George Esunge Fominyen in Brief


  • George Esunge Fominyen is currently Coordinator of the Multi-Media Editorial Unit of the PANOS Institute West Africa (PIWA) in Dakar, Senegal.

    PANOS Institute West Africa 6, Rue Calmette Dakar, Senegal

    Email: [email protected]
  • Biography

Recent Comments

Categories

Jimbi Media Sites

  • AFRICAphonie
    AFRICAphonie is a Pan African Association which operates on the premise that AFRICA can only be what AFRICANS and their friends want AFRICA to be.
  • Bakwerirama
    Spotlight on Bakweri Society and Culture. The Bakweri are an indigenous African nation.
  • Bate Besong
    Bate Besong, award-winning firebrand poet and playwright.
  • Bernard Fonlon
    Dr Bernard Fonlon was an extraordinary figure who left a large footprint in Cameroonian intellectual, social and political life.
  • Fonlon-Nichols Award
    Website of the Literary Award established to honor the memory of BERNARD FONLON, the great Cameroonian teacher, writer, poet, and philosopher, who passionately defended human rights in an often oppressive political atmosphere.
  • France Watcher
    Purpose of this advocacy site: To aggregate all available information about French terror, exploitation and manipulation of Africa
  • George Ngwane: Public Intellectual
    George Ngwane is a prominent author, activist and intellectual.
  • Jacob Nguni
    Virtuoso guitarist, writer and humorist. Former lead guitarist of Rocafil, led by Prince Nico Mbarga.
  • Martin Jumbam
    The refreshingly, unique, incisive and generally hilarous writings about the foibles of African society and politics by former Cameroon Life Magazine columnist Martin Jumbam.
  • Nowa Omoigui
    Professor of Medicine and interventional cardiologist, Nowa Omoigui is also one of the foremost experts and scholars on the history of the Nigerian Military and the Nigerian Civil War. This site contains many of his writings and comments on military subjects and history.
  • Postwatch Magazine
    A UMI (United Media Incorporated) publication. Specializing in well researched investigative reports, it focuses on the Cameroonian scene, particular issues of interest to the former British Southern Cameroons.
  • Simon Mol
    Cameroonian poet, writer, journalist and Human Rights activist living in Warsaw, Poland
  • Victor Mbarika ICT Weblog
    Victor Wacham Agwe Mbarika is one of Africa's foremost experts on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Dr. Mbarika's research interests are in the areas of information infrastructure diffusion in developing countries and multimedia learning.
  • Tunduzi
    A West African in Arusha at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on the angst, contradictions and rewards of that process.
  • Dr Godfrey Tangwa (Gobata)
    Renaissance man, philosophy professor, actor and newspaper columnist, Godfrey Tangwa aka Rotcod Gobata touches a wide array of subjects. Always entertaining and eminently readable. Visit for frequent updates.
  • Francis Nyamnjoh
    Prolific writer, social and political commentator, he was a professor at University of Buea and University of Botswana. Currently he is Head of Publications and Dissemination at CODESRIA in Dakar, Senegal. His writings are socially relevant and engaging even to the non specialist.
  • Ilongo Sphere: Writer and Poet
    Novelist and poet Ilongo Fritz Ngalle, long concealed his artist's wings behind the firm exterior of a University administrator and guidance counsellor. No longer. Enjoy his unique poems and glimpses of upcoming novels and short stories.
  • Scribbles from the Den
    The award-winning blog of Dibussi Tande, Cameroon's leading blogger.
  • Enanga's POV
    Rosemary Ekosso, a Cameroonian novelist and blogger who lives and works in Cambodia.
  • GEF's Outlook
    Blog of George Esunge Fominyen, former CRTV journalist and currently Coordinator of the Multi-Media Editorial Unit of the PANOS Institute West Africa (PIWA) in Dakar, Senegal.
  • The Chia Report
    The incisive commentary of Chicago-based former CRTV journalist Chia Innocent
  • Voice Of The Oppressed
    Stephen Neba-Fuh is a political and social critic, human rights activist and poet who lives in Norway.
  • Bate Besong
    Bate Besong, award-winning firebrand poet and playwright.
  • Up Station Mountain Club
    A no holds barred group blog for all things Cameroonian. "Man no run!"
  • Bakwerirama
    Spotlight on the Bakweri Society and Culture. The Bakweri are an indigenous African nation.
  • Fonlon-Nichols Award
    Website of the Literary Award established to honor the memory of BERNARD FONLON, the great Cameroonian teacher, writer, poet, and philosopher, who passionately defended human rights in an often oppressive political atmosphere.
  • Bernard Fonlon
    Dr Bernard Fonlon was an extraordinary figure who left a large footprint in Cameroonian intellectual, social and political life.
  • AFRICAphonie
    AFRICAphonie is a Pan African Association which operates on the premise that AFRICA can only be what AFRICANS and their friends want AFRICA to be.
  • Canute - Chronicles from the Heartland
    Professional translator, freelance writer and a regular contributor to THE POST newspaper. Lives in Douala, Cameroon

« China in Africa: Invasion or the New Face of Globalisation?Part 2 | Main | My Reading of Fritz Ilongo's: Lost Heritage »

October 13, 2008

Power Cuts, football Defeats and Riots in Dakar

By George Esunge Fominyen

Bbc_photo_of_violence_in_dakar The week of 6-12 October 2008 was tough in Dakar, the capital of the West African country of Senegal. City dwellers took to the streets on 9 October to protest against the frequent and long power outages. They were at it again on Saturday, 11 October when the national football (soccer) team was knocked out of the race to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup tournaments. They drew 1-1 with neighbours Gambia when they needed to win. The players were pelted with rocks, cars were burnt and some offices destroyed by disgusted youths.

Senegal crisis.mp3 - Gefs Outlook Podcast

I learnt of the first protests while on duty in Bamako, Mali. I could have lived the second riots had I not been abandoned in the Malian capital by a sorry airline called Air Senegal International. This podcast (in French) was produced as a cab driver briefed me on the week's events. Like a good number of Senegalese, he believes Saturday's violence was more than just an expression of disgust against the Teranga Lions.

According to my driver, the real problem was the regular power cuts in Dakar. The defeat just compounded things. He told me that after the game angry persons burnt car tyres, razed a public transport mini-bus and lit up some offices of the national electricity company -SENELEC- and engaged n running battles with the police.

He thinks the people are fed-up with the situation in the country, especially the lengthy power outages and the fact that they were served with two (expensive) electricity bills this month. In his opinion, if Senegal had won things may have calmed down. The team's failure to win and qualify for the next round of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers just fueled the anger inside.

The cabbie sounded supportive of the people's reaction.

He even gave a political twist to things - blaming the whole state of affairs on the Senegalese President. Consequently, he complained about everything including the Soumbedioune tunnel which he views as a waste of money.

I am not an expert on Senegalese politics - which is why I would not comment on his views.

But what I can testify is that the number of power-cuts in Dakar could really get you sick. It is an African problem like I had previously posted on this blog; but it is really exasperating.

Posted at 07:56 PM in Dakar Notepad, Podcasts |

Tags: africa, cameroon, power cuts in senegal, riots in dakar, riots in senegal, violence after football, world cup 2010

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

The comments to this entry are closed.