French press review 12 February 2010

by Michael Fitzpatrick

Article published on the 2010-02-12 Latest update 2010-02-12 08:17 TU

Greece and Iran. Warlordism in northern Côte d-Ivoire. As South Africa rememers Mandela's liberation, a minister's wife is caught up in drug-running. And is the French bistrot going to be taken off the menu?

Greece and Iran dominate the front page of Le Monde.

Greece because its economy is going down the drain, and threatening to drag the rest of Europe with it. Iran because Mad Ahmed Ahmadinejad and the lads have been celebrating 31 years of Islamic revolution, mainly by enriching uranium, letting off intercontinental ballistic fireworks, and encouraging the police to jump up and down on those few benighted souls who refuse to see that revolution and rule by Mad Ahmed are essentially good things.

On inside pages, Le Monde sends a reporter to Bouaké, the former rebel "capital" of Côte d'Ivoire, and finds a thriving black market run by former rebel leaders.

A United Nations report says the region is run on a feudal basis, with the main men all having served as officers in the rebel New Forces.

They control everything, and everything has a price.

At least 500 trucks pass through Bouaké every week, and each pays a toll at several roadblocks. The total price of 100,000 CFA francs (that's about 170 euros) makes road haulage in northern Côte d'Ivoire the most expensive on the planet.

Needless to say, none of the money collected ever gets within a day's drive of the state coffers in Abidjan. The money goes to Burkina Faso, or Mali, or to various offshore accounts.

Says one local lord, with disarming honesty, "This country will never be united. We've staged a hold-up in the north, and we're not going to let go now. Elections, reunification, disarmament, it's all so much hot air. Business is too good."

The local poor remain just as poor as ever, even if electricity and water are effectively free for those lucky enough to have access to such services, simply because no one has the courage to demand payment of outstanding charges.

The only good news is that the boom on the black market means that a return to war would be in nobody's interest.

Le Monde also looks to South Africa, currently scene of celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the release of anti-apartheid activist, Nelson Mandela, from jail.

The paper wonders about the global media frenzy recently provoked by the news of Jacob Zuma's 20th offspring, and asks why the fact that the wife of the State Security Minister, who is currently being investigated for her part in a cocaine-smuggling operation involving nine kilos of the white stuff, has not even raised a journalistic eyebrow.

It's a good question. Either Siyabonga Cwele knew nothing of his wife's activities, or he is actively protecting her. For the head of national security, South Africa's spy chief, neither answer is a good one.

Finally, also from Le Monde, news that the local bistrot is an endangered species. In the 1960s, there were 200,000 little café-bars in France; today there are only 30,000. And the main reason for the decline? Apparently, the clients have been driven away by the high prices.