Latest posts by Lova Rakotomalala from October, 2011
Madagascar: New Prime Minister Omer Beriziky Arrival Tweeted Live
Twitter users in Madagascar followed the announcement of the new prime minister and reported it live. Avylavitra wrote succintly [mg] : “Omer Beriziky is the new PM in #Madagascar.”
Madagascar: 16 candidates for the Prime Minister Position
Valis reports that the selection of the new prime minister in Madagascar among the 16 official candidates was postponed [fr] from October 23rd to October 28 because no consensus could be found between the parties involved. Ndimby argues that the increasingly pessimistic projection for the Malagasy economy forced the transition leader to finally...
Poetry Slam Activism in Francophone Africa
Poetry slam is a well-known channel of expression for many activists in North America but the rest of the world has now embraced this unique blend of poetry and rhythmic oral story telling. Here are some examples from Francophone Africa and the context in which they arose.
Madagascar: The Birthplace of the “Occupy Wall Street” Philosophy ?
Dan Berrett argues in the Chronicle of Higher Education that the ” Occupy Wall Street's most defining characteristics—its decentralized nature and its intensive process of participatory, consensus-based decision-making—are rooted in other precincts of academe and activism: in the scholarship of anarchism and, specifically, in an ethnography of central Madagascar”.
African Bloggers Review the French Primary Elections
Mengue M'Eyaà review the proposals [fr] outlined by the French presidential candidates towards the African continent during the primary elections. She notes that all the proposals centered around how France can exit the Françafrique paradigm and that the candidates have a more nuanced understanding of several African issues such as...
France: Discussing the Merits of a “Robin Hood” Tax for the Europe Union
A. Rousseaux discusses the merits of a potential Robin Hood tax for the European Union with economist Dominique Plihon [fr]. Plihon argues that such a tax could have a real impact on curbing down excessive speculation on the European market.
Madagascar: 164 homes burnt down in Fort Dauphin
The second serious fire in the region within the last 3 weeks burned down 164 homes in the the fokontany of Amparihy in Fort Dauphin, Azafady reports. The fires have been amplified by continuous strong winds across the SE region of Madagascar. An online fundraising page has been set up...
Mauritania: Black Mauritanians Fear for their Citizenship as Census Proceeds
Bakari Guèye in Magharebia reports that the city of Kaedi erupted into violence on September 24 and 30, 2011, because the black community feared that the census would be used as a discriminatory tool to relegate them to second class citizen status. Babacar Justin Ndiaye explains that only Black Mauritanians...
Equatorial Guinea: 11 Luxury Cars Belonging to Obiang's Son Seized in Paris
11 luxury cars belonging to the son of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of Equatorial Guinea were seized [fr] on September 28 in Paris, as part of the undergoing “Ill-Gotten Gains” investigation. Tokinambo reacts to the news on the togocity blog [fr] : “O Africa, a president's son can own 11 luxury...
