tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84861712011-11-27T19:07:34.303-05:00This is a salon of news events in Africa, and particularly Congo. It is a place for news, opinion, and increased awareness of the happenings on the mother continent, and the situation in Congo and the Great Lakes. Comments are more than welcome. -Ali M (TheMalau/AfroVoltaire)- Chief EditorTheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.comBlogger4041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-50955033068729075942009-05-02T22:10:00.000-04:002009-05-02T22:10:20.286-04:00

As an African living in the diaspora, there re few things more frustrating than having to constantly dispel apocalyptic views about our continent, or our country. From the preconceptions that people all live in mudhuts, and roam around with lions and leopards, to the assumption that all of Africa is nothing but a collection of sempiternal, unsolvable ethnic/tribal wars, coming to the defense of

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-74254289670118893382009-04-27T01:33:00.004-04:002009-04-27T05:33:34.123-04:00

This was bound to happen eventually.BBC NEWS | Africa | Rwanda bans BBC local broadcasts: "Rwanda has suspended BBC broadcasts in the local language Kinyarwanda because of what it says is bias in BBC reports concerning the 1994 genocide."I always find it very interesting to see how quickly the Rwandan regime retreats to a defensive posture whenever the issue of further openness about

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-78168403484986957192009-04-16T23:34:00.003-04:002009-04-30T12:30:24.403-04:00

(Someone that most readers of this blog will recognize, wrote this interesting piece.x-posted at Le Salon, and published on Black Commentator)The case FOR the CongoA response to There is No Congo, by Jeffrey Herbst and Greg Mills, posted March 2009, Web Exclusive, http://www.foreignpolicy.comby Ali M. MaminaForeign Policy magazine recently published a rather disturbing article on the Congo (There

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-75966110911301700642009-04-15T23:09:00.001-04:002009-04-17T03:09:06.444-04:00

Once again, something I missed in the past few months of absence from the blogosphere, but that is worth noting.A new report from the International Rescue Committee has indicated that the number of people dying from the results of the war in the Congo has gone up to 5.4 million. It's time to name the individuals and corporations who have profited from this. In addition, I will suggest appropriate

Xednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-27432362987588356322009-04-15T17:38:00.003-04:002009-04-17T02:15:15.175-04:00

So, I cannot believe I did not read this when it came out. I came across this article by Severine Autessere, on Foreign Affairs magazine:The Trouble With Congo | Foreign Affairs Summary -- Although the war in Congo officially ended in 2003, two million people have died since. One of the reasons is that the international community's peacekeeping efforts there have not focused on the local

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-6651791927955543692009-03-02T15:54:00.003-05:002009-04-16T00:18:12.149-04:00

Ever since that day of April 1994 when I left Rwanda under a cloud of flying bullets, in the first fiery and chaotic week of the Rwandan genocide, and throughout all the havoc that has been wrought in its aftermath in my country, the DRCongo, I have been dreading some of the "parallelism" in the article below, and its dangerous implications Lessons from Rwanda, the 'Israel of Africa' | Op-Ed

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-4516370180328669662009-03-02T15:35:00.006-05:002009-04-15T17:52:00.608-04:00

From Sfbayview.comby Kambale Musavuli and Maurice CarneyJanuary 2, 2009Congo's holocaust by Khalil Bendib2008 marked the 100-year anniversary of the removal of the Congo from King Leopold II of Belgium as his own personal property. Global outrage at the King’s brutal rule resulted in his losing the Congo treasure trove on Nov. 15, 1908.Leopold II accumulated spectacular wealth for himself and the

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-79990980093425364182009-02-16T05:14:00.001-05:002009-04-16T00:10:31.552-04:00

(This is partly a response to a comment by Nshuti Habimana, on a post by Friends of the Congo, here) I am fed up. I am fed up of people always blaming the victims of the conflict in the Congo, of creating the conflict. I am sick and tired of hearing so-called experts on Congo, and duped well-meaning entertainment personalities, mis-characterize the reality of the conflict in my country. So, I

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-22974766713116492742009-02-06T16:37:00.033-05:002009-02-06T17:24:03.736-05:00

I have not been writing on The Salon for a while. That's because I have lost a bit of the grasp I had of the situation back home, in the Congo (DRC). Both the political power-players and the political game itself became blurry. There was a point when I could discern between constructive forces, and the destructive ones in a clearer fashion. Who pulls Kabila's strings? How to uncover the multiple

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-61459550494347644672008-12-05T12:35:00.001-05:002008-12-05T12:37:32.291-05:00

I am working on restarting The Salon soon, on Maneno.org. But in the mean time, I wanted to share this article by my very passionate friend Kambale Musavili, Spokesperson for Friends of the Congo.Congo in Crisis: What President Obama Can Do To Right Past Wrongs In US Policy - The Daily Voice - Black America's Daily News Source

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-36861744791962989362008-07-07T02:34:00.003-04:002008-07-07T02:36:03.065-04:00

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-67175762879693029392007-09-05T11:49:00.000-04:002007-11-08T14:38:49.395-05:00

Yesterday, I commented on Cedric's blog, then proceeded to write my rant as a post - in French - on this blog, where I have been derelict in my blogging for about a year now. I wrote because I am both optimistic and terrified, when I consider what lies ahead for Congo, and that simply unsettles me, and I feel a brewing storm of gigantic proportions.I am optimistic because there seems to be a

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-80932361113358720692007-09-04T05:13:00.000-04:002007-09-04T06:27:24.775-04:00

Il y a certaines choses absolument intolerables qui se produisent en RDC, et il semble que, comme d'habitude, le monde entier y est totalement sourd et aveugle... volontairement!Des aberrations flagrantes comme le phenomene honteux de Nkunda et les rebelles de l"Est, la multiplicité des rentrées scolaires, la magouille dans l'organisation de la paie des fonctionnaires, et le brouillard entretenu

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-36854606160956966712007-02-11T17:42:00.000-05:002007-02-08T11:53:59.899-05:00

The Salon will be back soon, especially now that there is a new government in Congo, that there is a need to follow the whole Bas-Congo army-Bundu dia Kongo debacle, and that Lansana Conte is acting up in Guinea, that Somalia is reaching new levels of complication, etc, etcI have been spending sometime updating several English-Wikipedia pages on the DRC and Africa, and that takes a lot of time.

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1165619139454535242006-12-08T18:04:00.000-05:002006-12-08T18:39:17.086-05:00

Paul Kagame has surfaced in a BBC interview, after recently coming under fire from a French judge for his role in the assassination of President Habyarimana in 1994. His unconvincing performance in rebutting the allegations shows why so many believe he did it. To deflect all criticism, his trump card is the Rwandan genocide, and he uses it shamelessly to award himself a halo he doesn't deserve.

Xednoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1165423672881990882006-12-06T11:11:00.000-05:002006-12-18T18:29:47.506-05:00

Today, newly-elected Congolese President Joseph Kabila was sworn in. His inaugural speech included several references to rebirth, renewal, even of a revolution in the Congo. And anything short of that would be futile in the great DRC.Joseph Kabila, and all the elected institutions of the country are embarking in a very long, and arduous journey, during which public scrutiny is going to be higher

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1165017886606605162006-12-01T18:38:00.000-05:002006-12-02T06:36:45.503-05:00

From Reuters, through The Financial Times:Congo's Kabila seeks reconciliation in violent eastBy Reuters, Friday November 1 2006KINSHASA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Congo's recently elected President Joseph Kabila carried a reconciliation message on Friday to his country's lawless east, where he is hugely popular but where rebel violence still threatens peace.Days after the Supreme Court confirmed him as

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1164892308323310732006-11-30T07:59:00.000-05:002006-11-30T14:56:58.826-05:00

Now don't get me wrong. I have my doubts on the actual abilities of President Kabila to run this country correctly, but I am more than willing to give him a chance, because the national interest matters more, and he was elected as democratically as the situation allowed it. When there will be negative actions, we will denounce them. When there will be positive action, we will praise them. Case

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1164833256955879342006-11-29T15:34:00.000-05:002006-11-29T15:47:37.086-05:00

In response to the previous post, one of our faithful opinion leaders here at The Salon, Lorraine, ask a series of questions, that may be crucial - in their own way - to the near future of the DRC. I will put the questions down here, and answer those that I believe I can give a (partial) answer to. For the rest, well... I invite you to take a stab at them in the comments section.1. Does President

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1164792279246089122006-11-29T04:25:00.000-05:002006-11-29T04:32:33.733-05:00

When looking at the Congo today, I am definitely enclined to let out an enormous sigh of relief today... and then to take it back in the following half second. Like many analysts of the political situation in the DRC, I was increasingly apprehensive of Vice-President Jean Pierre Bemba's potential military reaction to a rejection of his electoral challenge in the Supreme Court, on Monday. Jean

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1164630992753366042006-11-27T06:54:00.000-05:002006-11-28T00:04:45.033-05:00

(UPDATE: The Supreme Court of the DRC has officially declared Joseph Kabila, the winner of the elections, and the newly elected President of the Democratic republic of the Congo.)So apparently today is the day the Supreme Court its verdict on the electoral result, and we can finally know who won, really... the fact of the matter is, especially reading reports from the court proceedings, the

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1164214732668482362006-11-22T10:12:00.000-05:002006-11-27T07:47:12.260-05:00

I have been trying for the past few days to write the piece that I promised the readers of The Salon, analyzing the results of the elections in my beloved Congo (DRC), but the current events have made it impossible for me to make that analysis, because there are elements that effectively blur what seemed like a fairly straight-forward situation (as straight-forward as it could be in the Congolese

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1163655219546401882006-11-16T00:19:00.000-05:002006-11-16T00:33:40.213-05:00

During this little hiatus, due to the - still current - vicissitudes of technology, the editor of The Salon (that would be me) had some time to examine the entire electoral process, and to review the various steps that it has taken - many of which were chronicled here. Later today, I will write a piece on that very process, so stay tuned.In the mean time, the state agency in charge of organizing

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1160330221862039252006-10-08T13:57:00.000-04:002006-10-08T13:57:02.320-04:00

U.N., Congo troops battle militia fighters in eastern Congo, leaving 12 militants dead - Africa & Middle East - International Herald Tribune: "KINSHASA, Congo Government troops backed by U.N. helicopters and armored vehicles battled militia fighters Saturday in Congo's restive northeast, leaving two U.N. peacekeepers wounded and at least a dozen militants dead, officials said. Fighting between

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1159349552982830812006-09-27T05:30:00.002-04:002006-09-27T05:38:25.476-04:00

The Salon is back, up and running. And it seems there has been both a lot of change in Congo, and a lot of the same. Only Congo can pull that off so well. First, the latest in a long line of "agreements":monuc.org: Kinshasa to be 'gun-free town' pledge DR Congo rivals ::: 25/09/2006: "KINSHASA, Sept 23, 2006 (AFP) - The two men bidding to become the Democratic Republic of Congo's first

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1158344375529699022006-09-15T14:19:00.000-04:002006-09-15T14:19:35.760-04:00

BBC NEWS | Africa | Court confirms DR Congo poll date: "The Supreme Court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has ruled that the second round of landmark elections can go ahead as planned.It overturned its own ruling earlier this week that the 29 October date broke the constitution.The court has also confirmed that President Joseph Kabila and ex-rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba would contest the

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1158256072360516182006-09-14T13:47:00.000-04:002006-09-14T14:02:18.136-04:00

BBC NEWS | Africa | Doubt over DR Congo election date: "The organisation of the second round of the Democratic Republic of Congo's landmark elections has been thrown into confusion after a Supreme Court ruling.The court ruled that the initial date for the run-off, 29 October, broke the constitution.The shock ruling came as the two candidates in the second round held a two-hour meeting to ease

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1158179414744743512006-09-13T16:30:00.000-04:002006-09-25T16:12:25.316-04:00

Friends, I have been moving a bit, so The Salon has been a bit irregular, and will continue to be for another 2 weeks. That said, as I am always following the situation back home, I was pleasantly surprised to read the following story:Reuters AlertNet - Congo poll rivals meet for first time since clashes: "KINSHASA, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Congo's President Joseph Kabila met his electoral rival Vice

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1157430456333538742006-09-05T00:27:00.000-04:002006-09-05T00:29:27.420-04:00

DR Congo tense as election results emerge - Yahoo! News: "KINSHASA (AFP) - Partial legislative election results released in theDemocratic Republic of Congo gave parties loyal to President Joseph Kabila a commanding lead, but allegations of voting fraud forced a three-day delay in the final count.The 31-party Alliance of the Presidential Majority, headed by the 35-year-old president, gained 169

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1156886831203158362006-08-29T17:27:00.000-04:002006-08-30T21:31:54.776-04:00

DRC poll rivals meet for talks: "Kinshasa - President Joseph Kabila and his chief challenger Jean-Pierre Bemba met for the first time on Tuesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital to discuss the forthcoming run-off election, said an electoral commission spokesperson.The meeting comes in the wake of unrest sparked by the results of the July 30 elections - the first democratic vote in the

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1156304489095218332006-08-22T23:13:00.000-04:002006-08-22T23:45:30.493-04:00

I have been trying to follow the evolution of the situation as best I could, and it is for once, I must admit, very hard to do from the US. That said, one thing is clear: The troops on both sides (President Kabila, and Jean Pierre Bemba) have withdrawn from downtown Kinshasa, following a UN-encouraged agreement, but Kofi Annan was still asking the two leaders to meet very soon, to put a formal

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1156206208285942582006-08-21T20:23:00.000-04:002006-08-22T23:44:46.836-04:00

CTV.ca | UN removes trapped diplomats in Congo: "Battles between forces loyal to President Joseph Kabila and those of his main campaign rival raged for second day Monday, and U.N. peacekeepers safely evacuated foreign diplomats who had been trapped inside the challenger's besieged home when gunfire broke out.The fighting in the Central African nation came after election officials announced Sunday

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1156189603772982392006-08-21T15:46:00.000-04:002006-08-21T15:48:54.206-04:00

What is going on in Africa today? Is it the full moon?Former Burundi president arrested over coup plot - Yahoo! News: "BUJUMBURA (Reuters) - Police arrested Burundi's former President Domitien Ndayizeye on Monday, apparently in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the tiny central African country's government, a judge said.'Ndayizeye was arrested and jailed and his arrest may be linked to

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1156187844806133632006-08-21T15:04:00.000-04:002006-08-21T15:27:06.566-04:00

Security tightened in DR Congo as presidential election heads to round two - Yahoo! News: "KINSHASA (AFP) - Heavy gunfire targeted the villa of Jean-Pierre Bemba, who came second in theDemocratic Republic of Congo's presidential election, as he met with foreign ambassadors overseeing the country's transition to democracy, diplomatic sources said.'There was heavy arms fire, probably canons,

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1156179704851560372006-08-21T13:01:00.000-04:002006-08-21T13:16:36.906-04:00

I found this piece on the Mail & Guardian (Through Eye on Africa, the blog of an amaaazing USAmerican scholar, native of the Congo). It is cold, and rather... depressing in a way, to look at the situation so cynically; that said, it is the cold reality of what is ultimately at stake in these latest elections, without unnecessary populism or sentimntality. Additionally the author has the

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1156176821896247162006-08-21T12:13:00.000-04:002006-08-21T12:17:23.900-04:00

Maybe I spoke too soon about the whole peace, and unity thing...Gunfight pins down envoys in Congo capital - Yahoo! News: "KINSHASA (Reuters) - Soldiers loyal to Congo's President Joseph Kabila opened fire on Monday around a house where U.N. officials and ambassadors were meeting his main political rival Jean-Pierre Bemba, witnesses said.They said the presidential guard used at least one tank and

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1156113165605150782006-08-20T18:28:00.000-04:002006-08-21T10:15:46.506-04:00

Au moment ou j'ecris (22h24 TU), le President de la CEI vient de terminer de lire les resultats provisoires des elections presidentielles. En voici la teneur principale:Participation: 70,54%Suffrages exprimes: 16,937,534Banyingela Kasonga: 0,48%Jean Pierre Bemba Gombo: 20,03% (2)Boniouma : 0,38%Diomi Ndongala: 0,51%Antoine Gizenga: 13,06% (3)Bernard Emmanuel Kabatu Suila: 0,51%Joseph Kabila

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1156111917782146852006-08-20T18:11:00.000-04:002006-08-21T10:16:20.883-04:00

CNN.com - Gunbattles at Congo's election commission - Aug 20, 2006: "KINSHASA, Congo (AP) -- President Joseph Kabila's bodyguards fought deadly gunbattles with army troops loyal to his main campaign rival Sunday outside the offices where results from Congo's historic elections were to be announced.Kemal Saiki, a spokesman for the 17,500-strong U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo, said at least one

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155956531680998082006-08-19T12:34:00.000-04:002006-08-19T00:39:25.126-04:00

Congo police patrol capital ahead of poll result - Yahoo! News: "KINSHASA (Reuters) - Convoys of heavily armed Congolese police patrolled the tense streets of the capital Kinshasa on Friday in a show of force two days ahead of the announcement of results from historic post-war elections.Officials said the move was meant to reassure people but the force was jeered and threatened in several poor

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155882845626802672006-08-18T02:34:00.000-04:002006-08-18T02:35:26.383-04:00

Scoop: Hate Messages In DR Congo Media Target Whites: "The top United Nations envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has expressed concern about hate messages in the local media, which are inciting Congolese to target and take revenge on “white people and foreigners,” a spokesman for the world body said today.The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the DRC, William Lacy

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155881173438656442006-08-18T02:06:00.000-04:002006-08-18T02:10:55.983-04:00

I felt it important to share this piece on Dikembe Mutombo, and the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital he built in my native Kinshasa, DRC. Towering basketball star gives a lift to his native DRCongo - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (AFP) - NBA All Star Dikembe Mutombo is giving a boost to his nativeDemocratic Republic of Congo in the form of a state-of-the-art hospital that opens its doors September 2.A

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155707214179769832006-08-16T01:46:00.000-04:002006-08-16T01:51:56.373-04:00

(x-posted from The Salon II)A short, simple and honest piece on present day imperialism:blog.myspace.com/tcooo: "With the United States and Britain running Iraq and Afghanistan; while anxiously waiting for Fidel Castro to die so they can meddle in Cubas business, I would say imperialism is alive and well. My main concern is not where Britain and the United States are currently exerting their

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155649124539225422006-08-15T09:38:00.000-04:002006-08-15T09:52:54.786-04:00

I was roaming the net, as I often do, to look for some information on Congo, and the whole motherland of Africa. Aside from the apparent increase in kidnappings in Nigeria, and the drama over the hand-over of Bakassi by the Nigerians, to Cameroon, there were no major things... by that I mean nothing that was not already well documented on the net. And then I found this bit, on Independent Online

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155543082097189562006-08-14T04:11:00.000-04:002006-08-14T06:46:19.270-04:00

Anger in Congo as Kabila builds poll lead - Yahoo! News: "KINSHASA (Reuters) - Hackles are rising in Congo's volatile capital Kinshasa as incumbent President Joseph Kabila builds a lead with results trickling in from the country's first free elections in more than four decades.Electoral officials stress drawing a trend with so few votes counted is premature but their advice is being roundly

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155474256499790882006-08-13T09:04:00.000-04:002006-08-13T09:06:51.136-04:00

Sahara Sarah, one of the most intense, and insightful expat bloggers on - and in - the Congo, is leaving the country after 16 months of loyal humanitarian services to the country, in both Maniema and Katanga. For the occasion, she wrote a farewell piece that was a combination of a recap of her time there, her feelings about her mission there, an expat mini-guide to the country, and an analysis of

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155380365062347092006-08-12T06:59:00.000-04:002006-08-12T07:00:49.226-04:00

With the elections in my native Congo, I have yet again neglected the other African News (I really do need to have someone cober other countries, in a progressive way. If you know of anyone, let me know). But interesting and crucial things have been happening. Rebellions in Ethiopia are gaining in strength, and tensions in the horn of Africa are brewing. Sudan is trying to get along better with

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155370259718571052006-08-12T04:10:00.000-04:002006-08-12T04:10:59.743-04:00

The recent elections in my beloved Congo may indeed be a Godsend, but not the way that one would normally think. I do not think that it will bring a monumentous change in the country, no. But the one good thing that came from this, is that international media - at the very least online - have really kept their eyes on the ball so far, and they have been covering the elections story, and finally (

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155350457526244932006-08-11T22:40:00.000-04:002006-08-11T22:49:34.953-04:00

In recent years, even among Congolese people, there is an increased tendency to blame Patrice Lumumba for lacking pragmatism, and maybe being too much of a warm-blooded idealist. His fiery, and very anti-colonial speech on Independance day, although an expression of the reality on the mind of the Congolese people at the time, is largely seen as his signing his own death-warrant. And that may

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155032387548753282006-08-08T06:19:00.000-04:002006-08-08T06:20:50.096-04:00

I am busy, but here is an article from AP that seems accurate from what I have been hearing/reading.monuc.org: Observers call Congo vote counting chaotic ::: 08/08/2006: "KINSHASA, Congo (AP) -- An unmarked ballot wafts in the breeze. Congolese election workers doze. Pieces of concrete weigh down stacks of vote tally sheets, keeping them from blowing away.A week after Congo's presidential

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155031770798686152006-08-08T06:09:00.000-04:002006-08-08T06:09:30.800-04:00

BBC NEWS | Africa | Breathing life into DR Congo's sick hospital: "When Professor Stanis Wembonyama became director of the main hospital in Democratic Republic of Congo's second city, Lubumbashi, last year, he could not believe what he saw.Professor Stanis WembonyamaProf Wembonyama says the flowers he planted helps the patients recover more quickly'The hospital did not even have a single

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1155031343838123612006-08-08T06:02:00.000-04:002006-08-08T06:04:48.123-04:00

Two thieves burnt alive in DRC: "Kinshasa - An angry crowd burned two suspected thieves to death in a town in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said officials on Sunday.Dominique Kanku, governor of East Kasai province, said: 'A group of armed recidivist bandits went to burgle a house late on Friday night.'Two of the suspected bandits were stopped by local residents.' The killing

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154945259608308572006-08-07T06:07:00.000-04:002006-08-07T06:10:03.433-04:00

Des amis de DHNetDH Net - RDCongo - Faire tomber la pression: "Une semaine après le passage historique par les urnes, les Congolais attendent toujours les premiers résultatsKINSHASA ' Vous, les Occidentaux, vous ne voulez pas de la démocratie au Congo. Votre candidat c'est Kabila. Mais nous, à Kinshasa, on n'en veut pas. Si vous le faites élire, on va vous chasser à tout jamais'.Dans les rues de

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154944777586650332006-08-07T05:52:00.000-04:002006-08-07T05:59:37.590-04:00

The Salon did not post any update on the elections these past 2 days, because it seemed like more of the same. But today, there is something new, so here it is:IOL: Partial DRC election results to be released: "Congolese authorities have been persuaded by envoys from international countries, with South Africa playing a leading role, to start releasing interim results in the DRC elections from

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154944294844982362006-08-07T05:20:00.000-04:002006-08-07T05:51:35.040-04:00

Once again, call me cynical, but I love when Africa becomes truly inherently relevant on the international relations realm. Not that it is not normally: It is. But I am always uplifted when others are brought to see it too. The latest of these moments came by way of... Venezuela! Anti-US-imperialism Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez just visited both Mali and Benin, in West Africa, in a bid to

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154940190166588502006-08-07T04:43:00.000-04:002006-08-07T04:44:52.130-04:00

As if we (both Congolese and Iranian people) did not have enough trouble, this pops up:Iran News - "Iran tried to import uranium from DR Congo": "LONDON, August 7 (IranMania) - Iran tried to import uranium for its nuclear programme from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the shipment was intercepted in Tanzania, The Sunday Times reported, citing a senior Tanzanian customs officer.A huge

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154674821639978362006-08-04T03:00:00.000-04:002006-08-04T04:05:17.316-04:00

All I can say, right now, is... WTF?CNN.com - Congo ballots go up in flames - Aug 3, 2006: "KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) -- A suspicious fire at a major Kinshasa election center during a third day of chaotic poll-counting Thursday deepened concerns over the transparency of the results of Congo's first free elections in more than 40 years.Used and unused ballots were burned,

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154601845753556582006-08-03T08:30:00.000-04:002006-08-03T08:36:52.470-04:00

Okay, so you all know that, despite my general optimism, I have had a few reservations about some aspects of this whole process. Partly by reflex born of an observation of the politicians of my country for the past 10 years or so, and partly because I know the size and lack of infrastructure of my country, and the hot-blooded nature of my people. I was positively surprised at the dignity

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154466810453915632006-08-01T17:13:00.000-04:002006-08-01T17:18:22.913-04:00

It seems it was too much to ask, for the politicians who were running in these elections, to actually accept the results. Not that I expected that - in a country that has lived under nepotism for 41 years - there would be no rigging at all. That was, I believe, a given. But I also expected the politicians would somewhat all be involved - directly or indirectly - in the rigging, so it would even

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154460689830584092006-08-01T15:27:00.000-04:002006-08-01T16:54:55.743-04:00

x-posted from here.Okay this is what I've *heard*Edit: And the MP3 for this post is: Double vie by Josky Kiambukuta featuring Madilu System. This is some nice Congolese Rumba, it's new and one of my favourites these days. Enjoy ;)Kabila is leading the polls particularly in the eastern and some southern parts of Congo. Ituri, Kivu, Katanga (no surprises). During one of the many conversations I've

Fleur d'Afrique.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154340264964329372006-07-31T05:35:00.000-04:002006-07-31T06:04:25.050-04:00

Who would have thought, 2 years ago, that we would see this wonderful image: a disabled person joining his fellow Congolese to vote for a better future. The little things like that, that is what brings me hope. Or the young guy, in a stretch tshirt, taking the time to come vote. What is going on in his head? What motivates him: conviction, desperation, hope, novelty... boredom? All things that

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154284006200753282006-07-30T13:23:00.000-04:002006-07-30T14:26:46.213-04:00

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 started counting. There were apparently numerous incidents in Eastern Kasai (Kasai Oriental), stronghold of opposition leader Etienne

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154250332909736672006-07-30T05:00:00.000-04:002006-07-31T01:23:31.100-04:00

I could post all the pictures I find, here. But that would simply clutter the blog. So instead, I sugest to go to the Yahoo News Photos site, at this link, to get photos relevant of these polls. Here is a picture of President Kabila casting his vote.Update: A PDF photo collection from Radio Okapi.Tags: Congo|DRC|DR Congo|Africa|News|Photos|

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154246312411427042006-07-30T03:58:00.000-04:002006-07-30T05:20:05.173-04:00

Le Quotidien Permanent du Nouvel Observateur- Ouverture des opérations de vote au Congo-Kinshasa: "KINSHASA (AP) -- Les bureaux de vote ont ouvert dimanche matin en République démocratique du Congo (RDC, ex-Zaïre), à l'occasion des premières élections démocratiques depuis plus de quatre décennies dans cet immense pays d'Afrique centrale.Quelque 25,7 millions d'électeurs inscrits sont appelés aux

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154244336638525412006-07-30T03:25:00.000-04:002006-07-30T05:07:03.143-04:00

Voting begins in Congo elections | Top News | Reuters.com: "KINSHASA (Reuters) - Polling stations opened in Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday as the central African country held its first free multi-party elections in 40 years.Polling started first in the east of the vast former Belgian colony due to a one-hour time difference with the west where the capital Kinshasa is situated."Keep that

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154221768029872002006-07-29T21:09:00.000-04:002006-07-29T21:52:52.203-04:00

I wanted to call your attention to this very informative piece from the BBC:BBC NEWS | Africa | Congo: The trickiest election ever?: "Election workers in Democratic Republic of Congo are putting the finishing touches to possibly the most complex and challenging elections the world has ever seen.Helicopters, canoes, motorbikes and porters have been used to transport election material to almost

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154209938167486322006-07-29T16:57:00.000-04:002006-07-29T17:59:18.420-04:00

The moment of truth is almost here. The elections are tomorrow... tomorrow!! I want to be excited - and indeed I am, but I just finished reading a very interesting piece in Le Potentiel, that tempered my excitment a bit. The piece (in French), addresses, in a cool but sharp way, the reasons why these elections are not totally Congolese elections. The amount of pressure put on the Congolese people

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154117571610710092006-07-28T16:10:00.000-04:002006-07-28T17:14:24.683-04:00

Avec l'aide de YouTube, voici une video de LCP, d'un documentaire sur la RDC.Tags: Congo|DRC|RDC|DR Congo|Africa|Video

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154045564405468902006-07-27T20:12:00.000-04:002006-07-27T20:13:48.930-04:00

It seems as though the Catholic church has given a very cautious backing to the electoral process, thus making it the last religious community to do so.allAfrica.com: Congo-Kinshasa: Vote Set for Sunday Despite Irregularities (Page 1 of 2): "On Thursday, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the DRC, Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, said despite 'many flaws', the population should go out

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1154002838003027912006-07-27T08:20:00.000-04:002006-07-27T08:24:20.853-04:00

In Congo, river canoes bring chance to vote - Yahoo! News: "MAITA, Congo (Reuters) - 'Vote on Sunday! Vote on Sunday!' men shout at villagers from aboard a 50-foot wooden canoe as it glides along the vast Congo river, packed high with boxes of voting ballots and red plastic tables and chairs.Smiling women and children wave and run along the bank as the pirogue arrives at the tiny island of Maita,

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1153992244538011992006-07-27T05:24:00.000-04:002006-07-27T06:04:31.953-04:00

(via: Congo Watch)NAIROBI, 24 Jul 2006 (IRIN) via VOGP - The general elections due on Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are billed as the first fully democratic vote to be held in the country since Patrice Lumumba became prime minister in 1960. Beginning with his murder a year later, and the coup in 1965 staged by Mobutu Sese Seko, who introduced a one-party system, the past 40

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1153823172426505092006-07-25T04:34:00.000-04:002006-07-25T16:18:09.166-04:00

I have been learning the difficult logistics that are involved in getting election observers to a 3rd world country, and decently house them in the country... especially when the counterparts in the country are not reliable. I really admire all the people that are willing to give of their time and commitment to ensure that others have the opportunity to choose their leaders freely and fairly.

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1153471650695742562006-07-21T03:51:00.000-04:002006-07-21T04:59:18.073-04:00

Il semblerait que les forces de dissuasion de l'EUFOR-RDC aient finalement décidé qu’ils en avaient marre d'être considérées comme de simples figurants d'une opération de relation publique pour l'UE. Ils ont décidé de montrer de quoi ils sont capables.Congoindependant.com: "Les troupes de l’Union européenne ont fait jeudi 20 juillet une démonstration de force destinée à impressionner tout

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1153464616365672772006-07-21T02:22:00.000-04:002006-07-21T04:34:29.220-04:00

It seems as though the European disuasion forces of EUFOR-RDC were tired of being billed a cosmetic PR stunt. They decided to show what they are capable of:Reuters AlertNet - EU force shows muscle ahead of Congo polls: "KINSHASA, July 20 (Reuters) - A European Union military force sent to Congo showed off its firepower and technology on Thursday, saying it was ready to help U.N. peacekeepers

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1153461604913981392006-07-21T02:00:00.000-04:002006-07-21T02:01:45.963-04:00

Illegal uranium mining at shuttered Congo site -UN | World News | Reuters.co.uk: By Irwin Arieff"UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Uranium is being mined illegally at a site in Congo that provided the radioactive material for the U.S. atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945, U.N. experts reported on Thursday.The Shinkolobwe mine in mineral-rich Katanga province in southwestern Congo was ordered shut down

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1153430896432557092006-07-20T17:17:00.000-04:002006-07-21T04:57:04.806-04:00

Tension is still building up, in Congo. Aside from the pro-journalists protest I noted in the previous post, there was a... somewhat violent protest (The second in two weeks, after this one) led by the opposition party UDPS (the best known opposition party, who is boycotting the polls), and people were injured, some severly. People died in similar protests in the East, after they were dispersed

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1153165708509516812006-07-19T06:35:00.000-04:002006-07-19T06:43:58.340-04:00

The elections are coming! They are coming... and they are still looking very strange. On tuesday, members of the International Community were asking that the army be confined to barracks, as it was necessary for free and fair elections. And they seem to have a point! With seven people (or more) killed around Rutshuru, and an increasing sense of lack of security, people have started to wonder

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1152820294771329332006-07-13T15:16:00.000-04:002006-07-17T15:13:19.623-04:00

The current Congolese government seems hellbent on making itself look worse every day. While most of the government people are gallavauding in electoral campaign around the country - including President Kabila - the police violentlyt repressed an opposition rally in Kinshasa, using a disproportionate amount of force, against unarmed protesters. It even warranted an investigation by the almighty

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1152658570844782932006-07-12T15:19:00.000-04:002006-07-12T14:49:50.040-04:00

A few posts on the cybersphere, and the Congo blogosphere, about the upcoming elections.Light in the Heart of Darkness : The plot thickensCongo Girl posts about: DRC NEWSCedric Kalonji writes about: The electoral campaignFrom NPR: Congo Readies for Landmark electionsLe blog du Congolais: Sannfina: un regard objectif sur le processus electoralBaku Today: Political demonstration in Kinshasa turns

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1152652977337769252006-07-11T17:37:00.000-04:002006-07-11T17:56:06.520-04:00

The Salon has taken - and indeed still is on :) - a break, but necessity has it that I must write a bit about these upcoming elections. As our friend BRE put it, It's Showtime!So what is, indeed, the pre-electoral situation in my beloved Congo? Well, first of all, as the Salon's very own Exiledsoul wrote, it is not a very healthy environment for journalists:Historic and Democratic Elections:

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1150143115574327282006-06-12T16:11:00.000-04:002006-06-12T16:11:59.813-04:00

BBC NEWS | In Depth | Congo's child miner shame: "To commemorate World Day Against Child Labour, BBC News has spent a day with child miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who work for about one dollar per day. At Ruashi mine, in the Eastern province of Katanga, almost 800 children dig for copper and cobalt."

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1149215857179722842006-06-01T22:37:00.000-04:002006-07-11T18:36:32.076-04:00

VOA News - VOANewsMaker: "The President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, held a press conference at the Voice of America headquarters on Wednesday, May 31. President Kagame discussed his visit to Washington, security in the Great Lakes Region and Africa, and progress on reconciliation in Rwanda. A question-and-answer session followed his introductory remarks."Well this would be a

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1149194998967845972006-06-01T16:49:00.000-04:002006-06-01T16:53:49.310-04:00

US aide critical of Somalia payments is moved - The Boston Globe: "NAIROBI -- A US official involved with Somalia has been transferred from his job after criticizing payments to clan leaders, diplomats said yesterday. The payments are said to be fueling some of Mogadishu's worst fighting."And I was seriously under the impression that the Bush administration welcomed diverging points of views, and

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1149016973515002932006-06-01T15:22:00.000-04:002006-06-01T19:30:13.146-04:00

monuc.org: Six U.N. peacekeepers held by Congo militia-sources ::: 29/05/2006: "KINSHASA, May 29 (Reuters) - Six Nepalese U.N. peacekeepers have been captured in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by militia fighters who are demanding a ransom for their release, U.N. and Congolese sources said on Monday.The sources, who asked not be named, said the United Nations mission in Congo was in contact

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1148927021528430182006-05-29T14:23:00.000-04:002006-06-01T20:42:32.293-04:00

BBC NEWS | Europe | Warning song for Congo migrants: "A song warning of the dangers faced by illegal migrants in Europe has shot to the top of the music charts in Democratic Republic of Congo.Sans Papiers (No Papers) by Didier 'Bill Clinton' Kalondji tells the story of people saving money to leave their homes for greener pastures in Europe.Kalondji says people should stay at home, rather than run

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1148590234164082772006-05-25T16:50:00.000-04:002006-05-25T16:51:54.306-04:00

The Salon has been pretty silent recently. One reason was that your humble servant was/is extremely busy these days, and is still working out a schedule to be able to maintain keep The Salon going. The other, is that I have been having a hard time getting a handle on the current situation in Kinshasa. There has been a lot of scheming recently, and seemingly random occurences that have made me

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1147805309198292532006-05-16T14:48:00.000-04:002006-05-16T14:48:29.200-04:00

Business Day - World’s worst disaster ignored in Congo (UN): "The international community was overlooking the world’s worst humanitarian disaster, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 10-million people needed assistance, a United Nations (UN) official said yesterday.With an estimated 1200 people dying every day, the UN launched an appeal three months ago for $682m to provide water, food,

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1147374622750911582006-05-11T14:26:00.000-04:002006-05-11T15:10:22.950-04:00

Le tres controverse, mais tres percant investig-acteur Michel Collon a recemment fait circuler une lettre ouverte au Roi des Belges, concernant la domination desastreuse et devastatrice du Roi Leopold II sur le Congo, et les consequences qui s'en sont suivies. Cette lettre merite d'etre lue par tous. Elle a certainement un point de vue, mais la grande majorite de ce qu'elle dit est verifiable,

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1146055860594594042006-04-26T08:51:00.000-04:002006-04-27T03:00:25.916-04:00

: "Dans ce tapage, il y a ce qui n�a pas été dit à haute et intelligible voix. Il s�agit de la volonté des compagnies européennes d�envahir l�Afrique. Rappelons-nous que le vide laissé dans le ciel africain par les compagnies disparues a été comblé par des grandes compagnies étrangères. Ces dernières ont ramassé l�important marché de passagers et du fret au détriment des «jeunes pousses»

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1145958941988874552006-04-25T05:55:00.000-04:002006-04-25T05:55:42.146-04:00

BBC NEWS | Africa | Tanzania bans election handouts: "Tanzania has banned traditional African hospitality known by its Swahili name of 'takrima' during election campaigns.Under the country's electoral law, politicians were allowed to hand out food and drink to prospective voters.But the High Court ruled in favour of three legal rights organisations that argued it was a form of corruption."

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1145843035942974982006-04-23T21:43:00.000-04:002006-04-23T21:43:56.076-04:00

Telegraph | News | War is over, so now the Congo army attacks its own people: "On paper, the Democratic Republic of Congo is at peace and recovering from years of civil war. Yet the squalid refugee camps are filled with people who are all too aware of the bitter reality."Comments to come.

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1145436491763164972006-04-19T04:48:00.000-04:002006-04-19T04:56:11.346-04:00

New Vision Online | Congo rebels to be deported: "Uganda is poised to deport Congolese militia leaders recently rounded up in Kampala, as relations between Uganda and the DR Congo warm up.State minister for defence Ruth Nankabirwa yesterday said, �We shall deport them by transporting them to the DRC-Uganda border, and hand them over to the Congolese authorities.�She said she would be part of the

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1145436016273007012006-04-19T04:40:00.000-04:002006-04-19T04:56:35.593-04:00

So there is no real surprise: all the people on the temporary list of Presidential candidates, plus one, will be running for President in the Congo. 33 candidates... I still cannot get over that gigantic number, even for Congo.Congo to Have 33 Presidential Candidates | Prensa Latina: "Kinshasa, Apr 18 (Prensa Latina) The Independent Electoral Commission of the Democratic Republic of Congo has

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1145308933710966142006-04-17T17:22:00.000-04:002006-04-19T04:49:41.863-04:00

BBC NEWS | Africa | Scramble for DR Congo's mineral wealth: "A scramble for minerals has brought foreign money into the Democratic Republic of Congo province of Katanga - but not everyone is benefiting, reports the BBC's Michael Buchanan from Lubumbashi."Tags: Congo|Katanga|DR Congo|DRC|Africa|News|Minerals

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1145268919797417512006-04-17T05:31:00.000-04:002006-04-17T06:17:12.823-04:00

I have written a bit too much about the sad and serious in Africa. Today, I want to share something lighter, that I received by email (and modified a bit):How to tell one African from anotherIt comes as something of a surprise to many Africans to discover that all Africans look the same to non-Africans.How do you tell a Nigerian from a Kenyan, for example; and I am not talking about passports or

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1144843450527798902006-04-12T08:04:00.000-04:002006-04-12T08:31:40.213-04:00

BBC NEWS | Africa | DR Congo's Kabila and his kingdom: "The BBC's Arnaud Zajtman profiles Joseph Kabila, the man most likely to become the Democratic Republic of Congo's first democratically elected leader since independence in 1960, in a piece published in the Focus on Africa magazine."Tags: Congo|BBC|DRC|DR Congo|Africa|News|Analysis|elections

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1144401488272895892006-04-12T04:20:00.000-04:002006-04-17T07:47:07.683-04:00

Like every April, I take a moment to remember those of my friends, classmates, and my mother's friends, who died in the Rwanda genocide. I was in Rwanda from 1990 to April 1994, and was evacuated about a week into the genocide. My mother was the head of a UN agency there, and we were therefore among the UN evacuees. But before we left, I had the heartwrenching experience of hearing of, and

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1144750227812066502006-04-11T05:54:00.000-04:002006-04-11T06:10:27.946-04:00

A very accurate analysis of the electoral environment in the Congo today, from the newsletter "Friends of the Congo":April 10, 2006, The Independent Electoral Commission released the list of presidential candidates for the upcoming elections in the Congo. Of the 73 individuals who registered to participate in the presidential race, 32 met the requirements of the electoral law. Although there are

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1144725136575775492006-04-10T23:12:00.000-04:002006-04-12T15:21:29.036-04:00

Democratic Republic of Congo Entrusts Two Reserves to Communities: "Legally recognized community conservation took a big step forward in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week when the government handed the care and control of two large nature reserves over to local community groups. Adjacent to one other, the reserves form a globally important biodiversity site inhabited by endangered Grauer

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1144724657993787332006-04-10T23:04:00.000-04:002006-04-10T23:14:21.720-04:00

So apparently, every once and a while, the UN Security Council does listen to the recommendations of the Secretary General:Scoop: Security Council Approves UN Troop Redeployment: "Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 8:45 amPress Release: United NationsNew York, Apr 10 2006Security Council Approves UN Troop Redeployment From Burundi To Dr CongoThe Security Council today authorized the temporary redeployment

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1144400991198162262006-04-07T05:09:00.000-04:002006-04-07T05:31:54.110-04:00

From Alertnet:Reuters AlertNet - Congo pares presidential list to 32 candidates"KINSHASA, April 6 (Reuters) - Electoral authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo confirmed President Joseph Kabila and former rebel chiefs among a list of 32 candidates for mid-year elections, but rejected 41 other hopefuls.Registration closed on Sunday for Congo's first democratic elections in more than four

TheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.com0