Global Voices

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The world is talking, are you listening?

Diallo Thierno Sadou [fr] analyzes the political situation in Guinea where violence erupted between police forces and the opposition since February, 27. The fightings has led to multiple casualties and lootings in the capital city Conakry. The current governor of the city, officer Sékou Resco Camara [fr], was charged in October 2010 with commiting “Acts of torture”. Diallo writes about the current administration [fr]:

They must take notice that their biggest problem now is the unemployed, destitute youth without a hope for a better tomorrow. This youth has nothing to lose anymore and is ready to fight for better governance, an independent justice system, free and transparent elections and paying jobs.

MyWeku compiles a list of 10 best African food blogs for 2013: “There are seemingly a million food blogs out there, but only a handful showcase African food. Even so it has still been a struggle to pick 10 of our favourites for this year (2013).”

Guinée TV1 reports that clashes between Peuls and Malinkes [fr], two of the largest ethnic groups in Guinea erupted in Madina, a borough of Conakry. Protesters blocked Conakry’s main bridge and barricaded other roadways, according to witnesses, who said security forces were deployed but did not intervene right away.

“You can't say that our neighbours are more intelligent than us, but they have had forthright leaders who have maintained the basis of a modern administration system and laid the foundations of an educational system which gives their citizens the means to take on international competition.”

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Mamadou Aliou Barry wrote on the Facebook page Voice of the Guinean Youth [fr]: “According to the results of the study on poverty and inequality in Guinea from 1999 to 2012 published [fr] on July 30, 55.2% of Guineans are poor in 2012, as compared to 53% in 2007. What might have caused did this increase ?”

On August, 4, the NGO Avocats Sans Frontières (Lawyers without Borders) in Guinea reports that they have observed group killing of civilians in the village of Zoghota [fr] (Warning: graphic photos included).   Villagers testified that security forces came around midnight and fired at unarmed civilians. The village of Zoghota was on strike since July 31 and villagers placed roadblocks at the entrance of the village to enforce the strike.

Kante Taliby writes on Guinée News about the plight of Guinean students in Syria [fr] : “I am a Guinean student on scholarship in Syria and I am married with one child. My wife, my child and I have not had a proper meal for almost a week now, and other Guineans are in the same predicaments. No one can leave the house and nobody can come  in as bullets fly from all sides. Last Saturday, we were able to place a call to the Embassy of Guinea in Egypt asking for help to obtain asylum in Lebanon or Turkey.”

Ma Guinée Plurielle  wrote the following [fr] on the  Salte Afrique blog : “I became downright pessimistic about the future of Guinea. When I was a little boy, I heard that yesterday was better than today but tomorrow will be alright eventually. Twenty-five years later, I am still hearing the same old song. I wonder when tomorrow will arrive  and I would love to live in this inaccessible “yesterday”. Meanwhile, I gnaw on my brake living in this painful present.”

Boubacar Sanso Barry wrote for the site Yanous [fr]: “Example of the indifference and the negligence in Guinea towards disability issues: It is almost impossible to find an organization that is capable or likely to concern itself with the lives of disabled people, or that would think to tackle those types of problems.”

The Genevan blog of Rémi Mogenet, Le Savoyard de la Tribune, explains with supporting examples that [fr]: “Mythological African traditional stories have made a remarkable entrance into francophone literature”. He quotes the Mandika epic tale of Soundjata, written and published in French by Guinean D. T. Niane, as well as, for Cameroon, Au Pays des initiés by Gabriel Mfomo and La Marseillaise de mon enfance by Jean-Marton Tchaptchet, without forgetting L’ Anthologie nègre by Blaise Cendrars.

Alimou Sow lists 10 rules [fr] for flirting in Conakry in his blog entitled ‘Ma Guinée Plurielle': “Like everywhere else, flirting in Conakry follows rules which evolve over time. Here are 10 of them, drawn from a small sample survey and expanded upon through my own personal experience.  Guys: get ready, get set and get flirting!”

Guinean blogger @limsow who recently moved to Paris for an internship, describes [fr] a less-hostile capital than expected on Guinée Plurielle: “I already know how to take the RER (the C line) to go down to Vitry Sur Seine  or to get to Avenue du Président Kennedy, in the 16th arrondissement. I am also familiar with the metro now, after many: “Please, is this the line that goes to X?”. Contrary to what people have told me, my questions are so far always answered, and with a smile.”

After a year of blogging on blog platform Mondoblog, Sow shares [fr] how difficult it is to connect from his hometown in Guinea, located  500 km from the capital Conakry: “This country is plagued with a standard access to the Internet that breaks every record of slowness. If you add the age-old problem of power shortages, blogging from a GSM mobile connection in these conditions is far from a picnic. Up to a full day to write an article, edit it, upload images and dispatch the link across social networks! Some ask me: “So, did you find a job?” The answer is no, knowing that I already have one: blogging!”

Souleymane Bah [fr] annonces on GUINÉENS UNIS : “Guinea's National Council on Communication (CNC) has lifted on Thursday [July 28]  the ban imposed on July 25 to Guinean media on the attack against President Alpha Condé private residence in Conakry.”

Lamine Camara writes on infoguinee.com [fr]: “The central office of the independent weekly newspaper Le Défi was vandalized and completely ransacked by anonymous looters on the night of July 20- 21, 2011. Those non-identified individuals, after wrecking havoc on equipments, computer and hardwares, left a scribbled message on a sheet of paper: “Ennemy of Guinea, get lost“”.

The passing of Manfila Kanté, a Guinean music star, has been announced via the Facebook  account La Presse guinéenne en ligne [fr]. Aly Cherif (Prince Cherif) wrote [fr]: “The Guinean cultural scene is in mourning. Manfila Kanté died in Paris this Wednesday, July 20, following a long illness. A huge loss for Guinean and Mandingue music.”

According to guineelibre.com [fr] “Over 1,200 cattle were slaughtered after ethnic clashes between Fulani and Malinke – the minority groups of Guinea – reported residents of the village of Thiakoro, in south-eastern Guinea.”

Guinean novelist Tierno Monénembo, who won the French literary award Prix Renaudot in 2008, examines the early record of  the new President of Guinea, Prof. Alpha Conde, writing [fr] in an opinion piece on Slate Afrique: “Beaten up and imprisoned at a whim. Nominated and dismissed at a whim. All this is taking place in a flurry of decrees and counter decrees, which could be summarized as a quaint folk custom if it did not involve the future of an entire country.”

Interviewed by Mrs Nenette Baldé on the blog nenehawa.com, Binta Diallo, the winner of Miss Guinea France 2011, thinks [Fr] that: “The worst is that little Guinean girls associate excision with purity and believe that this is what will make them honorable, exceptional women. That's why I evoked the risks linked to this practice.”

A company simply identifying itself as West Africa Data Centres is taken the bold step to launch the first commercial large-scale data centre, in West Africa, David Ajao reports.

The blog banabananews.org published [fr] a press release from Paris by the NGO Reporters Without Borders, dated 8th December 2010 in which it states:
“‘Reporter Sans Frontière Section Guinée’ has absolutely nothing to do with the campaign for freedom of the press, has no link whatsoever with our organisation, and is not a local section of our organisation.”

The website Guinée Inter published an article from Jeune Afrique which reveals [fr] that: “A series of American diplomatic cables, published by WikiLeaks on Saturday, details the four-way discussions which took place between the President of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaoré, the United States, France and Morocco between the end of 2009 and early 2010. These discussions centred around the fate of deposed Guinean President Moussa Dadis Camara, as well as the future of Guinea.”

Will Guineans have to live two more weeks under state of emergency?: “In a post earlier today, Guinea Oye! expressed concern about the Government’s decision to maintain a state of emergency until the Supreme Court issues election results.”

The military government in Guinea declared a state of emergency and imposed an overnight curfew following violence that trailed the announcement of results of the country's first democratic vote, Samuel Okocha reports.

Is this what democracy looks like in Guinea?: “Reports from Pita, Mamou, Labe, etc. continue to come in regarding the brutality of state security forces against Guineans of the Peul ethnic group. The forces are entering homes, beating up the occupants, ransacking and stealing personal property.”

What are flyers for Guinean presidential candidate doing in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo?: “Yesterday evening, I couldn't believe it when I saw a campaign flyer for Guinean presidential candidate Alpha Condé in a shoe store owned by “Ndingaris”–as all West Africans are called here–at the bustling neighborhood of Place Victoire in the Kalamu Commune.”

The Guinee libre [fr] website reports that violent confrontations occurred over the week-end in Conakry as the second round of the presidential elections approaches (scheduled for September 19th but  probably temporarily suspended).  The violence opposed militants of the  Rassemblement pour le peuple de Guinée (RPG) and the militants of the Union des forces démocratiques de Guinée  (UFDG) [fr].

Elections in Guinea are changing the media landscape in the country: “Since last month, the military-led Transitional National Council has passed two new laws decriminalizing defamation and created a new media regulatory body.”

Guinea Elections contributors have been live tweeting the Guinean presidential election of June 27, 2010 [fr]. As shown on this photo, the ballot count has already started [fr].

Guinea's general election is taking place on Sunday 27th of June 2010 to elect a president. For election news, follow Guinea Elections 2010 on Twitter (Fr).