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 Africa Cup of Nations began in Bata, Equatorial Guinea this Saturday January 21, 2012, kicking off three weeks of fierce competition. The Cup of Nations, the most important international football competition in Africa, is taking place in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea between January 21 and 12 February.

Supporters in Africa and around the world have been enjoying the build-up to the two opening matches; dancing, light and sound were all part of the spectacle:

GaGuie the Mascot! With GAGUIE : GA as in Gabon, GUI as in Guinea and E as in Equatorial! Image from fr.cafonline.com with permission

Here is a round up of the first three days of the tournament.

Matchday One

Libya took on Equatorial Guinea in the curtain raiser on 21 January, and it was co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, making their tournament debut, who took a surprise 1-0 win.

With just six minutes remaining, Balboa, the Equatorial Guinea number 11 finally opened the scoring after a one-on-one with the Libyan goalkeeper. The score stayed 1-0 until the final whistle, to the delight of the Equatorial Guinea fans who had packed the stadium.

The Senegalese fluffed their entry to the competition with a 2-1 defeat inflicted by Zambia on the same day. Senegal fans took to the web to place the blame on coach of the national team.

Touy wrote on Seneweb News [fr]:

le souci avec un entraîneur local c'est que même s'il se rend compte que le capitaine par exemple Niang n'est pas au niveau il aura la crainte la peur ou la pudeur de le faire sortir au détriment de la victoire bien sur!!

Amara Traoré [fr] on RFI sheds some light on the subject for us:

Tout le monde savait avant même le début de la CAN que les zambiens sont très vifs et utiliseraient cette vivacité pour gérer les sénégalais beaucoup plus costauds. Alors lui l’entraîneur et son staff devraient trouver un bon système pour les contenir avant de les attaquer.Donc je trouve kil n'a pas fais son boulot qui était de voir les choses venir et de jouer avec des joueurs rapides mais surtout de ne pas trop bourrer cette attaque ou personne ne se retrouve .

Matchday Two

The second matchday saw the entry of one of the competition favourites: the ‘Elephants' of Côte d'Ivoire. A magnificent strike by Didier Drogba in the 39th minute secured the victory for Côte d'Ivoire over Sudan. The win for the Elephants wasn't enough for every Ivorian fan on the net however. Many felt that they could have done better.

Phox Hermann [fr] said:

la vérité est bonne à dire heinnn. ELEPHANT ke moi jai vu là c N'IMPORTE KOI

Bi Tia Vincent Toh [fr] added:

la conservation d'un unique but nous a donné des sueurs froides.
Que Mr Gervino soit un peu plus réaliste devant les buts,
Que Mr Yaya Touré regagne sa place au milieu et joue effectivement comme à city
Que la defense cesse d etre trop permeable,

Angola also played their first game and overpowered Burkina Faso with a 2-1 victory.

Matchday Three

Gabon, the second co-host team of the 2012 Cup of Nations showed their strength with a 2-0 win over Niger, the opening Group C match of the tournament played in a fantastic atmosphere in the Stade de l'Amitié in Libreville.

Rodrigue Magaya [fr] commented on Aubameyang's goal on Facebook:

que dire?!!!merci aux gars, il fallait ça pour la beauté du spetacle et naturelement monter a tt nos adversaires que nous sommes la!!bien en place et on a pas peur!!!vive la can, et vive encore plus nos pantheres;que Dieu benisse le gabon!!!!!!

The 2012 Cup of Nations can be followed on TV5 Monde, Canal+ Afrique and on Twitter and Google+ via the hashtags #CAN2012 (in French) et #ACN2012 (in English).

Written by Francois-Xavier Ada-Affana · Translated by Dan Horlor · View original post [fr] · comments (1)
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Writing about the tournament on FourFourTwo, Jonathan Fadugba (@JustFootball) shows how Africa's 41st best footballing nation, Equatorial Guinea, came to host the AFCON:

As one of the smallest countries in continental Africa, what do you do if you cannot play your way to a major international tournament? In Equatorial Guinea's case the answer was simple. You buy your way in.

Aided by the discovery of vast oil and gas reserves that prompted huge economic growth in the mid-1990s, Equatorial Guinea found the resources possible to mount a joint bid with neighbours Gabon. After seeing off competition from Nigeria, in 2006 they were named joint hosts for what will be their first ever African Cup of Nations.

In a sense, therefore, the challenge is already won for the Nzalang Nacional. As a nation with just 2,300 registered players merely competing on such a stage is impressive enough.

He continues to describe what Equatorial Guinea’s Head of State is expecting:

 

2012 Africa Cup of Nations logo. Image source: cafonline.com

President Obiang has boldly declared that he expects Equatorial Guinea to go all the way at this Cup of Nations. “Not only do we want the national team to display attractive football and sporting values, we also want them to win the Cup. The trophy must remain in Equatorial Guinea,” he stated. But really this is a pipe dream. The squad is arguably the weakest in the competition 

Krobea D’Bee (@kwame_amoh), a Ghananian sports columnist, roots for his team the Black Stars – the nickname for Ghana’s national team. He starts by saying:

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations will be one of the keenly contested continental showpieces irrespective of opinions making rounds that it will not live up to the billing as a result of the absence of nations like Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria

He goes on to say:

Truly, the joint-favourites tag carried by Ghana and Ivory Coast is deserving though it puts pressure on the two West African neighbours. For Ghana’s Black Stars, the pressure is doubled some sort because of their performance at the global showpiece before this tournament

Erick E. Cleves, a blogger based in Venezuela, predicts a Ghana-Ivory Coast final:

Although the tournament has many interesting and powerful sides, the favourites are surely the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Both teams have a strong base of experienced European-based players, and both have experience of international tournaments at the highest level.
My support and heart is with the Black Stars! And I hope to be able to watch some African football from here in South America!

A 15-year-old blogger (@NathSalt1) notes the ‘headache’ that teams in the English Premier League have to undergo while losing their players for a month or so to the continental competition:

Every Premier League manager’s nightmare, but spectators and a scouts dream. With some of the best and hottest worldwide talents on display the African Nations Cup is always a delight to watch. The tournament illustrates the strength of talent Africa can offer top clubs around the world. With competition in the tournament improving hugely every two years that it’s staged a lot of teams will feel they can make a push to win it.

Mark (@twoht) has quite a detailed preview of the 2012 showcase:

Sudan are no longer a nation, after partition in July 2011, although the fledgling South Sudan national side still has international affiliations to sort out. While Libya are a very different nation indeed after the bloodiest of cabinet reshuffles last spring… Libyan football was hugely complicated by the fact that Colonel Gaddafi’s son Saadi could play the game properly – even if his career was boosted by the predictable “helping hands.” So “politicised” was almost a euphemism.

Libya’s pre-uprising captain, Tariq Ibrahim Al-Tayib, openly declared his and his team’s support for Gaddafi. But that was probably why he was captain. Others thought differently as they metaphorically battled on at neutral venues while real battles were fought at home (never were metaphors of war to describe football more inappropriate)….

Gabon’s qualification as co-hosts comes two years after they were squeaked out of a quarter-final place in the Angolan tournament’s tightest group. However, Equatorial Guinea have no such competition tradition and are internationally-ranked lower than the earth’s core – the lowest Fifa-ranked team (and by some distance too, at 151) in the tournament

He also discusses an article that looks at the relationship between the tournament and ‘oil-rich” nations:

A thought-provoking article by Sam Wallace in the Independent newspaper likened Equatorial Guinea to Qatar – in the “lots of lovely oil” sense, as much as “the only way Equatorial Guinea were going to play in the African Nations was by hosting it”. But this blazed no trail, as Austria and Switzerland showed in Euro 2008. Wallace was also scathing of the African Confederation (CAF) for selecting politically “unsuitable” tournament hosts (Libya were due to be 2013 hosts until their “regime change”)… Wallace’s basic point was a good one, well-made. The event has become “the target of oil-rich nations with dubious track records and in need of a PR-stunt.”

Finally, a popular sports analyst, Gary Al-Smith (@garyalsmith) looks at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations through Sex, Love and Magic:

 

AFCON trophy is the most coveted trophy in African soccer. Image released under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Shasta

The sex tales are applicable to Botswana as well. First-timers at the tournament, they reek of naiveté. 

Why else would the team have to order (not suggest) grown men not to ‘boink’?

The Zebras [the Botswana national team] have been warned to stay away from sexual activities, with boss Stanley Tshosane warning that “sex drains energy from a player and I expect my players to abstain till end of the tournament”. He’s also issued drug abuse warnings, touting “face-to-face and group talks with the players.”
—

While some of the methods were based in medical science, rumour mongers accused Ghana of jinxing their Group D opponents by using ‘charms.’
Magic is not new to the African Cup. From the failure of South Africa to qualify being blamed on non-payment of a sangoma to the assertion that Michael Essien’s injury at Angola 2010 was caused by psychic powers, there are countless stories.

Ask players with Cameroon why there never seems to be peace between their star-studded lineup, and you may get whispers of how there are “too many marabouts working for the same team”, thereby cancelling out the efficacy of their powers. Is there any truth to these stories? That is certainly open to question.

—

Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, the hosts, will use every trick in the book – fair or foul – to get as far as they can. After all, it’s what hosts do. Equatorial Guinea have offered $1 million USD to the team for every victory, in addition to $20,000 for every goal.

Outrageous amounts of money have been splashed before but not like this.

He ends the post by saying:

As ever, there are bound to be many subplots in the tournament which starts (on January 21st) and ends on February 12. Here’s hoping there isn’t too much boinking in obscure places

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This gesture from Gabon could be viewed as an act of solidarity with the UN agency, but activists in this oil-rich Central African nation are urging the public to look beyond the announcement.

Open letter to Irina Bokova

Image of a primary school in Mefoupe, Woleu Ntem, Northern Gabon. Creative Commons, jp-rougou.blogspot.com

In an open letter to Irina Bokova, the Director General of the UNESCO, Ca suffit comme ça (Enough is Enough) [fr], Gabon's largest civil society organisation, explained why Gabon's donation should not be accepted [fr] :

En temps normal, une telle contribution à l’effort scientifique et culturel, ne poserait aucun problème mais, au regard de la paupérisation galopante dans notre pays actuellement, le Peuple Gabonais, poussé par l'instinct de survie, vient plutôt lancer un appel à votre organisme pour qu’il refuse le don de 2 millions de dollars US que voudrait lui offrir l’Etat gabonais.

Ali Bongo, in an interview to the UN radio, justified his offer:

We have indicated our wish, like the one of many other countries, for the creation of a Palestinian State, at the side of the State of Israel. (…) The Palestinian people have the same right to its aspirations like the rest of us.

Gabon has recognised [fr] the existence of Palestine since 1989.

On an article published by Jeune Afrique, ‘le gabonais' commented:

Contrairement aux uns, je pense que l'aide apporter à l'UNESCO est normale. car cette institution apporte beaucoup au monde et au peuple gabonais en particulier. l'Unesco soutient nos programmes et surtout ceux de la société civile au Gabon depuis ces dernier temps. laisser l'Unesco dans la boue faute d'avoir accueilli la Palestine est inadmissible. Merci Mr le Président d'avoir fait le geste.

In its letter to Irina Bokova, Ca suffit comme ça offers examples of alleged human rights violation by the incumbent regime:

Plusieurs illustrations peuvent être apportées à la corruption et à la privation de libertés fondamentales : plusieurs responsables de médias privés écrits et audiovisuels sont régulièrement emprisonnés et leurs médias illégalement suspendus, des leaders syndicaux de l'éducation nationale et d'autres fonctionnaires de ce secteur d'activité se sont vus suspendre leurs salaires pour avoir exercé leurs droits civiques ; des partis politiques dissouts (exemple de l’Union Nationale, principal parti de l’opposition gabonaise) (…)

Human rights violation caught on video?

Members of Ca suffit comme ça have publicised a video illustrating what they consider to be one of the Ali Bongo regime's violations, specifically regarding the right to receive a decent education. On November 14, YouTube user Miguel Yalban posted a video of an alleged attack by public forces in a high school of Port-Gentil, the country's second largest city and the center of Gabon's petroleum industry:

The female student in the video explains [fr]:

Students of Thuriaf Bantsantsa school have been on strike since Friday morning (November 11, 2011) (…). This morning we were at our school, we hadn't broken anything. Public forces arrived to ensure security, but instead of that, they came in and started beating up kids in uniform (…) One girl fell, I don't know if you've seen that (…) others were wounded, we took them to the hospital

Some netizens doubted the veracity of the event. One YouYube user mpsi91 commented [fr] :

Ohh qu'est ce qu'ils revendiquent même? Certains font la grève là juste pour ne pas avoir cours (à sourire au caméra pendant que les autres essayent d'expliquer le problème)!

Elie Gbg Jeremie, a Facebook user who appears to be a student from the school, explains:

ns eleves de BANTSANTSA ns n avons pas accepter la decision du conseil de ministre d la semaine derniere qi a nommé notre proviseur a un autre poste (…). Notr Lycée a 1e tres mauvaise renomée dans la vill e de Pog M.Mihindou vient et veux chang cette image de nous,on ns l enleve. (…) cette scene fut vraiment ecoeurente lorsq ses gens ns ont prit d assaut.

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1,000,000 BRL ($570,000 USD): that is the price paid by the president of Gabon, Ali Bongo [pt] to gift himself a football tie against the Seleçao [national football team] of Brazil according to the Brazilian news site Folha.

Excessive spending is nothing new for the Bongo family. The satirical French newspaper ‘Le Canard Enchaîné' revealed [fr] on November 8, 2011, that Omar Bongo, the former president of Gabon went on a purchasing binge for suits worth 344,000 EUR in Paris in 2007. His son, Ali Bongo,  the current president also spent 88,000 EUR in 2010 for the same type of purchase. These expenses are in stark contrast with the harsh reality of the everyday lives of the Gabonese population.

Ali Bongo, President of Gabon by the World Economic Forum on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

A large proportion of the population remains poor

According to the CIA Factbook, “Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most Sub-Saharan African nations, but because of high income inequality, a large proportion of the population remains poor.”

It is this large proportion of impoverished citizens that the Brazilian national football team witnessed during its stay which began on November 7 upon their arrival in Libreville.

On the online platform Le Post, Gabonese activist and blogger Jean-Pierre Rougou describes the visit as follows [fr]:

Alors que l'équipe brésilienne foulait le sol gabonais pour le match amical à se tenir le 10 novembre sur le terrain inachevé et en mauvais état du stade de l'amitié que la Chine a fait don au Gabon, les joueurs ont pu observer à travers les vitres de leur autobus, le spectacle dévastateur des destructions de quartiers du gouvernement de Ali Bongo

The stadium was built by a Chinese company in exchange for lucrative mineral exploitation contracts.

To illustrate his comment, Rougou shared a YouTube video posted by user VeioRJ on November 8. It was shot from the inside of the Seleçao's bus while they traveled in the streets of Libreville:

The video caused strong reactions among many Gabonese netizens. On a Facebook group named ‘Infos Kinguélé‘ many shared their point of view on the video and on the Brazilian team's visit:

Citoyen libre Gabon writes [fr]:

Les Brésiliens n'ont fait que réagir comme tout être humain normal ferait en se rendant dans un pays supposé être riche de pétrole, manganèse, bois, etc., avec seulement 1,5 million d'habts!

Ningmultimedia Ningworld adds [fr]:

ces brésiliens viennent prendre leur agent au Gabon et par la suite ils continuent de se moquer de notre sale vie

Brazil vs Gabon: A complete flop?

Brazilian sports news site ‘Globo Esporte' reports that the stadium built by Chinese contractors  where the game is scheduled is in poor condition [pt]:

De longe, lembra o Engenhão, no Rio de Janeiro. Porém, de perto, a história muda de figura. (…) Além disso, a pista de atletismo, no entorno do gramado, ainda está sendo finalizada.

The defense player of the Brazilian team, Luisao, shared with the AFP about the contrast he witnessed during his visit:

“On sait qu'ici le gens ont leurs problèmes et arriver ici et voir les gens sourire au passage de la Seleçao, la joie dans le stade, c'est une fierté.” Le défenseur du Benfica commente aussi la pauvreté aperçue et les dizaines de maisons détruites par les autorités lors d'une opération de lutte contre les constructions anarchiques le long de la voie menant au stade.

According to this article on Folha.com, the journalist explains that the 1,000,000 BRL paid by Ali Bongo was initially intended for a special practice match played by members of the Brazilian national team in front of thousands of selected Gabonese VIP officials:

O número certo de “amigos do presidente” –como um alto executivo do governo chama o grupo– no evento é uma incógnita. Militares afirmam que Ali Bongo convidou de mil a até 15 mil aliados.

However, when the managers of the seleçao saw the poor condition of the Stadium, they refused to let their players practice at the ‘Friendship Stadium'. The journalist adds that the Technical Committee of the Brazilian team (CBT) ignored that the practice match was organised by Ali Bongo himself.

The match against the Gabonese national team nevertheless took place on November 10, 2011. The beginning of the game was delayed because of an electricity outage. ‘Brasil x Gabao' (Brazil vs Gabon) was even trending worldwide on Twitter:

Brazilian netizens shared their views on the event. Lucas ironically writes [pt]:

@Sou1nerd: Brasil x gabão = zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

And Jairo Costa adds [pt]:

@Jairo_Costa: R$1.000.000,00 de suborno n eh suborno,eh Brasil x Gabao…um absurdo!!

Gabonese blogger Rougou conludes his post by saying [fr]:

Le match amical du Gabon contre l'équipe B du Brésil est une occasion pour Ali Bongo de tenter d'endormir le peuple en essayant de lui faire oublier ses problèmes de vie quotidiens. Mais que le gouvernement de l'incompétence et de l'improvisation se révise, le peuple n'est pas dupe!

This post is part of our special coverage page Gabon Unrest 2011.

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Robert Bourgi, a shady lawyer and advisor for “African affairs” has confessed [fr] to French media he acted for years as a go-between for French politicians and Francophone Africa heads of states, delivering approximatively $20 million in cash to former President Chirac, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin, and extreme-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, to finance past election campaigns.

Screen shot of Lawyer R. Bourgi on BFM TV

“Not exactly breaking news”

Despite the storm of denials and libel suits, Mwona Mboka in Congo echoed a widely shared feeling [fr], in France and in Africa:

Ce n’est pas un scoop, tout le monde le sait. Il a tout simplement oublié de nous révéler le montant des commissions qu’il prenait au passage.

Françafrique, a generic name for French neocolonialism and the plundering of  natural resources in its former colonies, has been investigated  for years, though books, articles and documentaries (video). However, this is the first time that a key player of  the “Françafrique” network, on a first-name basis with African presidents, have revealed insider information.

His confession reads like a mafia-film script: wads of cash stuffed in suitcases or even in African drums delivered to the Elysee Palace, codenames such as “Mamadou” for Minister De villepin, and “Daddy” for late Gabonese President Omar Bongo.

The cast of alleged funders, all African presidents, include: the late Omar Bongo in Gabon, Blaise Compaoré in Burkina Faso, Laurent Gbagbo in Cote d'Ivoire, President Wade and his son Karim in Senegal, Denis Sassou Nguesso in the Republic of Congo, and even President of Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony, Teodoro Obiang.

A close aide of ex President Gbagbo [fr] in Côte d'Ivoire has confirmed Bourgi's allegations.

'50 years of Françafrique is enough!' - Demonstration poster (2010) from website Survie.org

Reactions from African blogospheres

Thousand of comments and reactions have flooded African blogospheres. In the Republic of Congo, an oil-rich country riled with poverty, 216 Congolese expressed on Mwinda.com [fr] the anger, humiliation and exasperation shared by netizen accross Francophone Africa.

René Mavoungou Pambou [fr]:

Voilà qu’on nous flanque en plein visage les méfaits ou crimes dont est capable la prétendue douce France, berceau des droits de l’homme.

Mouk writes [fr]:

tant que la France sera en Afrique, il n y aura ni paix ni développement. la classe politique française étant l'une des plus prostituées au monde, la démocratie et les libertés pour les africains ne la concernent pas.

Ata Ndele, on the same comment thread, is thinking ahead [fr]:

Les spécialistes africains du droit peuvent-ils nous dire si nous pouvons , nous aussi, porter plainte en tant que partie civile ?

A number of commentators, like Yacobi, turn their anger toward their leaders [fr]:

Vous hommes politiques africains, commencez à mieux traiter vos peuples, les blancs vont vous regarder différemment.

Mame Diop, on his Facebook page [fr], links the money sent to France and the widespread underdevelopment:

Combien de mères vont encore mourir ce soir en donnant la vie, faute de dispensaire, d'ambulances, de routes praticables, de médecins! Combien? […] Débarrassons nous de cette bande de macaques!!!

'When will we quit?' - Anti-Françafrique poster

In Senegal, Seneweb [fr] site is bursting with reactions to the alleged implication of President Wade and his son, as the 2012 presidential election looms:

Lune: Je crois que laisser une minute de plus Abdoulaye Wade et sa maudite famille à la tete de notre pays releverait de la lacheté

Mooo [fr]:

je pense que le temps est venu de limiter nos relations avec ces puissances occidentales voyous qui nous ont maintenu dans la pauvreté,les guerres civiles,les dictatures pendant des siècles.Le moment est venu pour l'Afrique de s'ouvrir aux autres puissances et pays émergents tels:La Chine,Le Japon,le Brésil et certains pays arabes.Nos relations d'avec les puissances occidentales pendant des siècles ne nous valu que tristesse et misère.

Senegalese Ahmadou Fall thinks it is already the case [fr] on Afrique en ligne:

Le choix des dirigeants (chefs d'États) n'est plus une prérogative de la France au gré de ses intérêts et de sa stratégie géopolitique.La France qui reçoit ces valises de la honte, remplies de billets destinés au financement occulte de partis politiques est cette même France qui perd sa place dans cette Afrique qui s'oriente vers d'autres partenaires…Le Rwanda de Paul Kagame l'illustre assez bien avec la destitution du français comme langue officielle, au profit de l'anglais. La percée des pays asiatiques en lieu et place des anciennes puissances coloniales montre qu'il faut plus que jamais changer d'attitude et de stratégie…

Adopt a French presidential candidate!

In Burkina Faso, a country troubled by violent mutinies in the army, Leyla M. Diallo launches a tongue-in-cheeck appeal to her president, on opposition Facebook group Blaise Campaoré doit partir (Blaise Campaoré must go) [fr]:

Toi qui es assuré de gagner ton élection à 80% des suffrages exprimés, partage un peu de ta béatitude avec un candidat perclus de sous-financement aigu sévère. Toi, dont les dépenses courantes sont moins contrôlées que dans les pays du Nord: parraine un présidentiable français!”

Faso.net has republished a column from Le Pays, urging civil society to come forward [fr]:

les Africains doivent comprendre qu’ils sont les vrais perdants dans cette histoire. Il est temps qu’ils fassent preuve de maturité et prennent à bras-le-corps leurs responsabilités. L’obligation de rendre compte, inhérente à toute gouvernance démocratique, doit cesser d’être un simple discours. La balle est, pour cet aggiornamento, dans le camp de la société civile africaine. Elle doit sortir de sa torpeur et prendre le relais, pour demander des explications à tous les gouvernants

In France, where a judge has scheduled a preliminary hearing of Robert Bourgi, Survie.org, the pioneer organisation who filed a lawsuit against African leaders and their “ill gotten gains” in France, urges French voters to demand a thorough parliamentary investigation, on the eve of their own presidential election:

un tel audit devra poser toutes les questions qui fâchent, qu’il s’agisse du soutien aux dictateurs africains et aux contreparties obtenues, du financement occulte de la vie politique française, du rôle de l’armée française et de ses multiples ingérences, des multinationales, du franc CFA, etc.Au-delà des mallettes et des millions d’euros évoqués dans cette affaire, il est utile de rappeler que l’Afrique est victime d’une prédation économique et financière particulièrement sophistiquée

Written by Claire Ulrich · comments (1)
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The central African Republic of Gabon has been facing a latent political and social crisis since January 26, 2011. André Mba Obame, president of the now banned opposition party ‘National Union', took his oath as the country's president, claiming that he had won the June 2009 election which was officially won by Ali Bongo, son of the former president Omar Bongo.

The crisis has since deepened, with protests from students and recently oil workers, despite of the exit of Mba Obame from the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) building where he had sought refuge for a month.

Immunity lifted

On May 5, Mba Obame, who is also a Gabonese member of parliament (MP), saw his parliamentary immunity removed by a National Assembly vote, after he was accused of high treason. This will allow legal proceedings against Mba Obame before a civil tribunal.

The procedure at the National Assembly was initially scheduled to take place on May 4, but in this already tense situation, hundreds of Mba Obame's supporters demonstrated to show their support to the one they consider their real leader. They gathered in front of the National Assembly building in Libreville, the capital city, surrounded by an imposing army deployment, forcing the president of the National Assembly to postpone the hearing.

Jean-Pierre Rougou, a Gabonese activist, has posted a few pictures of this demonstration:

Mba Obame's car surrounded by partisans in front of the National Assembly, Libreville. Image copyright Jean-Pierre Rougou.

Army facing demonstrators in front of the National Assembly, Libreville. Image copyright Jean-Pierre Rougou.

Netizen reactions

On website La voix du peuple Gabonais (Voice of the Gabonese People) more than 138 comments were posted under the article [fr] on this news. According to user AMO Advocat, a civil war would be the consequence of the possible arrest of Mba Obame:

[…] Boukoubi n'a qu'à arrêter AMO si lui et son chef son courageux

Mais les conséquences seront une guerre civile et impitoyable

Mba Obame claims that the lift of his immunity is a political act which aims at his political and physical elimination [fr] by the current Gabonese government.

National Assembly representatives have given another explanation for the vote. According to MP Jean Christophe Mbiguidi Dinga, who led the ad hoc commission in charge of this case, as quoted on website infosgabon [fr], the lift of immunity will “allow the possibility of Mba Obame to explain himself before the law”.

This post is part of our special coverage Gabon Unrest 2011.

Written by Julie Owono · comments (1)
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While the rest of the world searches for alternatives to petrol, it is the basis of almost the entire economy of countries like Gabon. Several months ago the country was rocked by revolts that went widely unreported yet which by the end of January saw the leader of the political opposition declare himself as the new President. The issues are now extending beyond politics and are now impacting Gabon's petroleum sector, which provides 60% of the national revenues.

Libreville, Gabon by carlosoliveirareis via Flickr Creative Commons License 2.0

AFP reports that since Saturday April 2nd:

La quasi-totalité de la production pétrolière du Gabon, 4e producteur sub-saharien, était stoppée samedi, au deuxième jour de la grève des employés du secteur, alors qu'à Libreville et Port-Gentil, les stations ne disposaient plus de carburant.

Shell and Total, the two largest operators in the country have seen their production come to a complete standstill.

The main demands of the protesters concern the use of foreign labour :

L’Onep (l’organisation nationale des employés du pétrole) a lancé une grève jeudi à minuit afin d'obtenir un décret réglementant l'emploi de la main d'oeuvre étrangère. L'Onep entend à la fois lutter contre l'emploi de hauts cadres expatriés et surtout contre le recours à une main d'oeuvre africaine ou asiatique qu'elle estime peu ou pas qualifiée.

As Desiré Clitandre Dzonteu explains, the President had announced the creation of an audit system for the petroleum sector.

Cet audit a pour ambition de contrôler les flux financiers issus de l'industrie pétrolière et de renforcer sa gouvernance au Gabon. […] L'objectif au bout de cet audit, a souligné le chef de l'Etat, est de voir si les termes des contrats sont avantageux ou non pour le gouvernement gabonais.

It appears that either the employees or the State are showing signs of a desire to end the relationship with the management of Gabon's petroleum sector. Serge Tchaha continues:

Il y a toujours la peur du syndrome hollandais qui guette les pays qui ont ce type de ressources. Cependant, il faut aussi admettre que ces ressources sont un réservoir pour l’amélioration de la santé économique et financière des pays .

It seems we have not heard the last of this affair.

Written by Mejasoa Razafimihary · Translated by Dan Horlor · View original post [fr] · comments (0)
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Shortly after the return to work was announced (en), Total Gabon announced that it “was going to make available 20 billion Central African CFA francs to finance the renovation of Port-Gentil airport, (fr) through the PID fund (Diversified Investment Provision), according to the terms of an agreement signed recently between the oil company and the Gabonese government.”

On the afrique-espoir (hope-Africa) blog Benoit Thelliez explains the details of the renovation plans (fr)

The short term aim is to lengthen the runway in order to allow super-carriers like the Boeing 777 to land, then to completely rebuild the airport terminal building once the the current building has been totally demolished.  The first phase should not take very long to complete explains Jean-Philippe Magnan, Managing Director of Total Gabon, who expects to see “the first commercial flights (Ed: international) before the end of 2011″.  Ultimately, the new airport, which will also be endowed with a presidential wing, should be completed in 2012.

Thelliez adds:

The PID fund has existed in Gabon since 1974 and was originally managed by the French International Bank of Africa.  The money is paid out of ministerial funds “in proportion to their [the oil companies'] turnover and is tax free.  The size of this fund is set on an annual basis as per the agreement between the administrative authorities who act as trustees of the fund and the oil companies, and depend on the agreed investments.  In theory, this cannot exceed 10% of the actual turnover of the company.”
These funds are set aside by the oil companies “to finance economic, social or educational investment which the government requires them to carry out.”

This initiative has come at the right time as oil production is declining and the State needs to boost investment in the rest of the economy.
Stéphane Ballong explains (fr):

It has to be said that oil production in Gabon has been stagnating for the past few years.  From 371000 barrels per day (b/d) in 1997, it progressively slowed to a rate of 243000 b/d in 2007.  Since then it has remained around 250 000 b/d, according to official figures.  Unless a major new discovery is made which would allow for a significant upturn within the sector, the watch word of the Gabonese oil industry remains, for the time being, revamping the more marginal fields and using new technologies to increase production from the more mature fields.

This petroleum fund has often been more profitable for electoral campaign outside of Gabon that at home.  As such the Wikileaks revelations confirm systemic corruption (fr)within Gabonese financial systems.

Written by Mejasoa Razafimihary · Translated by Vivienne Griffiths · View original post [fr] · comments (0)
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Written by Julie Owono · Translated by Laura Charron · View original post [fr] · comments (0)
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Written by Julie Owono · comments (0)
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After spending one month in refuge at the offices of the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) in Libreville, Gabon, self-proclaimed president André Mba Obame and his government finally left the building on February 27. An agreement was reached with the official government of President Ali Bongo thanks to mediation by the UN, but this has not stilled the movement for change in Gabon. The unrest has been ongoing since January 25, when the unofficial president Mba Obame took his oath.

Bongo in trouble at World Bank

As the power struggle continues, Ali Bongo now stands accused of “misappropriation of shares for personal profit” during his time as the chairman of the board of directors of the Office of Ports and Harbors of Gabon (OPRAG). French businessman Jacques Dupuydauby filed a legal complaint on February 22 with the World Bank's International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). According to the news weekly ‘Jeune Afrique', deals Bongo made regarding two Gabonese ports are under scrutiny (via A bas le masque [fr] ).

(Dupuydauby is a historic rival of another French businessman dealing in maritime trade, Vincent Bolloré, who is a friend of President Sarkozy, and has spoken favorably of Bongo's standing.)

In France, Bruno Ben Moubamba, a Gabonese politician who was appointed minister of foreign affairs in the unofficial government, held a rally on March 7 in front of Ali Bongo's €150 million mansion in Paris. In a speech in front of the property, which is located in one of the city's most luxurious areas, he urged the French government to stop being tolerant of African dictators like Bongo. On March 3, Moubamba posted a video of himself speaking, wondering where the money used to purchase the expensive property comes from (in French with English subtitles):

Has Ali Bongo used OPRAG funds to serve his own interests, for example to acquire this “palace” in Paris: Pozzo di Borgo?

The ICSID already ruled in May 2010 that President Ali Bongo's government should pay €240 million to a Belgian consortium [fr] in an suit related to fraud in railway contracts.

This new trade dispute comes at a time of an already unfavorable context for Ali Bongo.

Uneasy truce as Mba Obame leaves the building

Only one day after Mba Obame left the UNDP building, Bongo's government announced that all members of the unofficial government would soon face “justice”. According to a post by Camarade on the website Koaci [fr], some were already summoned by Gabonese intelligence services for questioning.

Upon Mba Obame's exit of the UNDP building, many supporters offered caustic and suspicious reactions online. LVDPG ('La voix du peuple gabonais‘ - Voice of the Gabonese people) was one platform where netizens shared their concerns [fr]. Some, like ‘Le Début‘ assume there must be a deal between Ali Bongo and André Mba Obame:

Transparence oblige, il y a forcément une contre-partie, c'est la logique des négociations et du prix à payer pour sortir d'une termitière!!! AH POLITIQUE QUAND TU TIENS!!!
Alors on attend le véritable compte rendu.

Suspicions like these have only been reinforced by the fact that Mba Obame has not issued any official statements since his exit from the UNDP. Diplomatic rumors aired in Camarade's post [fr] on Koaci.com seems to confirm this theory:

Une source interne au PNUD-Gabon a également affirmé que la sortie d’exil du gouvernement Mba Obame n’est qu’une première étape du processus de décrispation du climat politique gabonais. [Ce] qui expliquerait l’annulation de la déclaration envisagée par les exilés le jour de leur sortie du PNUD.

For others, like @chrisseminarist on Twitter, Mba Obame is a strategist who put an end to his exile to continue the struggle for revolution:

@chrisseminarist (March 1): André Mba Obame continue le combat pour être reconnu président du Gabon

Revolution ahead

In spite of the alleged incapacity of the Gabonese opposition to lead a revolutionary movement, Charlie M. writes on his blog, ‘Le Gabon Enervant‘ [fr] (The Irritating Gabon) that he is convinced a revolution will happen in the country, no matter what politicians do:

Au Gabon il est clair pour tout observateur averti, que si les tenants du pouvoir n’apprennent pas à servir leurs peuples avec justice et dignité, et non tout le folklore qu’ils font en ce moment, le Gabon aura sa révolution, tôt ou tard. C’est inévitable.

This post is part of our special coverage of Gabon Unrest 2011

Written by Julie Owono · comments (2)
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The small West African country of Gabon has been experiencing weeks of political tension, as two governments - official and unofficial - have both lain claim to the presidency. On Sunday 27 February, 2011, self-proclaimed unofficial president André Mba Obame left [fr] the United Nations Development Programme building in capital Libreville, where he had been taking refuge.

The day before, 7,000 people [fr] gathered in the streets of French capital Paris to demonstrate against African dictators and the French government's alleged collusion with African dictatorial regimes.

Protesters left from Place de la République and headed to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via 51 rue de l'Université, where Ali Bongo Ondimba (current official Gabonese president) owns a 140 million Euro mansion.

Both Gabonese and Libyan activists were present in the procession.

Procession of protestors against dictatorships in Africa passing near the Louvres Museum in Paris, France on 26 February, 2011. Image by author.

Gabonese activists demonstrating against official Gabon President Ali Bongo in Paris, France on February 26, 2011. Image by author.

While passing in front of President Ali Bongo's property, the procession paused to allow protestors to shout “Ali Bongo Dégage” (”Ali Bongo must go”), as show in this Youtube video by user AfricaWeWish:

This post is part of our special coverage of Gabon Unrest 2011.

Written by Julie Owono · comments (0)
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Gabon is mourning the first casualty of the country's political unrest. Marie Mendome was beaten up during the January 29, 2011 attack on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) building in Libreville, where self-proclaimed president André Mba Obame and his government have taken refuge. According to several testimonies, Mendome died of wounds caused by police brutality.

First alleged victim of the political crisis that began on 25th January 2011 in Gabon

On February 18,  Gabonite wrote on the social network Twitter:

Une mère battue à mort par les « forces de sécurité » au Gabon!

La voix du Peuple Gabon (Voice of Gabonese People) on its website confirms the information that the woman died because police violence:

Pour avoir été manifester pour dire non, ça suffit comme ça, cette jeune femme de 38 ans s'est sauvagement fait matraquer par ceux-là même qui sont sensés nous protéger.

The site continues:

ayant eu plusieurs côtes cassées, elle s'est rendu dans un hopital de la place où on lui a clairement fait comprendre que les manifestants n'etaient pas les bienvenus

The report, however, was denied by the Gabonese authorities.  Agence France Press (AFP) published on February 20, 2011 an article entitled “Death of a woman is not due to police brutality” [fr]:

Le Ministère de l'Intérieur a démenti dimanche auprès de l'AFP que le décès d'une sympathisante du président auto-proclamé André Mba Obame,(…) soit dû à des brutalités policières.

This caused several reactions from Gabonese netizens. Bantuconnexion on Twitter opined:

Now Official: l'AFP Libreville est l'agence de communication du min. de l'intérieur gabonais.

In spite of the polemic, Marie Mendome's picture was used as profile picture on Facebook as a tribute:

Liberté du Gabon Révolution (Freedom of Gabon Revolution) used Marie Mendome's image as profile picture on social network Facebook

Her funerals were organised on Sunday February 20, 2011.

Marie Mendome's funerals in Gasepga, Libreville, where she used to live

Sarkozy and Bongo Meet in Paris

French President Sarkozy received in a non-official visit the Gabonese president Bongo on February 21, 2011. Among several subjects, the two Head of States talked about the “wind of revolution” blowing throughout Africa. Interviewed by a Vox Africa Journalist, Ali Bongo declared that [fr]:

Il ne faut pas faire de parallèle entre les différents pays. Certaines situations sont totalement différentes.

During the visit, Ali Bongo and Nicolas Sarkozy discussed the the deployment of the French Military Defense Force in Central Africa, whose base is in Libreville:

The visit was highly criticised by the French environmental political Party in a press release [fr]:

Europe Ecologie Les Verts demande au président français de mettre un terme à ces pratiques de prédation économique et écologique, et d’en finir avec sa complaisance vis-à-vis du régime gabonais qui se refuse à la démocratisation.

Gabonese activists also had a sit-in inside a building that belongs to the Gabonese authorities in Paris. Their actions was quickly repressed by the French police forces with tear gas [fr]. The activists were protesting against the acquisition by Ali Bongo of this 140 millions Euros luxurious mansion in Paris in May 2010:

Gloria Mika, a fashion model and Gabonese activist wonders on Twitter about the lack of outrage over the plight of the Gabonese struggle:

This post is part of our special coverage of Gabon Unrest 2011.

Written by Julie Owono · comments (0)
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