls for his release the judge decided to send Walid to a juvenile detention facility near the capital pending his trial. A group of netizens have reacted to the arrest of Mr Bahomane by creating a support group on Facebook called “Mohammed VI, my freedom is more sacred than you!”, where members are invited to publish and share cartoons of the king.

Cartoon representing King Mohammed VI posted on Facebook

The group's preamble reads [ar]:

هذه مجموعة تضامنية مع الشاب وليد بحمان، 18 سنة، معتقل بسجن الأحداث بسلا بتهمة إهانة قداسة محمد السادس على الفيسبوك. فلنثبت لمحمد السادس أن حريتنا أقدس منه

This is a solidarity group with the young Walid Bahoman, aged 18, detained in the juvenile detention facility of Salé for insulting His Majesty Mohammed VI on Facebook. Let us prove to Mohammed VI that our freedom is more sacred than him.

Zineb El Ghazoui, a co-creator of the group, writes on her blog [fr]:

[cette arrestation bat] en brèche la propagande de l'Etat marocain autour du changement et des prétendues avancées démocratiques.

This arrest flies in the face of the propaganda put out by the Moroccan state around the idea of change and the alleged democratic advances.

On Twitter, some are timidly following suit. Musique Arabe tweets [fr]:

@MusiqueArabe Opération soutien à Walid Bahomane - publions tous sur nos profils la caricature de notre choix.

@MusiqueArabe Operation support Walid Bahomane - publish a (king's) cartoon of you choice on your profile.

Despite the recent constitutional reforms in Morocco the regime does not seem prepared to tolerate any violation of its red lines. In July 2011, a few days after the adoption of the new constitution, a French newspaper, Le Courrier International, was censored [fr] in Morocco because it contained an irreverent caricature of the king.

The independent press has often suffered the wrath of the regime when it dared tackle the sensitive subject of the monarchy. So much so that the Internet seems today the last frontier where most Moroccans can still exercise their right to free expression.

Something Moroccan netizens seem to be fully aware of, inspired by the Arab spring, they seem determined to close ranks and show solidarity with Mr Bahomane.

As a result, exercising censorship will be even more difficult for the regime.

Tunisia: Decision to Expel Syrian Ambassador Sparks Heated Debate

Afef Abrougui — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:53:16 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

On February 1, 2012, Tunisia, the birthplace of the so-called Arab Spring, has started procedures to expel the Syrian Ambassador in Tunis, and to withdraw recognition of the Syrian regime. That move followed the deadly assault launched on the city of Homs on Friday night, and which resulted in hundreds of deaths according to the Syrian National Council.

The Presidency of the Republic of Tunisia, said in an official statement published on its Facebook page [ar]:

تونس التي تدين إدانة مطلقة كل الجرائم التي يرتكبها النظام السوري في حق الشعب السوري الشقيق منذ أزيد من تسعة أشهر،.. معتقدة أن هذه المأساة لن تعرف طريقها إلى الحل إلا بتنحي نظام بشار الأسد عن الحكم في دمشق وفسح المجال لانتقال ديمقراطي للسلطة يحقق للشعب السوري الشقيق … كما تعلن تونس عن الشروع في الإجراءات العملية والترتيبية لطرد السفير السوري من تونس وسحب أي اعتراف بالنظام الحاكم في دمشق.

Tunisia, which has been condemning the the crimes committed by the Syrian regime in the right of the brotherly people of Syria for over nine months…believes that this tragedy will not end unless Bashar Al Assad's regime gives up power to pave the way for a democratic transition that ensures security for the brotherly Syrian people…Besides, Tunisia announces the launch of procedures for the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador in Tunisia and the withdrawal of all recognition of the regime in power in Damascus

Thank you Tunisia

"Hafedh (father of Bashar Al Assad): May your soul be cursed", written on the door of the Syrian embassy in Tunis. Photograph shared by Facebook page "Union Des Admins Des Pages Tunisiennes"

Netizens from the Arab world, welcomed the step taken by Tunisia, and considered the move as “revolutionary.” Here are some reactions of Arab netizens on the micro blogging website Twitter.

From Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Ahlam Safi writes [ar]:

@iAhlamSafi: ولتونس علينا حقا.. أرض السابقين الأولين في الثورة.. أول دولة تسقط شرعية بشار وترفض الاعتراف بنظامه #ArabSpring #Tunisia #Syria #pray4syria

@iAhlamSafi: Tunisia has a right over us..the land of pioneers in the revolution..first state that drops the legitimacy of Bashar, and refuses to recognize his regime #ArabSpring #Tunisia #Syria #pray4syria

Algerian Melissa Rahmouni adds [fr]:

@MelissaRahmouni: Je suis heureuse du soutien de la #Tunisie au combat des syriens pour la #liberté. #syrie

@MelissaRahmouni: So glad about Tunisia's support to the battle of Syrians for freedom

From Kuwait, writer Saadiah Mufarreh tweets [ar]:

@saadiahmufarreh: للمرة الألف نرددها وراء محمود درويش خلال عام كامل: كيف نشفى من حب تونس؟.. أنا شخصيا لا أريد أن أشفى

@saadiahmufarreh: For a thousand times in one year, we say what (the poet) Mahmoud Darwish said before: “How can we be cured from Tunisia's love?”..Personally I do not want to get any cure

And Syrian citizen Geo thanks Tunisia on behalf of the Syrian people:

@CitizenGeo: From #Syria to #Tunisia Thanks for your humanity

Decision divides netizens

Back in Tunisia, the President's decision to break all ties with the Syrian regime, has divided netizens. Those who did not welcome the decision are worried about the safety of Tunisian expatriates in Syria.

@ElyssaDidon tweets [fr]:

@ElyssaDidon: La #tunisie aurait du rapatrier ses siens avant d'expulser l'ambassadeur syrien! #Syrie

@ElyssaDidon: Tunisia should have repatriated its expats before expelling the Syrian ambassador

She adds, in another tweet, defending her opinion:

@ElyssaDidon: J'appuie la decision d'expulser l'ambsdr 2 la #Syrie en #Tunisie msj'aurais préféré la prse 2mesures pr prtger les tunisiens sur plce d'abrd

@ElyssaDidon: I support the decision to expel the ambassador of Syria, but I would have preferred to see measures taken to protect Tunisians there, first.

Blogger and journalist Haythem El Mekki described the decision as “very brave, and very risky”. On his blog, he writes [ar]:

بشار الأسد (و ماهر خوه خاصة) سفاح دموي و يجب خلعه، لا شك في ذلك. حزب البعث نظام وحشي ظالم و يجب اسقاطه، هذا أكيد. الثورة السورية بدأها الشعب السوري الطامح إلى الحرية و القضاء على الإستبداد، و يجب مساندته في مطالبه، هذا واجب.

لكن في المقابل، يبدو جليا لكل مراقب يقظ أن ما يحصل الآن في سوريا من نزاعات مسلحة و التغطية الإعلامية الحافلة بالتهويل و الفبركة لقناتي الجزيرة و العربية (يعني قطر و السعودية) مع إحتضان تركيا و قطر (حلفاء أمريكا الإستراتيجيين في المنطقة، حاضنو قواعدها العسكرية) للمعارضة السورية، كل هذا يبرز أن سيناريو ليبيا بصدد التكرار، و أن الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية تواصل تشكيل خارطة الشرق الأوسط الجديد… يأتي قرار الحكومة التونسية المؤقتة بطرد السفير السوري في تونس و سحب الإعتراف بنظام بشار الأسد. قرار في غاية الجرأة و الخطورة، و يعكس موقفا شديد الوضوح في التموقع الجلي إلى جوار أحد أطراف الصراع ضد الطرف الآخر بصفة جذرية و نهائية، خاصة و أننا نكون بهذا أول بلاد في العالم تقوم بذلك.

Bashar Al Assad (and especially his brother Maher), is a bloody butcher and he should be ousted. There is no doubt about it. Al-Baath party, is a monstrous, and unjust system that should be taken down. This is certain. The Syrian revolution was launched by the Syrian people looking forward to freedom and an end to oppression. It is a duty to support Syrians in their demands.

But, on the other hand, it is obvious to every watchful observer that what is happening now in Syria from armed conflicts, and the over exaggerated, and fabricated media coverage of Al Jazeera, and Al Arabiya channels (in other words Qatar and Saudi Arabia), with Turkey and Qatar (two strategic allies for the US which has military bases in these two countries), embracing the Syrian opposition, proves that the Libyan scenario is about to be repeated, and that the US continues forming the map of the new Middle East…The decision of the interim Tunisian government to expel the Syrian ambassador, and to withdraw recognition of Bashar Al Assad's regime, is a very brave and very risky decision, which reflects a very clear position in standing by the side of one part of the conflict, against the other part, in an extreme, and ultimate way, especially that we are the first country in the world to take such a step.

Linda Ben Osman believes that not only the Syrian ambassador, but all ambassadors whose countries committed massacres, and human rights violations need to be expelled. She says [fr]:

Si l'on vire l'ambassadeur syrien pour massacres commis par son pays, il me semble logique que l'on en vire d'autres, à commencer par ceux de tous les pays arabes, et plus spécialement le Qatar et l'Arabie Saoudite, non seulement pour abus commis par leurs pays à l'encontre de leurs peuples et des chiites plus spécifiquement, mais aussi à l'encontre des Bahreïnis aujourd'hui colonisés.

Que l'on vire, l'ambassadeur chinois, pour massacre des tibétains et l'ambassadeur américain, pour massacre des palestiniens, irakiens et afghans pour ne citer qu'eux, et pour torture et abus de pouvoir, et pour maltraitance et violences policières envers les manifestant d'Occupy, pour Guantanamo, et, et, et…

Virons l'ambassadeur français, pays dont le Ministre de l'Intérieur considère que toutes le civilisations ne se valent pas, et qui traite les immigrés illégaux comme des moins que rien.

Virons aussi l'ambassadeur russe pour massacre des tchétchènes…

If we expel the Syrian ambassador, because his country committed massacres, I think it is logical to expel others, starting from ambassadors of all the Arab countries, and more specifically Qatar, and Saudi Arabia,for committing abuses not only in their own countries, and against their own people, (more specifically) , Shiites, but also for abuses committed against Bahrainis, who are now colonized.

Let's expel the Chinese ambassador for massacring Tibetans, and the American ambassador for massacring Palestinians, Iraqis, and Afghanis, for torture, abuse of power, and for mistreating Occupy protesters, and for Guantanamo…

Let's also fire the Russian ambassador for massacring Chechnyans…

She adds:

nous, tunisiens révolutionnaires, voulons soutenir tous les peuples lésés par leurs gouverneurs, et si virer les ambassadeurs est la solution adéquate pour montrer notre solidarité , alors soit, virons-les tous!

We, revolutionary Tunisians, would like to support people abandoned by their governors, and if firing ambassadors is an adequate solution to show our support, so let's fire them all

On Twitter, @tounsiahourra strongly supports the President's decision. She tweets [ar]:

@tounsiahourra: شكرا للمرزوقي ,,أقول لك شكرا كما تعودت أن أنتقدك ,صدقا موقفك مشرف لنا كتونسيين ; شكرا لانك لم تتنكر لنضالك في حقوق الانسان #SYRIA #MM

@tounsiahourra: Thank you Marzouki! I'm thanking you just as I used to criticize you, truly, your position is honorable for us as Tunisians, thank you because you did not forget about your struggle for human rights

She adds in another tweet [ar]:

@tounsiahourra: أن أنقد الاسلاميين المرزوقي والتحالفات التي لا نعرف إلى أين تصب هذا أمر ,وأن نقول كلمة حق في قرار شجاع ينتظره اخوتنا في سوريا هذا أمر آخر.

@tounsiahourra: Criticising the Islamists, Marzouki and the government coalitions that we do not know where it is going is one issue, and speaking a word of truth about a brave decision anticipated by our brothers in Syria is something else.

And @The_Fan concludes [fr]:

@The_Fan: Je ne comprends pas l'attaque sur la decision diplomatique de la #tunisie, on est quand meme avec la revolution syrienne #syrie non ?

@The_Fan: I don't understand the attacks on the diplomatic decision of Tunisia. We do support the Syrian revolution, don't we?

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

France: The first Muslim public cemetery

Abdoulaye Bah — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:12:41 +0000

Hanan Ben Rhouma of Saphir News reports [fr] that: “The first Muslim public cemetery in France was open in Strasbourg on Monday, February 6. In a sense, it is a unique cemetery of that kind because it is the first to be managed by local public authorities based on the Alsace-Moselle Accord of 1801 [fr], which does not exist anywhere else in France.”

Italy: Volunia, a Serendipity-based Search Engine

Abdoulaye Bah — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:06:24 +0000

On the blog Presse-citron, Jean-Marie Le Ray wites about”Volunia” [fr], the new search engine in 12 languages invented by Professor Massimo Marchiori of the University of Padua (Italy) : “this is a new concept of navigation of our times I think a test, a laboratory of ideas , also with a prospective vision of the Semantic Web, which relies heavily on “voluntary and spontaneous” interaction with the user. In a sense, it is a participatory search engine trying to put the future in perspective in order to adapt the current search process better [fr]. “

Africa: Highs and Lows of the 2012 African Cup of Nations

Chellsy Alis Manning — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:43:56 +0000

Beyond their ethnic, political and regional divides, people unite together around their national football team. We saw the First Lady of Gabon dancing like an excited schoolgirl every time one of the eleven players of the ‘Azingo Nationale' scored a goal and became “the Panthers” for their country.

The people of Equatorial Guinea were ecstatic with the qualification of their national team, languishing in the midst of one of the most ferocious dictatorships. According to Human Rights Watch, journalists who have visited the country to report on the human rights situation have been detained, interrogated, censored and deported.

In the fervour surrounding the 2012 African Cup of Nations, there are two key points that attract attention. The first is the absence of some of the higher achieving teams in African football.

Michael Dodje's blog explains [fr] the unusual goings-on in this year's Cup of Nations:

Imagine a Euro competition without Germany, Spain, Holland and England. Impossible you say, even though Ukraine or Poland would not have to participate in the qualifying rounds as host nations. And yet, this is what happened in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Indeed, for the first time in ages we will not see Egypt, Cameroon, Algeria, Nigeria or even South Africa in this championship. How did this happen?

Remembering that the five teams mentioned above have won 15 out of 27 previous Cup of Nations tournaments. Nicholas Mc Anally on le229.com responded [fr]:

…If these teams do not qualify then there will be others to replace them. It's a breath of fresh air seeing teams like Botswana, Niger and Equatorial Guinea making their debuts in the Cup of Nations.

Another novelty in this year's Cup is the way that the thorny issue of bonuses has been resolved. A post on the blog plat du pied explained [fr] what happened on the 15 November, 2011:

After the cancellations of the matches against China, Gabon, Salvador and Mexico, Cameroon has again cancelled a friendly match at the last minute for the fifth time since the start of the season. The players went on strike, once again, in protest against the federation over their bonuses for the match.

On the same blog, a statement issued by the Cameroon players, known as the ‘Indomitable Lions', said:

Due to the absence of attendance bonuses, the players have decided not to travel to Algiers and to not play any part in the match against Algeria scheduled for the 15 November.

Different solutions to the problem have been found by building on past negative experiences. A post [fr] on the blog marocfootball.info, concerning the Moroccan national team, the ‘Atlas Lions' stated that:

The President of the highest court in Moroccan football announced that a deal has been made with the Atlas Lions in that they accept that they will not receive any form of attendance bonus if they fail to reach the quarter finals of the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

Côte d'Ivoire, not long out of a prolonged and disastrous civil war, will pay their national team the ‘Elephants' a bonus of 5 billion CFA francs (1 million US dollars) if they win the final. The blog afrik11.com states [fr]:

The 23 players in the side receive 5 million CFA francs (10,000 USD) in attendance bonuses. This amount will be paid if the team is eliminated in the first round. In the quarterfinals, the bonus of each player will rise to 8 million, rising further to 10 million in the semifinals and then to 20 million in the final (40,000 USD). The coach, Zahoui François will also enjoy his share of the pie, receiving double the bonuses of his players.

afrik11.com also comments [fr] on the bonuses paid to the Mali national team, the ‘Eagles of Mali' at the beginning of January:

Earlier this week the Malian football team received their bonuses for qualifying for the 2012 African Cup of Nations. Two hundred million CFA francs (40,000 USD) were given in cash to the players and coaching staff before the national team left Lomé (Togo) for the final stage in their preparations for the competition.

The Equatorial Guinea team in training by @FlorianK_Sport

Equatorial Guinea, co-hosts of the event, is a country unable to build a stadium capable of hosting a match due to the frequent rains. Yet abidjan.net posted a blog surrounding their first victory [fr] in the competition:

Teodorin Obiang, the Minister for Agriculture presented a cheque for 500 million CFA francs (760,000 euros) to Francisco Pascual Eyegue Obama Asué, the Minister for Sport, in the absence of the national team in Mbini (mainland Mali). He added a cheque for 20 million CFA francs (30,400 euros), 10 million that had been promised for each goal scored ; the team only won the match 1-0 but he explained that the goal disallowed by the referee deserved to be credited with a bonus.

This blog points out that the actions of Teodorin, tipped to succeed his father as president, are under scrutiny by the Americans.

The generosity of petrodollars being used for the bonuses for the Equatorial Guinea football team makes the Republic of Guinea look like a poor relation. In Conakry, the first problem was in trying to find the money to pay for the bonuses. As reported by lejourguinee.com, the country set up a National Committee for Support, led by General Mathurin Bangoura, Minister for Housing and Urban Development with the aim of raising funds for the bonuses. Notably, the first contributions came from the Indian community settled in the country.

The least well-spent money during the tournament, without doubt, has to be the bonuses awarded to the ‘Teranga Lions', the Senegalese national team, who had entered the competition as strong favourites and fell at the first hurdle. Yet, at the beginning of the competition the blog can.starafrica.com stated [fr] that:

There are some concerns surrounding the bonuses given to the Senegalese side. On Wednesday the Sports Ministry gave the squad bonuses amounting to 140, 650,000 francs in full for their qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

Africa: 2012 Cup of Nations Delivers Many Surprises

Jane Ellis — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:42:35 +0000

Unlike Senegal, who failed to win their opening match in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana, another competition favourite, managed to win their opener, beating Botswana, who were participating in this tournament for the first time. This, the first match in Group D, took place on Tuesday 24 January in the Stade de Franceville, Gabon.

The Black Stars of Ghana finished the match with ten men following a red card for John Mensah in the 66th minute. They did all they could to win [fr], and were not phased, according to FourFourTwo, who tweeted:

#Ghana show no remorse over Mensah red bit.ly/xkpul2 #AFCON2012

Botswana fought bravely during their first ever appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations. A video summary of the Ghana-Botswana match is available here [fr], courtesy of Direct 8 Sport.

Mali met Guinea for the other opening day Group D game, which saw the Eagles off to a promising start in the tournament, beating Guinea 1-0. Boukary Konaté, a Global Voices author who tweets under the name @Fasokan [fr], posted reactions from the stadium in Macina, Mali:

@Fasokan: Grand bruit et applaudissement à Macina pour le but malien #can2012

@Fasokan: Loud noise and applause from Macina following Mali's goal.

and also [fr]:

@Fasokan: les supporters de Macina espèrent sur un deuxième but malien

@Fasokan: Fans from Macina are hoping for a second goal from Mali.

On Wednesday 25, the first match on Day 2 of Group A, Zambia versus Libya, resulted in the first nil-nil draw of the competition. Torrential rain caused kick-off to be delayed by an hour and a quarter with the match finally starting at 6.15pm, after some doubt as to whether it would go ahead.

Zambia were anxious to secure their place in the quarter finals against a Libyan team who seemed re-energised following their defeat on the opening Saturday of the tournament. The match was played on a waterlogged pitch, as can be seen in this photo posted by Alexandre Nakbi (@Alex_Nak), showing its condition moments before kick off [fr]:

@Alex_Nak: Voila l'état du terrain actuellement. #CAN2012 #Libye #Zambie pic.twitter.com/MSHrD1ae

@Alex_Nak: Here is the state of the pitch right now. #CAN2012 #Libye #Zambie pic.twitter.com/MSHrD1ae

Rain also delayed the Day 2 Group A match between Senegal and Equatorial Guinea. Tournament favourites Senegal were eliminated in a surprise 2-1 win for Equatorial Guinea, assuring a place for the latter in the quarter finals. The defeat of the Lions of Teranga greatly disappointed [fr] their fans:

@observateurs: Le Sénégal sort de la CAN. “On aurait dit des jeunes de centre de formation” #can2012 fb.me/10kgX5eNf

@observateurs: Senegal exit the Cup of Nations. “They looked like kids from a training camp” #can2012

@founseni_soro: Sénégal Grande nation de football, . mais aussi grande déception de la CAN2012. Allez les zelephants #civ2010

@founseni_soro: Senegal - a great footballing nation, but great disappointment in the 2012 Cup of Nations.

In Day 2 of Group B, Angola could not overcome Sudan, one of the weakest teams in the Cup, despite two goals from Manuchi on Thursday 26 January in Malabo Stadium, Equatorial Guinea. If they had won, Angola would have qualified for the quarter finals. The four goals from the match can be seen in the following video [fr]:

Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso met at Malabo later that day for the second match in Day 2 of Group B. The Elephants of Ivory Coast beat the Stallions 2-0, qualifying for the quarter finals while Burkina Faso were eliminated.

Fans of Ivory Coast watching the match against Sudan by @FlorianK_Sport

Day 2 of Group C on the Friday saw Gabon beat Morocco 3-2 and Tunisia beat Nigeria 2-1, securing quarter final places for the Panthers of Gabon and the Eagles of Carthage.

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations can be followed on the BBC website and on Twitter using the hashtags #CAN2012 and #AFCON2012.

Tunisia: Politicians and Deputies Opt for Open Governance Through Social Media

Ahmed Medien — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:50:54 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

The toppling of the Ben Ali regime last January paved the way for a growth in the use of social media across Tunisia. Today, politicians are using the same tools repressed by the state to get their messages across to the people.

Moncef Marzouki (@Moncef_Marzouki), elected interim president of the Tunisian republic, Khalil Zaouia (@KhelilEzzaouia), current minister of social affairs, and other deputies at the constituent assembly such as @LobnaJribi and @IyedDahmani have all joined the Twitterverse recently.

Politicians use Twitter and other social media for many reasons, including sharing greetings with the Tunisian people on a religious holiday as demonstrated by MP Dahmani [ar]:

مولد نبوي شريف مبارك عليكم جميعا، وكل عام وأنتم بخير

@iyeddahmani: Happy Mouled (Prophet Muhammed's birthday) to all of you. May you all be blessed.

Twitter is also the place where Tunisian politicians share their frustrations with the disorganization of their own parties or the slow processes of the current government.

Mabrouka Mbarek, elected deputy of the CPR party shared her disappointed vis a vis the vote of her party to another fellow Islamist deputy to chair the committee charged of drafting the new constitution. Such a worrisome tweet was retweeted several times other Tunisian Twitter users who shared similar concerns [fr]:

Des fois #jemeposelaquestion #jeudiconfession “@MoniaBH: qu'est ce que vous faites au CPR??? #TnAc”

@MabMbarek: Sometimes, I wonder too #JeudiConfession. “@MoniaBH: What is wrong with CPR?”

Iyed Dahmani, deputy and member of the opposition Progressive Democratic Party uses Twitter to criticize the work of the government. The language used is sometimes the Tunisian Arabic dialect and the aim is to reach out to more to Tunisians [ar]:

الحكومة تحولت إلى معارضة للأقلية وبدل أن تقوم بدورها صارت تقضي وقتها في نقد المعارضة،وبعد ذلك يقولوا لنا خليونا نخدموا.كاننا شادينلهم يديهم

@iyeddahmani: The government has become an opposition for the minority. Instead of doing its job, the government spends its time criticizing the opposition and then asking (the opposition) for time off to do its job, like if we're tying their hands

Other politicians also use their Twitter accounts to record their media appearances locally and internationally.

And since he became president, Marzouki uses his personal Twitter account to share the calendar of his activities with Twitter users. He also shares media files such as photos and videos.

Netizens have been instrumental in drawing politicians into social media. For instance, 7ell is a social media and citizen campaign that started last year to encourage politicians and political parties to share more information with citizens. 7ell has a Facebook page with more 8,000 likes and dozens of posts to promote open governance among Tunisian Facebook users.

The initiative is described as [ar]:

هي هبادرة مدنيّة تبنّاوها بعض الأعضاء من المجلس الوطني التأسيسي
المبادرة هاذي تحبّ تكرّس مبدأ الشّفافيّة في الدّستور التّونسي و تدخل آليات الحوكمة المفتوحة في إصلاح الإدارة. نطمحو إنّو الصّحافة و المواطنين التّوانسة ينجّمو يتبّعو عمل اللّجان في المجلس الوطني التّأسيسي و يتفاعلو معاه بطريقة مباشرة كيفما تفاعلو مع الثورة ولاّ الأحداث إلّي صارت في تونس عام 2011. من أهدافنا زادة نشر محاضر و تقارير اللّجان للنّاس الكلّ. التّونسي اليوم عندو الحقّ باش يعرف كيفاش النوّاب إلّي إنتخبهم قاعدين يكتبولو في دستورو و في مستقبلو و منظيّعوش حقّنا باش نبنيو تونس على قاعدة صحيحة

OpenGov is a citizen initiative adopted by some of the members of the constituent assembly. This initiative is about transparency in drafting the new constitution and the establishment of a new mechanism of open governance to end corruption. We aspire that Tunisia media experts and citizens will follow the work of the different commissions in the national constituent assembly and react to them directly just like it was during the revolution and the events that happened in 2011. Our aim is to make the reports and drafts issued by the committee available to everyone. Tunisians today have the right to know how members of Parliament they have elected are writing the new constitution. They have a say in their future and the right to see Tunisia being rebuilt on the right foundation.

OpenGov is also a hashtag frequently used during the sessions of the constituent assembly. Now, a good number of the 217 deputies use Twitter to share the discussions happening at the assembly sessions with a larger public.

You can also follow tweet feeds from OpenGov Tunisia on @OpenGovTN .

Nearly three months after the launch of 7ell campaign, the Tunisian Presidency has also opened new accounts on social media to interact with Tunisian internet users and get their feedback about the activity of the presidency and the president, Moncef Mazouki.

Their first post was a photograph asking the Tunisians for their opinion about the performance of Marzouki a month after his election.

The Tunisian Presidency Facebook page has a myriad of photos of president Marzouki to inform Tunisians of his visits, meetings and foreign travels. It is also a direct interface to share Press releases. The most recent entry was a Press release concerning the Homs massacre in Syria on the eve of February 4. The wall post received 646 Facebook shares, 674 likes and 1,726 comments in a few hours.

The Tunisian presidency has also created accounts on Twitter and on Youtube. The Youtube channel serves to broadcast official and governmental and non-governmental representatives that Marzouki meets at the Presidency Palace in Carthage.

Policy makers in Tunisia are becoming keen to interact with their constituents with more transparency. For now, social media seems to be the solution.

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Côte d'Ivoire: Hackers Threaten Intelligence Agency Upon Arrest of Journalist

Julie Owono — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:34:43 +0000

Managing editor of Ivorian newspaper Le Patriote, Charles Sanga, was arrested on January 31, 2012 after his newspaper revealed that the Constitutional Court of Côte d'Ivoire decided to annul results of the recent Parliamentary Elections in 11 districts. Ivorian newspaper Nord-Sud say he was released after 24-hours of detention by the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DTS).

The intelligence agency have also demanded that the journalist who wrote the story, Jean-Claude Coulibaly, reveal his sources.

Before his release, Reporters without Borders said:

If Le Patriote broke the law by pre-empting a state entity’s prerogative to publish information, then it may be punished, but not by jailing its editor or the reporter who wrote the story (…) Under Côte d’Ivoire’s 2004 media law, journalists cannot be detained for media offences, so Charles Sanga must be released. Furthermore, the DST’s attempt to force him to reveal his sources violates a basic principle of media freedom.

Anonymous Attack?

'Anonymous' mask. Image by Flickr user luccast85 (CC BY 2.0).

A few hours after Sanga's arrest, news website Les grandes oreilles (The Big Ears) reported that hackers claiming to belong the the global, decentralised “Anonymous” collective threatened to attack the DTS, saying they would release secret documents of the intelligence agency if the editor was not released. An new anonymous Twitter account (@An0nym0usLeader) with less than 30 followers said:

@An0nym0usLeader: Libérez Charles Sanga, directeur du journal Le Patriote. Dans 24H nous publierons des documents de la DST ivoirienne #anonymous #cotedivoire

Free Charles Sanga, managing news editor of newspaper ‘Le Patriot'. In 24 hours we will publish documents of the Ivorian DTS #anonymous #cotedivoire

Documents the Twitter account claims were leaked from the DTS were posted on Pastebin.com (a site where anyone can post text), including a list of names of alleged DTS secret agents and license plate numbers in use by the agency. The last message on the Twitter account was on February 1.

In a leader about Charles Sanga's arrest Nord-Sud‘ says [fr]:

A quand la fin de l’arrestation des journalistes pour leurs écrits en Côte d’Ivoire ? Le gérant et directeur de publication du quotidien Le Patriote, Charles Sanga, a été relâché, hier, après 24h de détention à la Direction de la surveillance du territoire (Dst), au Plateau. Ce, après une audition qui a duré plus de deux heures. (..) La situation a inquiété de nombreux hommes de presse qui se posent des questions sur la liberté de la presse sous le régime Ouattara.

When will we see the end of journalists being arrested for their articles in Côte d’Ivoire? The manager and editor of the newspaper Le Patriote, Charles Sanga, was released yesterday after being detained for 24h at department of homeland security, at the Plateau district. His hearings lasted two hours (..) This situation is worrisome for many journalists who wonder about freedom of press under the Ouattara regime.

Senegal: A Week of Living Dangerously

Negarra Akili Kudumu — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:37:44 +0000

[Note: This post was written by our author in Senegal before the dramatic events of January 31, 2012, which will be adressed in a follow-up article. All links are in French unless stated otherwise]

On January 31, 2012, in Senegal, the opposition will take to the streets to protest a third term for incumbent President Wade. On January 27, the Constitutional Council of Senegal decided on the final list of candidates for the presidential elections on 26 February.

The five elders on the council have accepted the nomination of Abdoulaye Wade, who is seeking a third term, an action considered unconstitutional by many Senegalese voters. Furthermore, the council denied the candidacy of the singer Youssou N'Dour, on the pretext that he would not have collected enough signatures to support his candidacy.

Since the announcement of these decisions on January 27, protesters have taken to the streets and sometimes violently expressed their anger. One policeman was lynched by the crowd on Saturday night. A video of the incident has gone viral on the Internet:

On January 30, two citizens were shot dead during protests in the northern city of Podor. The situation is tense across the country and also online.

Ominous

None of this bodes well for the big rally on January 31. Although several members of the opposition movement, the Movement June 23 (M23), have called for peaceful and non-violent demonstrations, the excesses clearly give cause for grave concern, according to the conversation online.

Protesters as posted by @AnonymousAG on Twitter

The web site of the M23 went so far as to target people close to Wade, notably Farba Senghor, a consultant well known to Wade. On the Movement's Facebook page, they even posted an appeal [fr] for Senghor's address to be revealed, it seems, in order to carry out reprisals.

Si vous connaissez les adresses des residences de personnes suivantes, veuillez les communiquer: “Farba Senghor”, “Serigne Mbacke Ndiaye”, “Cheick Tidiane Diakhaté”, “Cheick Tidiane Sy”, “Ousmane Ngom” … nous allons diffuser leur adresse massivement sur google map pour que le Jour-J, les cibles seront identifiees avec precision.

If you know the addresses of the residences of the following, please contact us: “FarbaSenghor“, “Ndiaye Serigne Mbacke“, “Cheick Tidiane Diakhate“, “Cheick Tidiane Sy“, “Ousmane Ngom” … we are going to spread their address widely on google map for the D-Day, the targets will be identified with precision.

Some even used to Google maps to locate his residence:

geolocation on Facebook

Abdoulaye Wade, in the media and on his Facebook page, tries to defend a position of peace [fr]:

Chers internautes.

En tant que juriste, avocat et enseignant du droit, je dois être le premier à respecter la loi. Je suis non seulement un démocrate, mais aussi très épris de paix.Il y a eu des manifestations violentes, les guides religieux ont appelé à la paix et au respect de la loi, je serai le premier à suivre leurs recommandations la campagne va bientôt ouvrir et il ne voit pas ,Chacun aura l’occasion de se compter librement à travers les bureaux de vote où tout le monde sera représenté. Celui qui aura la majorité sera élu. C’est la meilleure manière de préserver la paix ,Le pays est en train de changer, il est différent du temps de Senghor, d’Abdou Diouf et même pour moi, ce n’est pas le même depuis 2000. Le pays est dans une nouvelle dimension, il va connaître beaucoup de changements sous peu de temps, et c’est ce que certains ne veulent pas admettre .
Je vous souhaite une nuit paisible dans vos foyers..

Dear Netizens,

As a jurist, lawyer and a teacher of law, I must be the first to obey the law. I am not only a Democrat, but I am also a peaceful man. There were violent demonstrations, religious leaders called for peace and respect for the law, I will be the first to follow their recommendations. The campaign will soon open and he does not see. Everyone will have the opportunity to stand up and be counted freely through the polling stations where everyone will be represented. Whoever has the majority will be elected. This is the best way to preserve peace. The country is changing, it is different from the time of Senghor and Abdou Diouf, even in my case, it is not the same since 2000. The country is in a new dimension, it will undergo many changes in a short time, and that's what some people do not want to admit.
I wish you a peaceful night in your homes.

Someone injured in the demontrations, by Twitter user @Boombasticplo

But Wade's supporters themselves employ a tone tinged with hatred [fr]:

Sènègalaises,Sènègalais,pour prèserver le Sènègal du chaos que thèorise le M23 et ses manipulateurs tapis dans l'ombre des homosexuels amèricains et francais,soyons prets à dèfendre la Rèpublique contre l'axe du mal,par tous les moyens lègaux.
Barrons la route aux ennemis de la paix,en boycottant le M23 et ses activitès antidèmocratique et anticonstitutionnelles.
Faites passer SVP…

Senegalese people, to protect Senegal from the chaos suggested by the M23 and its manipulators lurking in the shadows of Americans and French homosexuals, be ready to defend the Republic against the axis of evil, using all legal means.
Let us block the road to the enemies of peace, by boycotting the M23 and its anti-democratic and unconstitutional activities.
Please spread the word …

Protester throws a stone, by Twitter user @theBoyA

January 31 will be a highly tense day; the net is already in uproar [fr]:

Au lieu d'envoyer les Forces Spéciales pour régler son problème en Casamance, Wade les met en état d'alerte pour mâter la population… ces gens sont des tueurs professionnels, entraines par des commandos israéliens. Si nous en repérons un qui tue un seul sénégalais, nous nous en prendrons directement à la sécurité de sa famille … un point un trait… tous les moyens son bons de la mise à feu de sa maison a l’empoisonnement au cyanure de ses enfants… à bon entendeur.

Instead of sending Special Forces to address the problem in Casamance, Wade puts them on alert to quell the population… these people are professional killers, led by Israeli commandos. If we identify even one who kills a single Senegalese, there will be direct reprisals on his family … period … by all means necessary, from setting his house on fire or poisoning his children with cyanide … don't say that you were not warned.