Stories about French from April, 2011
Ukraine: Stories From the Charity Walk to Chornobyl
Liudmyla Bulychova guestblogs at UK Ambassador Leigh Turner's blog about Charity Walk to Chornobyl, which was held on April 22-23. More stories [en, fr] and photos – here.
Madagascar: Here We Go Again with Land Grabbing, minus the Outrage
Tananews reports that the government of Madagascar leases out land for 50 or more years at prices as low as $15 per acre a year (fr) to Indian farmers (via the IndiaTimes). The blog wonders why such stories fail to stir up the same outrage at the national and international...
Examining Africa's Growth
While the African Development Bank announced three days ago that it will downgrade its forecast for growth in Africa as a result of the turmoil in various regions of the continent, the rate of return on foreign investment is higher in Africa than in any other developing regions. Bloggers are unpacking the reasons behind the growth.
Algeria: A Sit-In for Reporter Khaled Sid Mohand, Detained in Syria
A group of journalist, members of the MJIC and a few leaders of the FFS organised a protest in front of the Syrian embassy in Algiers in solidarity with reporter Khaled Sid Mohand currently detained in Syria (fr). The Embassy PR officer stated that the embassy : “.. did not...
Madagascar: Censorship Comes in Different Shapes and Sizes
Blogger Achille52 reviews the state of media and free speech in Madagascar (fr), detailing the different manners in which bloggers are harassed (also explained in an Amnesty International report). He also explains that he deactivated his blog after he was told by a police officer that people are looking for...
Tunisia: Bloggers Debate Secularism
Tunisia is a country of a large Muslim majority and the Tunisian Constitution states that Islam is the state's religion. However, the Tunisian society is one of the most secular ones in the Muslim world. After the Tunisian revolution, secularism has been the centre of heated debates on blogs. Here is a review of the debate.
Morocco: Controversy Over International Music Festival
Each year the capital Rabat is the epicenter of a major music festival, Mawazine. Since its modest launch in 2001, Mawazine has grown, and in the last decade has become the top national entertainment gathering. With the backdrop of political protests and calls for change though, controversy is rising in the Moroccan blogosphere around the use of public money for sponsoring the festival.
France, Japan: Debating President Sarkozy's Visit to Japan
When French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Japan on March 31, 2011, less than three weeks after the earthquake and tsunami that caused a nuclear emergency, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is reported to have said: "When it rains, a friend who comes is a true friend". Bloggers ask if Nicolas Sarkozy really came to visit out of friendship alone.
Burkina Faso: President Campaoré Flees from Mutiny
Grioo reports that Burkina Faso President Campaoré has fled the Capital City (fr) Ouagadougou under the pressure of mutinous soldiers. The onset of the discontent in the army was reported on April 2nd when a mutiny first broke out.
Gabon: Movement in the Petroleum sector
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.
Gabon: Issues in the Oil industry Sector
On Monday, April 8, oil industry workers returned to work following an announcement made to AFP by Arnauld Engandji, spokes-person for ONEP (the National Organization for Petrol Industry Workers), stating "the demands have been met. We do not want to cause chaos". ONEP, an organisation of between 4000 and 5000 members, went out on strike (fr) to obtain new regulations relating to the employment of foreign workers within the sector, who "they accuse of taking the place of Gabonese workers".
Côte d'Ivoire: Brutality Continues After Gbagbo's Capture
Since their capture on April 11, 2011, pictures of former Côte d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo, his wife, and their entourage have spread on the web and via international newspapers. One picture in particular provoked a strong reaction: an image of Simone Gbagbo being humiliated by her captors.
Interview with Gaël Brassac, Global Voices Translator
Translators are the behind-the-scenes contributors who allow Global Voices readers to access our content in other languages. One of them is Gaël Brassac who lives in France, but who always had a special place in his heart for Japan and strongly believes that the nation will recover swiftly from its current predicament.
Côte d'Ivoire: Laurent Gbagbo's Fall
On April 11 2011, Laurent Gbagbo was arrested at his residence in Cocody, with his wife, Simone, and their close entourage. The crisis that plagued the country has now seemingly found its epilogue. The sequence of events that led to Ggagbo's arrest was documented in details by online videos and intensely commented on the web.
Ivory Coast: Ivorians on Twitter React to the Address by Alassane Ouattara
The Republican Forces of Ivory Coast stopped at the doors of the presidential palace still occupied by Laurent Gbagbo, who is taking refuge in a bunker accompanied by family members. Alassane Ouattara addressed his fellow citizens. Ivorians on Twitter have commented on the address.
Global Voices at the 7th Annual BOB Awards
A number of Global Voices contributors from around the world are among the nominees for the prestigious Deutsche Welle Blog Awards – the BOBs. Find out more and vote now!
Côte d'Ivoire: Gbagbo Resists, Africans Protest
While former Côte d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo is still holed up in a bunker in the country, resisting arrest for continuing to deny his loss of the 2010 presidential election, the participation of France in the bid to oust him is raising reactions amongst French politicians and citizens, as well as within the African community in France.
Gabon: Documentary Wins Prize At Web TV Festival 2011
WebDocu.fr [fr] has announced that the documentary “Gabon : violence d'un coup d'état électoral“[fr] (“Gabon: violence of an electoral coup d'etat”) is the winner of the Jury Prize in the Web-Politique category. The documentary was produced in 2009 after the violence that followed the controversial election of Ali Bongo as...
Côte d'Ivoire: Diaspora in France demonstrate against French military intervention
On YouTube, Talentscom posted a video on April 4, 2011 showing people demonstrating at 11pm in Paris against the intervention of the French armed forces in Côte d'Ivoire (Operation Unicorn) in a military assault launched against Laurent Gbagbo and his forces. The motto is “Sarkozy, Killer”.
Côte d'Ivoire: Is Foreign Intervention Legal?
The struggle for power in Côte d'Ivoire may soon reach its conclusion in Abidjan, where The Republican Forces (FRCI) loyal to Alassane Ouattara have started an offensive against the positions controlled by forces of Laurent Gbagbo on Monday April 4. The United Nations and French Armed Forces intervened, and the legality of this was debated at length on the web.
Côte d'Ivoire: Humanitarian Aid Via Twitter Hashtag
In the midst of the current political turmoil in Côte d'Ivoire, the Twitter hashtag #civ2010 has been providing an essential source of information in the country. However, many Twitter users have complained that it is becoming too confrontational. A new hashtag, #civsocial, has been set up to provide an outlet for humanitarian information.
