AFRICAN CINEMA: Diary: Opening of the 22nd edition of Fespaco

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Arriving on a flying

Epic. When traveling to an African destination, we know that the journey will not be trivial. So when we boarded in Paris yesterday morning, towards Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to cover the largest film festival on the continent, Fespaco, we were prepared for a great adventure.

The flight was very nice with all the cream of African cinema on board such Dora Bouchoucha, director and producer of Tunisia, Missa Hébié, Burkinabe filmmaker ... My English colleague, Leela Jacinto, had never come in black Africa, and for her it was a real discovery.I am from Senegal, experienced in this type of travel, thought he had seen others.

Cassandras often castigate African airlines to their lack of organization and management of hazardous passengers. What was not my surprise to discover that traveling with Air France, the luggage could never happen. But that is what happened, my suitcase remained at the airport in Paris! First contact with the ground in Burkina total confusion. Fortunately, the legendary warmth and friendliness of Burkina Faso make you quickly forget what kind of inconvenience.Even the customs officers sympathize, some even offer to lend you a toilet, or even to stay at home (very friendly!).

The Independence hotel gave us a warm welcome. As the nerve center of Fespaco, we come across every festival. Some of them welcomed us for coverage FRANCE 24 events in the Maghreb and the Middle East.The jury of the festival, Dora Bouchoucha, says that thanks to the work of our chain that many of his countrymen have seen pictures of this historic uprising that led to the downfall of the regime of Ben Ali, January 14.

Today, festivities begin with, culminating in the opening ceremony of the festival in the stadium August 4

Sunday, February 27, 2011

In search of the precious badge ...

Upon awakening the morning of the opening of the festival, we were cheered up and determined to get our precious card: press accreditation gives access to all projections.Again, the African adventure has kept its promises.

Two young volunteers of the festival, many working for Fespaco, indicated on signs at the entrance of the hotel, change the place of withdrawal impromptu press kits and accreditation.

The direction Liptako an administrative building guarded by security guards. A hotel taxi fares tourism practitioner with a large margin during the festival period, is not knowing the place. Finally, we arrive at Liptako and after a quarter of an hour long queue, we eventually call the manager, posted among the fifteen persons entrusted to the withdrawal of accreditation.We ask him if he needs our press card or our identity card so that we can recover our precious sesame. "I need the badges!" He replied. "But wait, we have just to remove them," rétorquons us in charge. "Ah ... but this is not ladies," cried he with the utmost relaxation.

Thus, under the astonished gaze of Leela Jacinto, my alter ego speaking, we rapidly engulf in a taxi towards the center of Fespaco.From there, assisted by another volunteer, we succeed in dodging the dense crowd massed around and inside the imposing building ocher style post-colonial place to find the withdrawal of the international press.

Again, the kindness of Burkina Faso has been a great comfort. Badges in hand, we finally leave the premises. On the steps, we meet Michel Ouédraogo, Deputy General Fespaco. In an advanced state of nervousness, just a few hours of opening, it does not wish to answer our questions ... But appointment is made for the next day.

The 24-hour general strike marred by incidents in Athens

Clashes erupted Wednesday in central Athens between dozens of youths and riot police, splitting in two a procession of demonstrators protesting against the austerity as part of a general strike for 24 hours, was a journalist the AFP.

The security forces, deployed by cable to the Ministry of Finance, at the bottom of the central square of Syntagma fired tear gas to repel irritants and young people, who were of various projectiles.

The police then deployed to push beyond the square mass of protesters split into two incidents and many were coughing and choking.But échaufourrées continued down from the parliament with the firing of Molotov cocktails by young troublemakers.

Police said the various processions union in Athens and Piraeus have collected some 20,000 people, and more than 60,000 according to union estimates, a significant mobilization. In Salonika, the police amounted to some 16,000 demonstrators.

Some 5,000 policemen were deployed in central Athens against the possibility of such excesses, almost automatically give in recent years at events and in particular that had marred the last union demonstration accompanying a general strike on December 14.

The Minister of Citizen Protection, Christos Papoutsis on Tuesday called for calm and "responsibility" to safeguard the country's image in front of the "international community".

The demonstrations were organized by the two major power plants in the country, the GSEE and ADEDY private to the public, and by the communist trade union front Pame, as part of a day of action against the treatment of 24H austerity prescribed in the country by the Union duropéenne and the International Monetary Fund in exchange for his financial rescue.

MADAGASCAR: Back from exile compromise Marc Ravalomanana

AFP - Former President of Madagascar Marc Ravalomanana was prevented from returning to Antananarivo on Saturday after being denied boarding at Johannesburg airport by an airline citing an order from the Malagasy civil aviation, was a journalist the AFP.

"I'm going to Madagascar for the sake of peace, not war, why does blocking me is here now?" Said the press Ravalomanana, visibly angry after the airline Airlink signified to him the refusal boarding at the airport OR Tambo.

A company employee showed him a letter from the Civil Aviation Authority Malagasy saying: "Marc Ravalomanana is persona non grata in Madagascar.Also to preserve public order, do not take on board ".

In Madagascar, at the airport Antanananarivo, several thousand supporters of Marc Ravalomanana had gathered Saturday morning in anticipation of the arrival of former president who had announced his return home today after two years of exile.

The Malagasy regime in place Rajoelina had estimated that his return was announced a "big bluff" and warned it would stop immediately deposed president if he continued to return.

LIBYA: In Benghazi, the police dispersed a rally against the government

AFP - The Libyan police forcibly dispersed the night from Tuesday to Wednesday a sit-in against the power in Benghazi (east), and hundreds of supporters of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi soon after marched in several cities, it was learned from sources.

Family members of prisoners killed in 1996 in a shootout in the prison of Abu Slim in Tripoli, gathered outside a police station in Benghazi to demand the release of their coordinator, the lawyer Fethi Tarbel, the newspaper reported Online Al-Manara.

Ms. Tarbell, whose reasons for arrest are unknown, was released under pressure from families, according to the newspaper's website Qurina near Seif Al-Islam, son of Colonel Gaddafi.

But the crowd did not move out and others joined the protest, prompting the police to disperse them by force, according to the website Libya al-Youm.

The demonstrators chanted slogans against the regime: "Benghazi wake up is the day you were waiting for" the blood of martyrs is not shed in vain, "or" the people want to bring down corruption, "according these media.

Soon after, hundreds of demonstrators marched pro-regime in Benghazi, the second largest city, 1,000 km east of Tripoli, but also in Sirte (east), Sebha (south) and Tripoli, according to images state television.

Since 4:00 local time (0200 GMT), the channel al-Jamahiriya broadcast live images of protesters marching on foot and in cars, waving flags and pictures of Colonel Qaddafi and chanting slogans in praise of the Guide of the Libyan revolution and cons channel Al-Jazeera accused by the regime to incite rebellion in Arab individuals.

The string "al-Jazeera despicable, we do not want anything other than our leader," chanted the demonstrators particular.

These events occur on the eve of the "day of anger" Libyan scheduled for Thursday, according to appeals on Facebook.

Under the slogan "Revolt of February 17, 2011: to make a day of anger in Libya," a Facebook group, which calls for an uprising against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, has risen from 4,400 members Monday at 9600 Wednesday morning.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), at least 1,200 prisoners were killed by police during a shootout in the prison of Abu Salim in 1996, under circumstances that remain unclear.

In recent years their families, much of which originated in Benghazi, continues to claim that light and justice are made on the massacre.

EGYPT: The army promised a "peaceful transition" towards "an elected civilian power"

The army, custodian of power after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak promised on Saturday a "peaceful transition" towards "an elected civilian power" and pledged to respect international treaties signed by Egypt, whose agreements peace with Israel.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians continued into the evening to celebrate the fall of the rais, the day before fallen under pressure from the street after three decades in power, on Tahrir Square in Cairo, the epicenter of the revolt launched on 25 January.

The supreme council of the armed forces, an instance of military leaders who took control of the country, announced that the government appointed by Mr.Mubarak a few days before his departure remain in place to manage the current business.

Egypt "will remain committed to all its regional and international treaties," he said.Egypt is with Jordan, the only Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel.

The Jewish State, which did not hide his fears in recent days in Cairo to see emerge a new power hostile to the agreement, welcomed these "assurances", adding that the treaty was "a cornerstone for peace and stability throughout the Middle East. "

The army has also committed to a "peaceful transition of power" who "prepare the ground for an elected civilian authority to build a free democratic state," said the council in the text read by a soldier on TV State, without giving a timetable.

The U.S. president, Barack Obama, praised in the evening that promise a return to civilian rule and respect for international obligations of Egypt.

"This government and the governors will continue to work until a new government is formed," added the council, headed by Defence Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, 75, the new strongman of the country.

The government held its first meeting Sunday since the resignation of Mr. Mubarak, the agency Mena.

In the evening, tens of thousands of people were still gathered in Tahrir Square.In a friendly atmosphere, they listened to a group sing Arabic folk music and patriotic songs.

Earlier, many volunteers, armed with brooms and bags, had engaged in cleaning the place."Yesterday I showed today, I'm building," proclaimed sheets taped to their clothes.

The Army has cleared barricades and barbed wire around the square and cranes removed the carcasses of burned cars, reminders of the violent clashes between police and demonstrators, and between pro-and anti-Mubarak, during the revolt killed at least 300 deaths, according to UN and Human Rights Watch.

A Ismailiya, a large town on the Suez Canal, hundreds of police in protest against corruption in their ranks.

But 600 prisoners escaped Saturday from a prison in Cairo after the riots, according to security services who report several casualties.

On the Judiciary, the Attorney General has banned the former Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif and the current Minister of Information Anas el-Fekkai leave the country "in light of complaints filed against them," Mena reported , without elaborating on what they were accused. Public television has announced shortly after the resignation of Mr. Fekkai.

Despite the euphoria and uncertainty, life resumed its course. The curfew has been eased: it will begin at midnight instead of 20:00 (1800 GMT) and lasted until 6:00 am (0400 GMT). The Cairo Stock Exchange, closed since Jan. 27, should reopen Wednesday, said on state television.

The announcement of the resignation of Mr.Mubarak intervened in the 18th day of the uprising, while over a million people demonstrating against the rais through Egypt, a country of more than 80 million people. According to his party, he left Cairo to Sharm el-Sheikh (Sinai), where he has a residence.

Saudi Arabia, who had supported Mr.Mubarak during the revolt, Saturday welcomed the "peaceful transition", and the organization of Islamic Conference has "welcomed" the Egyptians and urged other Arab and Muslim leaders to accelerate their reforms.

Beyond Egypt, the announcement of the fall of the regime has caused an explosion of joy in many countries of the region, especially in Tunis, where a similar protest movement had driven President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali four weeks earlier.

In Yemen, thousands of young people demonstrated on Saturday in Sana'a to call for resignation of President Ali Abdallah Saleh, and Gaza, close to 2,000 students of the Islamist movement Hamas celebrated the fall of Mr. Mubarak.A thousand Israeli Arabs have also marched in Nazareth (northern Israel).

KOREA: Talks between the two Koreas ended in failure

The talks between senior military officers South and North Korea have ended abruptly Wednesday without reaching an agreement, when the delegation from Pyongyang walked out of the meeting, said the South Korean Ministry of Defense.

This meeting between the two neighbors was the first since the deadly bombing in November from an island in South Korea by forces from Pyongyang, which had heightened tensions between the two neighbors.

The delegation from North Korea crossed the border ten minutes after leaving the negotiating table, taking place since yesterday in a border village in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), told AFP spokesman department.

"They did not even try to discuss a future meeting of this kind.Given the current situation, we can say that the talks have failed, "he added.

No official explanation was advanced to explain this sudden departure, according to the spokesman.

An official with the Ministry of Defence, quoted by Yonhap news agency, attributed the failure of the meeting to "differences over the agenda."

According to another official, quoted by YTN television, the atmosphere "was pretty emotional."

South Korea demanded during the meeting that the North apologizes and pledges to punish those responsible for two serious incidents in 2010: the sinking of a corvette South Korean who killed 46 people and the bombing November 23 (4 people including 2 soldiers).

Pyongyang denies being behind the sinking, as acknowledged by an international investigation.As for the bombing, it was undertaken in retaliation for the South Korean military exercises in which shells were fired into the waters of North Korea, said North.

Pyongyang wanted the meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday should make a commitment to "stop all military action could be interpreted as a provocation by the other party".

These talks were also to set the date, place and agenda of an upcoming meeting with high-level contacts, probably the Ministers of Defence.

Wednesday morning, Seoul announced it had agreed to open talks with Pyongyang on the meetings of families separated since the Korean War (1950-1953), under the auspices of the Red Cross.

But Seoul bound these discussions, proposed by Pyongyang, the conclusion of military talks this Wednesday.

RBS Six Nations: Victory reassuring XV de France face Scotland

AFP - XV de France has started its title defense in the RBS Six Nations rugby victory (34-21) against Scotland on Saturday at the Stade de France during the first day.

France, who scored four tries against three conceded, was a first point for the reconquest of his audience, two months after the correction (16-59) received against Australia at St. Denis during the tours in November.

The second stage of the tournament will be held next Sunday in Ireland, victorious (13-11) Saturday in Italy. Meanwhile, France is ranked first ahead of England and Ireland with a better points difference.

The French took the score came through a try for winger Maxime Medard transformed by Morgan Parra on a ball recovery.Fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc, a drop, giving ten points ahead of his team before the test of Scottish captain Alastair Kellock, converted by Dan Parks.

France took over the seven-point lead before the interval by pushing the Scots to concede a penalty try after five mixed difficult to board their online test. Transformed Parra (17-7).

The Scots saw their chances diminish in the 55th minute with the third try scored by French Imanol Harinordoquy, cleverly used by Trinh-Duc.Yachvili transformed (24-7, 55th).

Courageous, XV of the Thistle reduced the scoring in the 60th minute with the test line 3 Kelly Brown, converted by Parks, but the French regained 17 points ahead with a try between the posts for Damien Traille converted by Yachvili, before the third Test Scottish Sean Lamont.

Yachvili concluded the discussion by writing an ultimate penalty.

FRANCE: Michele Alliot-Marie criticized for its friendly relationship with someone close to Ben Ali

AFP - The head of French diplomacy, Michele Alliot-Marie, was used in 2010 in Tunisia in a private jet Tunisian businessman, presented by the weekly Le Canard Enchaine as a member "of the clan Ben Ali" what was denied on Tuesday the cabinet of the Minister.

The newspaper reveals that the minister used between Christmas and New Year's Day this aircraft to connect to the city of Tunis Tabarka, with her husband Patrick Ollier, Minister for Relations with Parliament, and members of their families.

Tunisian revolt began some two weeks ago, after self-immolation of a young Tunisian, December 17 in Sidi Bouzid, in the center of the country.

Michèle Alliot-Marie was sharply criticized in France since 11 January for having underestimated the Revolution of jasmine and have proposed to the National Assembly security cooperation regime in the Ben Ali.

The private plane and the destination hotel Michèle Alliot-Marie owned Aziz Miled, longtime friend of the Minister and presented by Le Canard Enchaine as close Belhassen Trabelsi, brother of former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.

"It is true that Michele Alliot-Marie, after taking a commercial flight from Paris to Tunis, then took a private plane to Tabarka," he told AFP his cabinet."It was at the invitation of Aziz Miled, a friend for several years, which is the owner of an airline called Nouvelair. Miled Aziz was on the plane and took them with her parents and her husband" sources said the same source.

"But Aziz Miled is not a clan member Ben Ali," said the minister's office. "He was caught by a family member Trabelsi 20% of its shares in the airline and the presidency of this society," we sure of the source. Family Trabelsi is the wife of the former president.

"Mr.Miled is even less a friend of Ben Ali as the new Tunisian authorities, after the latter's departure and his family, he gave back all its shares so that the chair of Nouvelair, "argued the firm the minister. "In any case, it was a clan for Ben Ali", it was stressed from the same source.

However Aziz Miled is part of the list of which Switzerland has frozen the assets on January 19 after the fall of Ben Ali. He is featured on this list, published by the Swiss government as a partner Belhassen Trabelsi.

Sunday, in an interview with Paris, Michèle Alliot-Marie had admitted being on vacation in 2010 in Tunisia. "Like millions of French, I'm going to Tunisia.That's all, "she had said.

She added he had not thought about resigning after his controversial remarks on police assistance that France could make to Tunisia, saying had "learned to have thick leather" faced with controversy.

Last week, Segolene Royal, Socialist former candidate for president in 2007, was deemed "hateful" about the minister before the deputies and found that having "very personal ties with Tunisia" made "blind".

The Chained Duck also states that it sought in vain to who had paid the hotel bill of Tabarka stayed where the minister and his family."It was settled by Ms. Alliot-Marie and her family," assured the minister's entourage without elaborating.