Latest posts by Alice Backer from July, 2006
DRC: Post-Election Roundup
“A Peaceful Election” Congolese at the polls. Photo by Federico, courtesy of Extra Extra. By and large, the voting has ended in the DRC, according to The Salon: With the exception of the three towns that had to continue/report the voting for today, due to numerous arsons (Mbuji-mayi, Mweka and...
DRC: Counting of Ballots Has Begun
The Salon writes: “Counting has begun in many voting stations in the Eastern part of the country, which is an hour ahead of Kinshasa, and the West. Radio Okapi's live service is reporting an estimated level of participation that is higher than 70% in most of the stations that have...
DRC: Voting At Last
Extra Extra writes: “It has been a beautiful day here in Kinshasa, and the atmosphere has been very peaceful and more friendly than usual wherever I’ve gone. (…) The officials at the voting centres are doing a good job, helpfully explaining what to do. (…) There have been a few...
Tahiti: Miss Bora-Bora Contest
From Tahiti, Jean-Marc posts (Fr) pictures of the Miss Bora-Bora contest.
Martinique: Plane Crash Aftermath
Bien Vu writes (Fr):”It's been more than 8 months since 152 Martiniquans died in a crash in Maracaibo [,Venezuela]. Since then, talks at cross-purposes between the Association aux Victimes du Crash Aerien [association of victims of the aerial crash] (AVCA) and the Brazilian insurer of West Caribbean Airways who cannot...
DRC: Carefully Hopeful
Echoing the optimism of another US-Based DRC blogger, The Salon writes (Fr): “The elections have finally begun. Though there are justified worries about the election's transparency, this is a a historic experience on this vast land which is as large as Western Europe. As a Congolese, while keeping a sane...
Reunion, USA: From Maryland to Florida
US-based Reunion-born blogger Reunion-USA2 discovers (Fr) cultural differences between Maryland and Florida:”My husband is happy in Florida: no more politically correct here! When he goes out with colleagues, they all drink beer –in Maryland, nobody drank during work hours so as not to be labeled a drunk. Yesterday they had...
DRC: Election Survey Results & EUFOR Crash
Extra Extra posts results of a DRC election survey he conducted from his blog (most respondents thought the election would take place without major disruptions) and explains that yesterday European Union Forces “managed to crash an unmanned drone into a residential area, injuring four and destroying a house.”
DRC: Human Rights Watch Election Concerns
Human Rights Watch outlines human rights concerns that might impair the fairness of elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo tomorrow.
DRC: Documentary Video
The Salon posts a french-speaking video-documentary covering the last 6 year's events including the 6-day war between Rwandan and Ugandan armies, the assasination of Laurent Kabila and the promise of elections.
Haiti: 1941's Port-au-Prince
From Port-au-Prince, Marcel Salnave posts (Fr) an article written by his journalist father of the same name in 1941: “our capital is embellishing under the welcome influence of urban planning. Gardens designed according to the demands of art have replaced almost everywhere our empty lots and where weeds once existed,...
DRC: Last Minute Campaigning and Complaining
As Sunday's presidential election approaches, and the campaign period closes today, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) bloggers chronicle last minute campaigning and complaining by some of the 30 or so candidates and other actors. Candidates’ Backgrounds Prince du Fleuve du Congo continues a debate with Christian Geraud about Joseph Kabila...
Haiti: Investment Made Easier
Collectif Haiti de Provence points to (Fr) a Radio Metropole article about the launch of a new Center for the Facilitation of Investment thanks to a grant by USAID. Thanks to the Center, “a corporation can be formed in 4 days as opposed to the 264 it took in the...
Haiti: Protesters Ask for Debt Cancellation
Collectif Haiti de Provence points (Fr) to a Radio Signal FM article stating: “Tens of Haitian alternative globalization activists protested Tuesday in front of a Port-au-Prince hotel where international delegations were participating in a meeting of donors to Haiti. The protestors, students for the most part, demanded the cancellation of...
Martinique, France: Tribu Ka Suspended
France's Council of Ministers recently decided to dissolve Tribu Ka, a Black nationalist French group, accusing it of anti-semitism. French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy claims the group posted a graphic of a chimpanzee holding a star of David on their website. Martinique's Le Blog de [Moi] agrees (Fr) that Tribu...
DRC: Candidates’ Last Minute Punches
Light in the Heart of Darkness chronicles what she calls “last minute punches” by various presidential candidates including interim vice-President Bemba, Ruberwa and interim President Joseph Kabila. Strategies include marches to the capital and burning of campaign headquarters among others.
Martinique: More Prison for Wife Burners
Bien Vu deplores (Fr) 15 recent cases of women set afire by their husbands in Martinique. Some have been severely injured, others have died reports the blogger. He says: “even after the perpetrators have been found guilty, they remain a danger to their wives. We hope to see these individuals...
DRC: Catholic Church Favoring Boycott of Election
English-language DRC blogger Le Salon counts down to the July 30th election by reporting on a lukewarm response to Joseph Kabila's visit to the UDPS opposition party stronghold of East Kasai province and by estimating that the Congolese catholic church is by and large encouraging a boycott of the election.
DRC: “The Burning has begun”
Light in the Heart of Darkness, an english-speaking expat blogger based in the DRC, says Kabila's popularity in Kinshasa is waning and fears that if he is elected, “the country is going to burn.” She points to yesterday's UDPS-led poster-snatching protests as evidence that the burning may have begun.
France, DOM-TOM: Victory against housing discrimination
Reunion-based Pierrot Dupuy, himself the father of a victim of housing discrimination in France announces (Fr) advocacy group CollectifDOM’s legal victory in the area of housing discrimination against French citizens from the French Overseas Departments and Territories (DOM-TOM) living in France. From here on, landlords can no longer ask for...
DRC: Poster Snatching Protests
Le Renouveau Congolais posts a (Fr) photo-essay showing protesters tearing down presidential candidate posters in the DRC days to the July 30th election. From Azarias Ruberwa to Interim President Joseph Kabila to Professor N'Goma, the photos show a broad cross-section of political candidates are being targeted while slogans seem to...
