Cameroon, the forgotten repression

Violent repression of the protests organized by the Social-Democratic Front (SDF) against the dictator Paul Biya and his decisoion to modify the constitution in order to allow a third presidential mandate. At least 12 killed people. The French foreign ministry keeps the silence on the issue. No condamnation. When you have a look to their website, the last release on Cameroon was published on july, 07th 2006, "for a dinner in honor of the President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya".

1	Paris / 27.07.2006 / TOAST DE LA MINISTRE DELEGUEE A LA COOPERATION, AU DEVELOPPEMENT ET A LA FRANCOPHONIE, MME BRIGITTE GIRARDIN, A L'OCCASION DU DINER OFFERT EN L'HONNEUR DU PRESIDENT DE LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN, M. PAUL BIYA

Read Arretez le massacre, editorial of the newspaper Le Messager, the article of Rue89, and the press release of MJS.

Chad and so What?

Before the official visit in South Africa, President Sarkozy makes a stop in D'jamena (Chad) to meet Iddriss Deby. For the ones who tought that the president changed the French policy in Africa, this visit will be very disappointing. Why? Because the government is suspected to have arrested and kidnapped leaders of the opposition during the attack of the rebels. We have no news from two of them since February 3rd and according to Human Rights Watch, the State security forces are directely responsible (See their statement here).

The government says it doesn’t know how Yorongar and Ibni disappeared. Our inquiry leaves little doubt that it was the government which took them, and we hold the government fully responsible for their well-being and safe return.

Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch

In these conditions, the visit of the French President is a very bad signal. Of course, the French authorities are arguing that Sarkozy will ask to Deby a clarification on this issue. He also proposed an international inquiry concerning this. But this is not enough and we can be sure this visit will be counterproductive. Deby will use it politically for his own political support without any guarantees for the opposition leaders. Deby must be condamned and the European authorities must cut the relationship with the dictorial regime until the opposition leaders are released.

Update on Serbia and Kosovo

A statement of my friends of SDU after the violences in Serbia. I would be curious to read a statement from IUSY.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC UNION ON SITUATION IN SERBIA AFTER PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF KOSOVO

In the week after proclamation of independence of Kosovo, peace and stability in Serbia are seriously endangered. By tackles reactions, the ruling political parties have given a kind of support to citizens who expressed their rage by demolishing of diplomatic missions of USA and some EU states and offices of opposition parties, and oppressing of journalists. On Sunday, February 17, right after proclamation of independence by Kosovo Parliament, citizens who have spontaneously gathered attacked the Embassies of USA and Slovenia. SDU considers that in both cases the police reaction was unprompted and inappropriate and allowed rioters to demolish the Embassies, and even to enter the Embassy of Republic of Slovenia. Also, rioters have demolished central offices of Liberal Democratic Party and two McDonald’s restaurants and have tried to reach the building where Cedomir Jovanovic, the leader of LDP lives. Considering the fact that there were not more to 200 demonstrators, the police reaction had to be more efficient. We are especially concerned by reaction of some Ministers, who have given the support to violent demonstrations. In the following days, violent protests were organized in the north of Kosovo, a part with Serbian majority, where, by direct support of Serbian government, checkpoints Jarinje and Brnjak were blown up and several vehicles of KFOR and Kosovo police were burnt down. On Thursday, February 21st, the Government of Serbia, accompanied by some parliamentary parties, organized the protest named “Kosovo is Serbia”. Based on journalistic and police estimates between 150.000 and 500.000 citizens participated in the protest. Despite serious possibility of riots after the rally, “critical points” weren’t been protected well. After the rally several thousands of protestants went to the street with foreign diplomatic missions. In the riots the embassy of USA was burnt, and rioters have also tried to burn Croatian Embassy, when they had burnt the building next to the embassy building. Germany, Bosnian, Canadian and Belgium embassies were also stoned. The registration house in front of embassy of Great Britain was burnt. The rioters have again attacked McDonald’s restaurants and robbed several shops in the city of Belgrade. Lot of journalists were attacked, and one Dutch journalist was seriously wounded. The police reacted more then 30 minutes after starting of violence. However, the most tragic result of riots is death of 21 year old young man who was burnt in fire in the Embassy of the USA. SDU considers the organizers of the rally as directly responsible for this tragedy. Leaders of some political parties encouraged protestants on violence. They pointed opposition and some media as responsible for violence, because, as some politicians have said, “by their reports and political attitudes media and “pro Albanian” political parties have provoked citizens”. Officials of some parties have even accused LDP that, in cooperation with CIA, have organized violent demonstrations with an aim to send a bad image of Serbia abroad. SDU think that after proclamation of independence of Kosovo, Serbia is seriously destabilized and that it is not possible to predict which direction the political situation would develop. We demand the state officials to immediately stop violence against media and political opposition and to hold back from any activities that could produce riots with, maybe even worse consequences.

The future of Russia

Presidential elections in Russia. We already know that Dmitri Medveded, the official candidate supported by Putin will win. It is not an issue. The elections won't be fair and have not been fair until now. The real issue is what will be the behaviour of the newly elected president and his links with the future prime minister, Putin itself. We observed in the last days the first try of an emancipation. "Russia will stay as a presidential republic with one center of power". I remembered the strategy of Eltsine when he chose Putin. He wanted a non-charismatic guy that will be linked to his own interest. We know what Putin did with its heritage. Will we see the same rupture with Medvedev?

Read (in French) the analysis of bernard Guetta in Libération who thinks Russia may change his policy after the elections and considers that Europe has to help the new president.

The independance of Kosovo, the only option

As it was foreseen, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independance last Sunday. After almost 9 years of full autonomy and de facto independance, there were no alternative to this solution. It is a political cycle which is closing, the last step of the dislocation of the former republic of Yougoslavia. After the independence of Montenogro last year, it should become a new political era for the Serbians. This issue of Kosovo has polluted the internal debate since years and the fascists and the nationalists gained support because of this situation. Now the situation is clear and the Democrats should not try to increase the political and diplomatic crisis. It should be the right moments for the Democrats to put the political and social priorities on other fields. Russia is using this at the moment to try to cut Serbia and the Serbian people to other Europeans. They already had an aggressive policy of acquisition of Serbian companies and ressources, they are just selling their political support to the Serbian Governement (in particular at the UN Security Council) to expand their political influence. It is now up to the Serbian people to decide what future they want, and it is time for the Democrats to be clear on their political priorities: do they want to strenghten the links with Kostunica, the prime minister, on a more and more nationalist point of view? Or do they chose the European future and to overpass this difficult debate on Nationalism to put the social issues at the top of the priorities? The welfare of the Serbians won't be improved with a Kosovo rattached to Serbia. What they need is more employement, better working conditions and better opportunities for the youth.

For Kosovo, challenges are just starting. They have to show that they are able to create a sovereign state, to build a fair justice and solid institutions. The EU has a strong role to play helping the new state to do so but it is mainly the responsability of the kosovars to decide. The place of the Serbian minority in the new institutions will be a test for the international community.

For the Europeans, they have an historical responsability. Unfortunately, the EU countries does not have the same position considering the recognition of the new state of Kosovo. Already six governements refused to recognize this state, mainly because of internal reasons. These divisions are killing any political will and we will need this will in the next future. If we want to avoid a new instability in the Balkans, the political message of the EU should be very strong, clear and united. We already know the nationalists will try to play the card of claiming the independence of Republica Serbka for example. This has to be a casus-belli for Europe. Never the EU will accept the independence of a state that would have been created throught the war in Bosnia. EU has to give political and economic perspective for the people of the region.

Tchad, Sarkozy et la Françafrique

Je reviens sur la crise tchadienne et la politique africaine de Sarkozy pour Cap Finistère. Voici la réponse aux questions posées. A lire également sur le sujet le post de Benoit Curinier et l'article du Monde Diplo.

Cap Finistère : Quel rôle joue l'armée française au Tchad ?

La France et le Tchad sont liés par un accord de coopération militaire technique depuis 1976. Cet accord prévoit la formation des militaires tchadiens, et l’assistance de la France en terme de renseignements et d’appui logistique. Le Tchad est au cœur du dispositif militaire français en Afrique. Il y a près de 1500 soldats français présents au Tchad, réparties sur trois zones militaires. Lors de l’offensive des rebelles, la France est dans un premier temps prudemment resté en retrait du conflit. Disons que l’intervention des troupes françaises n’a pas été aussi flagrante qu’en 2006, lorsque nos soldats avaient tiré sur des troupes rebelles qui avançaient vers N’Djamena. Ceci dit, une nouvelle fois, l’appui logistique et en terme de renseignements a été décisif pour permettre le maintien au pouvoir du dictateur tchadien. Les militaires français ont par ailleurs protégé l’aéroport et pris directement à des combats. Le gouvernement s’est par ailleurs activé pour obtenir du conseil de sécurité une condamnation de l’offensive des rebelles et un soutien inconditionnel à Idriss Déby. Ce qui fait sourire, lorsqu’on sait que le président tchadien est arrivé au pouvoir par un coup d’Etat militaire, alors soutenu par la France…

Cap Finistère : Peut-on parler de rupture dans la politique africaine française depuis l'élection de Nicolas Sarkozy ?

Il existe un décalage important entre les discours du chef de l’Etat, notamment ceux qu’il a prononcé pendant la campagne présidentielle et la politique africaine de l’Elysée. Le soir même de son élection, Nicolas Sarkozy s’empressait de téléphoner à Omar Bongo, le dirigeant gabonais, pour le remercier de son soutien. La première visite en Afrique du Président, qui devait marquer « la rupture » annoncée, ne se sera résumée qu’à une visite au Gabon et au Sénégal, deux piliers de la politique françafricaine, accueillant des bases militaires françaises. Alors que les socialistes s’étaient engagés à rediscuter publiquement les accords de sécurité et de défense et à les placer sous le contrôle du Parlement, on voit bien que ce n’est pas l’objectif du gouvernement actuel. L’ambiguïté de l’action française au Tchad pendant la récente crise a pourtant montré qu’une remise à plat de ces accords était urgente.

Cap Finistère : Comment sont perçus les premiers mois de la présidence Sarkozy en Afrique ?

Le discours de Dakar de Sarkozy sur « l’homme africain » a été très mal perçu par les populations africaines. Beaucoup y ont vu un retour en force d’un comportement néo-colonial et condescendant inacceptable. La politique d’immigration passe également très mal et le traitement accordé aux sans-papiers choque, et la politique des visas continue d’affaiblir les liens de beaucoup de jeunes africains à notre pays. La jeunesse africaine a une méfiance grandissante vis-à-vis de la France et les politiques de M. Chirac et Sarkozy y a beaucoup contribué.