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 !

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

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

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

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.

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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

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.

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.

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.

Written by Hisham Almiraat · comments (1)
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Yemen's Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was unanimously nominated by parliament as the only presidential candidate for Yemen's February 21 elections, has kicked off his campaign. Ironically, its motto is ‘Together to Build the New Yemen' when many Yemenis were excluded from the US/United Nations-backed power transition deal brokered by neighboring Gulf countries.

Those who welcomed the election believe that voting is a step in the right direction for Yemen, to start a “new page” and “avoid getting into war”, albeit under the same regime and using a line that was overused throughout the year of revolution in Yemen.

Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi's campaign poster

The election supporters want Hadi to gain more than 4 million votes because that's what outgoing President Saleh got in the previous election, believing that would give Hadi “more legitimacy”, although he would be president regardless of the vote as per the the GCC brokered deal implementation mechanism, since he was already handed the executive powers.

Tom Finn, a freelance journalist based in Yemen, tweeted:

@tomfinn2: Though there's only 1 candidate most Yemenis I know are pretty positive about the elections, lots of talk of ‘turning a new page'.

He then added:

@gregorydjohnsen @adammbaron A large majority won't vote but I still think there'll be a bigger turn-out than expected..

He estimated the vote turnout to be as low as 15 per cent.

This video which is part of a series posted by YeElection on behalf of the Supreme Committee for Election and Referendum to promote the electoral campaign indicates that every voter has one vote and encourages people to cast their vote, yet it fails to mention that there is also only ONE candidate.

Many neitzens have questioned the point of the election, and thought it ought to be called an appointment or selection instead - since he is the vice president anyway and it is natural for him to rule during the transitional period. They also have argued that there was no need to waste funds on the election campaign and monitors, which are pointless since the result is known beforehand.

Whether Hadi gets one vote or five million, it will not change the outcome, especially when the necessary funds could have been allocated for the relief of other more pressing issues in Yemen. They could have gone to organizations which combat hunger in Yemen and some even suggested that part of of it could have gone to the families of the martyrs and treating the injured.

Facebook pages in Arabic and English were set up by activists to reject and boycott the elections.

Journalist Brian Whitaker tweeted:

@Brian_Whit: An “election” that allows only one candidate is not a real election bit.ly/AflZtW #yemen

He points in his blog:

The “election” itself is illegal and invalid because the Yemeni constitution states very clearly that there must be more than one candidate. Even Saleh accepted that principle in two previous presidential elections (while of course ensuring that opposition candidates never stood a chance of winning).

Here are some of tweets over this very controversial subject.

@The_Wadi tweeted an article that represented both views:

What do Yemenis think of the election? “We'll vote to avoid war.” “Why are there elections if there's no competition?” bit.ly/w2r1PC

@ginnyUK, associate fellow at Chatham House, who runs Yemen Forum, tweeted a genuine concern that many have:

lack of detailed planning for post-Feb 21 military restructuring, national dialogue, constitutional reform gives pause for thought #Yemen

Yemeni @SummerNasser added:

I guess it's up to citizen journalists to write up on the 'selection' (election) in #Yemen..

And Gregory Johnsen, a PHD candidate in Near Eastern studies and close observer of Yemen, tweeted:

@Gregorydjohnsen: Yemen's one-man presidential campaign brought to you by the US and the GCC.

He replied to a tweet teasingly:

Early polls suggest Hadi the favorite RT @Yemen411 Countdown for elections in #Yemen: 15 days & 18 Hours

And replying why there weren't other candidates, he responded:

@abuaardvark Others couldn't get parliamentary support to get on ballot - GCC deal has Hadi taking over, begs the question: why an election?

Adam Baron, @adammbaron, a freelance journalist currently in Yemen, noted:

@abuaardvark @gregorydjohnsen id say b/c elex mean sharia dostooria [translation: constitutional legitamcy], but a 1 man election is actually in violation of #Yemen's constitution

And Iona Craig, @ionacraig, the Times correspondent in Yemen mockingly tweeted:

Remind me. What's the point in having an election campaign when you're the sole candidate and there's no minimum turnout requirement?

@alruwaishan added:

You can argue a lot of things, but one man running against himself being an election is not one of them. #Yemen's “election” is ridiculous.

@al_masani replied:

@alruwaishan when ali saleh was prez AT LEAST he had a candidate running against him. things went from bad to worse 1 candidate? #yemen

@Brian_Whit wondered if Saleh was planning a comeback:

Could Saleh do Putin's trick? RT @ginnyUK: who will replace Hadi as VP when Hadi becomes president? #Yemen

And @SummerNasser concluded with a very likely scenario which many Yemeni would definitely reject:

Let me just give you all a heads up. Hadi will be in place, then in the future Ahmed (Saleh's son) will take over. Mark my words. #BFEY #Yemen

Many Yemenis believe that taking part in this election is pointless since the election results are pre-determined, as was the imposed GCC deal and the immunity it granted Saleh. They doubt that it will bring about any real change in Yemen in the foreseeable future with Hadi, another military man replacing Saleh, and thus that there is no prospect of the civil state which the revolution demanded, especially with Saleh's family still controlling the military apparatus and his regime still intact.

And as @abubakrabdullah points in his post in the Guardian's live blog:

Either way, an end to clashes and the provision of regular electricity, gas and water are more eagerly anticipated in Yemen than an election right now.

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

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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]:

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]:

Algerian Melissa Rahmouni adds [fr]:

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

From Kuwait, writer Saadiah Mufarreh tweets [ar]:

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

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

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…

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!

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

She adds in another tweet [ar]:

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 ?

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

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Netizens are still enraged over Saturday's double veto by Beijing and Moscow of the United Nations Security Council draft resolution on ending 11 months of violence in Syria.

Iyad El Baghdadi tweets that this inaction by the UN completely erodes the organisation's legitimacy among Arabs:

@iyad_elbaghdadi: The veto also completely demolishes in the Arab mind the idea that the UNSC has any legitimacy or indeed is of any use. #Syria

Syrian Alexander Page notes:

@AlexanderPageSY: #China's Veto at UNSC means that thousands more of #Syria's innocent civilians will die #BoycottChina4Syria #BoycottChina

And Palestinian Dima Khatib compares the reaction to the massacres in Syria today to that in the Gaddafi-era Libya:

@Dima_Khatib: Libya + Revolution + Blood + Oil = NATO bombs. Syria + Revolution + Blood - Oil = Veto

Foreign Policy Editor Blake Hounshell comments:

@blakehounshell: In a way, the Russo-Chinese veto absolves the West of responsibility for #Syria. Little will to intervene.

Syrian Revolution notes:

@RevolutionSyria: The veto is just allowing Syria to kill more people

Syrian children condemn the veto. Photograph from Facebook group Syrian Days of Rage

And Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi concludes:

@RedRazan: Veto or not, Assad will be toppled by the great people of #Syria.

Meanwhile, online activists have started a campaign to boycott Chinese products in retaliation against the Chinese veto. On Twitter, the campaign is run under the hash tag #BoycottChina4Syria.

Lina Tibi writes [ar]:

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

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She gives an introduction first:

Then she describes the utilization of social media among Palestinians:

Kopty then talks about coordination between the online and offline worlds:

And finally, she concludes:

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In their Facebook page they explain:

The idea of The Sociological Cinema came to us over the course of several conversations in which we repeatedly found ourselves discussing our use of video clips in the classroom. Our experiences in the classroom taught us that videos were highly effective at illustrating course concepts and theories, supplementing analyses found in course texts, and keeping students more engaged. With our experiences confirmed by scholarship on teaching and learning, the pedagogical case for using video in the classroom was overwhelming.

Videoclips or videos do not necessarily have to be short: this 50 minute Al Jazeera documentary on the Bahraini Uprising is suggested as an introduction to the study social movements and “exploring the evolution and consequences of state tactics aimed at quelling the protests - both violent and non-violent.”

When studying globalization, inequality and communities, this next short videoclip titled The Miniature Earth is suggested:

Given that large numbers can be difficult to put into perspective (and thus important information about the world runs the risk of becoming meaningless or unremarkable), this video illustrates for students how the global community fares on such indicators as hunger, religious affiliation, literacy, wealth, education, government expenditures, among many others. The clip is not only useful for helping students understand global inequality and differences, but it also reminds students of the enormity of their own social privilege relative to the majority of the world.

Movies are also sources for videoclips, like this minute long example from Up In the Air, starring George Clooney, which serves to illustrate stereotyping. The Sociological Cinema also provides additional suggestions for reading material to accompany the lessons.

This clip shows comedian Anita Renfroe condensing the phrases a typical mother says to her children in the course of a day to the duration of the William Tell Overture. In the classroom, sociology students can first list role expectations of mothers, and then discuss the roles mothers have and also focus on gender role expectations of fathers.

Beyond being a repository for videos, the site is also a source for teaching advice and shared experiences when teaching sociology. In An Online Video Assignment (that is Fun to Grade!) instructors suggest turning the tables on the students, and asking them to look for videos which they will categorize and tag as a way for them to apply their knowledge:

 In the process, students do the same analytical exercise that we do in the classroom with clips found elsewhere on this site. The learning outcomes are for students to 1) become familiar with using and applying sociological concepts; 2) use their sociological imagination to engage familiar content; 3) teach each other through the course blog; and 4) become more critical media consumers. The upside for me is that I have interesting and engaging assignments with which I can evaluate them (of course, the videos must be short to make this a time effective exercise to grade).

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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.

Written by Abdoulaye Bah · Translated by Chellsy Alis Manning · View original post [fr] · comments (0)
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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

and also [fr]:

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

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

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

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

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.

Written by Francois-Xavier Ada-Affana · Translated by Jane Ellis · View original post [fr] · comments (0)
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Yemenis in New York threw a shoe in the direction of outgoing Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, whom they say should be standing before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and not staying at Manhattan's Luxury Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The shoe did not hit Saleh but sent home the message that Yemenis are angry he is getting pampered instead of facing justice for his crimes against the Yemeni people.

On Thursday February 2, 2012, a press conference was organized in front of the Ritz Carlton, where Yemenis and Yemeni Americans standing on the sidewalk opposite the hotel expressed their anger by waving placards with slogans saying “democracies should not host dictators,” as well as photographs of people who were killed in Yemen's year-long revolution.

Amel Ahmed @iiamelii, a NYC-based freelance writer, law student and member of the Yemeni American Coalition for Change speaking to Democracy Now (video starts at “10:45) said:

Dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh is staying at this hotel, so we came out to protest the fact that our government would allow him into this country to begin with. We don’t feel that he should be here in the United States of America. We think it sends the wrong message to the Middle East, if you’re saying that you support democracy in the Middle East, and you’re anti-extremism in the Middle East, then you shouldn’t be supporting dictators. You should be supporting people on the ground who are calling for a democracy. I mean, for years, we’ve criticized the Muslim world, for turning to extremism and not sharing the same democratic values, meanwhile we have an entire generation that’s rising up and demanding democracy, and meanwhile, you’re hosting a dictator in a five-star hotel. The message is conflicting, and there should be a consistent message coming from the White House.”

Another protester rally was staged on Sunday (Feb 5), when Saleh himself exited the Ritz Carlton, confirming his debatable stay at the hotel. Protesters shouted at him, “O'Afash (an offensive name given to Saleh by Yemenis) you will be prosecuted for killing innocent people,” when Saleh provokingly waved at them and blew kisses at them as shown in this video (posted by: ahmedfathinyc) prompting a shoe to be hurled at him from a protester. Another tried to cross the police barricade but was arrested.

@SummerNasser, who was at the protest, tweeted:

@SummerNasser: SALEH CAME OUT OF THE RITZ, throwing kisses at us. one protester tried to run across the street to go after him. He got arrested!!!!!

@SummerNasser: The chants that we said were: “ICC not NYC” ; “Shame On Ritz for hosting criminals” ; Obama must choose a side, Human rights or genocide”

@SummerNasser: I can't believe I saw the man that killed thousands of my people back home. No words to describe what I was feeling. No words..

She tweeted a photograph of a sign another fellow activist, Ahlam Said, was carrying:

@SummerNasser: @AhlamS's sign for the rally today. pic.twitter.com/elI9JIU7

A sign Ahlam Said was carrying in the protest in front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New York

@AhlamS, an online organizer and daughter of Yemeni immigrants, tweeted:

While Yemenis at Guantanamo bay r being tortured w/out a trial, Saleh is livin it up at the ritz carlton. THE RITZ! #yemen

@AhlamS added:

video of #Saleh n NY waving & throwing kisses at the #Yemeni protestors. Medical treatment my @$$. He looks fine 2 me ht.ly/8Tb7e

She finally added:

@monaeltahawy picture of us with the shoe that was few feet frm hitting #Yemen's brutal dictator #Saleh ow.ly/i/rHHG

@SamWaddah expressed what the majority of Yemenis felt:

@SummerNasser @AhlamS Proud of you guys! Saleh has faced humiliation today like never before!

@wsaqaf tweeted with irony:

Protester who threw #Saleh with shoe in #NYC got arrested by police yet when Saleh threw bombs at his people, he was rewarded!

A statement issued by the Yemeni American Coalition for Change, the organizers of the rally said:

[We] are outraged and disgusted with our government's decision to grant the dictator temporary haven and diplomatic immunity….We demand with a unified voice that that these hotel chains respond to what the international community has classified as the work of war criminals.

Yemenis, especially the Yemeni-American community living in the US have been protesting against Saleh's visit to the US, which was under the pretext of seeking medical treatment. Many believe Saleh is in the US for a treat rather than a medical treatment. When the Obama administration decided in December to permit Saleh to visit the country, an official said that NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital would be providing his treatment, but the hospital has not confirmed that report.

Update: If the purpose of the visit to the US was really medical @GregoryDJohnsen suggested:

This all could have been avoided http://nyti.ms/zjvMjA Instead of bringing Salih to the US, could have brought US doctors to Salih in Saudi

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

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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]:

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”

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]:

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]:

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.

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China justified its decision to veto the draft resolution, saying it wants to promote peace in Syria, and Russia claims to hope for a diplomatic approach to resolving the conflict in the country. As FireDogLake writer David Dayen points out: “The fact that Russia still supplies arms to the Syrian security forces clearly weighed heavily on the vote today.”

US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, confronting Li Baodong, China. Image posted to Weibo.

Unrest in the country has led to an estimated 7,000 deaths since March last year, with more than 200 lives lost in a massacre earlier this week.

Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the People's Daily tabloid Global Times, made today what is perhaps one of the most vocal statements in support of China's decision to veto the draft resolution, ending up under heavy fire in the comments section. Taking offense at Susan Rice's reported “disgust” at China's vote, Hu confuses her [zh] with Condoleezza Rice but also writes:

美国代表不点名批评中俄“出卖了叙利亚人民的意愿”。骂去好了。美国多次在安理会涉以色列提案表决时搞“一票否决”，这次中俄是“两票否决”。叶利钦当年说的好：只要中俄联手，美国无论捣鼓什么，“都是手淫”。赞呵。

Almost as a sort of response, writer Ran Yunfei wrote [zh] shortly after that:

一个政府做一次错事可以原谅，不可原谅的是把做错事当成事业。我不是个民族主义者，但百年来的历史证明，中国与俄国的联手从来都没有对过。

One “verified” commentator on Sina Weibo wrote [zh] early Sunday morning Beijing time that Russia and China ought now to be removed the Security Council and China replaced by Taiwan; that post was quickly deleted.

Sorry world, sorry Syria, we Chinese have an evil government. —Michael Anti, on Twitter.

The horrific video below [WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT], however, purportedly of the massacre Thursday in Homs, has not yet been deleted and has gathered hundreds of comments across the different spaces on which it's been embedded. At Sina Video, where it's currently being hosted, the most recent comment reads:

尼玛的我们国家在干什么鸟呀

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

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