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AU 2011 summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
African Union summit
Interview: Henry Bellingham, UK Minister for Africa
Interview: Mohamed Omaar, Somalia Deputy Prime Minister
Interview: Deng Alor, Minister for Regional Cooperation, South Sudan
Interview: Mohamed al-Orabi, Foreign Minister, Egypt
Press Conference Questions: Jacob Zuma, President, South Africa
Report: Summit curtain raiser
Report: The beginning of talks
Report: Opening ceremony
Report: Framework agreement on Libya
Interview: Henry Bellingham, UK Minister for Africa, 29th June 2011
Mediation efforts in Libya and Sudan were high on the agenda at the AU summit in Malabo. While observer missions at the summit tried to influence African delegations during closed-door meetings on issues such as the crisis in Libya.
Interview: Mohamed Omaar, Somalia’s Deputy PM, 30th June 2011
Somalia’s Shebab rebels are “a spent force”, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Omaar told RFI in an interview at the AU summit in Malabo. Omaar promises a new president will be elected next year and insists that government forces will win territorial control.
Radio France Internationale – Al-Shebab a spent force, says Somalia’s Deputy PM
Delegates at the African Union summit 2011
Interview: Deng Alor, Minister for Regional Cooperation, South Sudan, 29th June 2011
The Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement signed a deal that aims to bring an end to fighting in the border state of South Kordofan. There has been heavy fighting in South Kordofan since 5 June between government forces and militia aligned to the SPLA, the ex-rebel army. The agreement follows mediation efforts by AU mediator and former South African President Thabo Mbeki. The conflict has displaced more than 70,000 people, according to the United Nations.
Interview: Mohamed al-Orabi, Foreign Minister, Egypt, 1st July 2011
The theme of this year’s AU summit in Malabo is youth empowerment. The empowerment of youth has not been felt more strongly in recent times than in Tunisia or Egypt. In Egypt violent protests once again hit Tahrir Square on Wednesday having a knock-on effect on the country’s currency, which hit a six year low.
Press Conference Questions: Jacob Zuma, President, South Africa, 2nd July 2011
The 17th African Union rounded up in Malabo on Friday. Following a number of meetings the AU tabled a proposal for a framework agreement on a political situation to the crisis in Libya. This agreement complements the work of the AU’s high-level mediation group and calls for continuing dialogue. But with the acceptance of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi that he will not be part of the negotiation process. After the summit’s closing ceremony South African President Jacob Zuma gave a press conference.
Outside the Sipopo conference centre, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Report: Summit curtain raiser, 29th June 2011
“Here at the purpose-built Sipopo conference centre things are starting to hot up – and the word on everyone’s lips is Libya. AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping told RFI yesterday that they won’t change tact on Nato’s military intervention. They’re calling for a political solution, with some kind of transition including Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi. We’ve also learnt that members of rebel National Transitional Council will be coming to Malabo, granted visas by the authorities, but with no access to the conference venue. Possibly a lobbying opportunity for them – whilst giving the AU a failsafe position, making sure they don’t shun them completely. Libya’s foreign minister Abdul Ati Al-Obeidi also was present at last night’s meetings. But the only sign you’ll get of Kadhafi in Malabo at this conference is his face adorning the flags of African leaders on the road from the airport to the flashy venue. RFI’s Daniel Finnan, reporting from Malabo.”Report: The beginning of talks, 30th June 2011
“Discussions have already begun – and as well as a high level meeting of Nepad, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, yesterday, there’s also been a number of closed door bilateral and multilateral talks. The AU mediation group on Libya met again last night, with presidents from South Africa, Mauritiana, Uganda, Mali and Congo Brazzaville. On the table over the next few days will be the continuing issue of Libya – how many African leaders will openly support the departure of Kadhafi, or what form could a transition take? With Sudan – what comes next in the on-going border disputes over Abyei and South Kordofan. Plus Somalia – will the AU be satisfied with the confirmation of a new Prime Minister by the Somali parliament – while will Uganda and Burundi want to contribute more troops to the AU peacekeeping force in the country. Reporting for RFI, this is Daniel Finnan in Malabo.”Report: Opening ceremony, 1st July 2011
“The day started off with the grand opening ceremony and discussions on the summit’s theme – youth empowerment. Before leaders eventually sat down and talked about the burning issue of the day – Libya. ‘Somalisation’ – that’s the phrase increasingly used by the AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping, when he talks about the dangers of the ongoing conflict. Earlier in the morning RFI learnt that the rebel National Transitional Council had arrived at the summit, and met with the foreign ministers from Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritiana and Cote d’Ivoire. One of the Benghazi envoys Mansour Saif al-Nasr said countries are ok with the departure of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, but only some say it publicly. Meanwhile, the Libyan government delegation continues its lobbying in Malabo, at some times just metres away from the rebels. At the end of the day, the evening meeting yielded no public announcement – but maybe we’ll see some kind of development on the AU’s roadmap plan, later today. Daniel Finnan, RFI, Malabo.”Report: Framework agreement on Libya, 2nd July 2011
“After two days of discussions the African Union has tabled a new framework agreement on Libya. It calls for Kadhafi to accept that he cannot be part of any negotiation process on finding a political solution to the crisis. The framework doesn’t explicitly say that Kadhafi shouldn’t be part of any transition, if a settlement were to be reached. That was clear during comments made during the press conference. South African President Jacob Zuma said the framework answered all the questions. Although he wouldn’t be drawn on the question of a transition. Meanwhile, the AU also took a decision on the arrest warrant for Kadhafi, issued by the ICC, saying member states should not cooperate. And ask that the UN Security Council cancel the ICC process on Libya in the interests of justice and peace in the country. In passionate comments during the press conference, AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping made comparisons with American compliance and quoted a head of state, saying the court’s prosecutor is a joke. RFI’s Daniel Finnan reporting from Malabo.”Paris protesters call for Syria’s al-Assad to go
Demonstrators at the Place du Trocadero call for regime change in Syria, 11 June 2011. Photo: LA Bagnetto
Syrian demonstrators took to the streets of cities across the world on Saturday in protest against the Syrian regime. In downtown Montreal about 300 people gathered, chanting, “the people want an end to the regime”. While in Paris near the Eiffel tower activists were demanding for an end to corruption and tyranny.
Radio Report: Anti-Assad protests in Paris
Tunisian blogger Slim Amamou calls for post-revolutionary new world order
Amamou at L’engagement 2.0, Le Grand Salon de la Sorbonne, Paris
Tunisian blogger Slim Amamou was in Paris on Tuesday to debate the use of social networks during the Tunisian revolt, and the future of politics shaped by online activism. Amamou, the former Tunisian Secretary of State for Youth and Sport, joined four other bloggers who played a key role in the Tunisian revolution for a conference focused on the role technology played in the country’s uprising. The event, hosted by Jeannette Bougrab, the French Secretary of State for Youth and Community, comes as political parties in Tunisia and the country’s electoral commission debate over the timetable for elections. On Monday the Progressist Democratic Party and the Islamist Ennahda movement conceded a possible delay for the vote. Organisers of the ballot would like to see it moved to October.
Interview: Slim Amamou, Tunisian blogger
S.Africa sets out its stall ahead of Durban climate change conference
Construction of the Medupi power plant in Lephalale, South Africa, April 2009. Photo: Eskom
Delegations from South Africa, India, China and Brazil rounded up a meeting in Durban on Sunday focused on climate change. It was the second such meeting this year and comes ahead of November’s UN climate change talks. The four nations were expected to adopt a common strategy and decide how they will negotiate their position with world’s richest economies.
Interview: Edna Molewa, South Africa’s Minister for Water and Environmental Affairs
Congo has to take the lead in November elections, says Crisis Group’s Délétroz
Representatives of the DRC’s electoral commission in Kinshasa, 7 May. Photo: CENI
Anger and consternation dominated the feelings amongst Congolese pro-democracy activists at a meeting with representatives from the French foreign ministry in Paris on Monday. During discussions about the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 28th November polls, three themed round tables focused on the electoral process, security, justice and impunity. There are worries that the government is not ready to improve on 2006’s dismal voting conditions, and many Congolese are unhappy with French support for elections that they already see as flawed.
Interview: Alain Délétroz, Vice President, International Crisis Group
Successful Nigerian polls will echo across Africa, says Kufuor
John Kufuor. Photo: Gregory Jones
A well-organised vote as Nigerian voters go to the polls this Saturday would “resound to the good of all of Africa”, according to John Kufuor, the head of the African Union election observation mission in Nigeria, and former Ghanaian president. Kufuor spoke to RFI about what the mission has observed in the days leading up to the presidential vote.
Interview: John Kufuor, head of the AU election observation mission
African mediators want Libya truce, says Zuma aide
Jacob Zuma and Moamer Kadhafi. Photo: Elmond Jiyane, GCIS.
Top-level African Union mediators will call on both sides in Libya’s conflict to lay down their arms on a mission to the divided country starting Sunday, an adviser to South Africa’s Jacob Zuma tells RFI.
Interview: Jacob Zuma’s international relations special advisor Lindiwe Zulu
London conference on Libya successful, says OIC Sec Gen
Group photograph from the conference. CC licence: British FCO
More than 35 countries, including seven Arab states, the United Nations and Nato, gathered in London on Tuesday to discuss plans for Libya’s future. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, told RFI that the meeting was “successful” and he hopes that military intervention in Libya comes to end “as soon as possible”.
Interview: Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Sec Gen, OIC
Nouvelle Vague sprinkles couleurs on Paris
Liset Alea on stage at Le Plan, Ris Orangis, 20 March 2011
Nouvelle Vague hits the concert circuit once again to promote their new album, Couleurs sur Paris, with multi-talented singer Liset Alea. Their fourth studio album includes offerings en français such as Putain, Putain a 1983 song originally by TC Matic.
Interview: Liset Alea and Olivier Libaux
Egyptian revolt: the aftermath
Mohammed, student from Menoufia
The week after the fall of former president Hosni Mubarak was full of joy and optimism for the Egyptian people. But there was also concern whether the military would fulfill all their promises, the economy would get back on track, workers would start to get a fair deal and women would enjoy the same equality as men. This series of reports and interviews from Cairo for Radio France Internationale explores the hopes and dreams of the Egyptian people immediately after the end of 29 years of dictatorship.
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