Global Voices Online

Alice Backer

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April 5th, 2007

Americas

Commenting on a news story about GEDIMEX, a food distributor who refuses to halt its alleged sale of rotten rice, Collectif Haiti de Provence writes [Fr]: “One wonders how one can store food to its rotting while thousands starve … No investigation by authorities will uproot GEDIMEX. Favors here, resounding favors there and the story will be quickly forgotten.” The story about GEDIMEX broke amidst a general crackdown on retailers of expired food near destitute violence ridden areas of the capital by the government.

April 4th, 2007

Middle East & North Africa

Zizou from Djerba points to [Fr] an IMF report evaluating the Tunisian banking sector and adds: “To my knowledge, no Tunisian press organ has mentionned it.” The blogger echoes the report in expressing concerns about the credit sector.

April 3rd, 2007

Sub-Saharan Africa

Vous Reprendrez Bien Un Peu d'Humanisme is upset [Fr] that veteran sailor Florence Arthaud has accepted the Sassou-Nguesso government's offer to participate in a sailing event there in less than 2 weeks for an event that is designed to boost local tourism. Says the blogger: “Are French sailors naive? Does Florence Arthaud lack critical thinking skills to the point of being had by any old crook?… This decision is a bad one because it cautions a violent dictatorial regime. “

Middle East & North Africa , Sub-Saharan Africa

Says Le Pangolin [Fr]: “Marthe Moumié is the widow of Cameroonian nationalist Félix Moumié, assassinated in Geneva by the French Secret Service in 1960. Marthe writes a book prefaced by [Algerian President] Ahmed Ben Bella… In the book, Victime du Colonialisme Français [ i.e “Victim of French Colonialism”], Marthe explains how after her husband's death she was tortured in Equatorial Guinean jails for 5 years. “

April 2nd, 2007

Middle East & North Africa

Tunisian blogger Astrubal writes[Fr]: “Tunisian blogs and sites have been censored, then those of civil society, then those of LEGITIMATE political parties, now the stupidity of Ben Ali's regime is attacking Dailymotion, one rare remaining space of freedom for Tunisians… Yesterday (April 1st), the Ben Ali dictatorship decided to behead Dailymotion in public .” The blogger posts a Dailymotion clip of a 2004 Bush-Ben Ali conference.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Demain le Congo Brazzaville posts [Fr] a complaint lodged in the French accusing of embezzlement African leaders such as Omar Bongo of Gabon, Denis Sassoun Nguesso of Congo-Brazzaville and Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso. The complaint acknowledges that a French judge cannot adjudicate on salaries of African dictators but emphasizes the massive amounts of real estate owned by the accused African leaders in France.