Blois

Francois Fillon gave Friday in a tone clearly Blois national municipal elections by leading the charge against a left "no program" to nine days of the first round.

After a visit to a manufacturing luxury cosmetics, the Prime Minister attended a public meeting to support Nicolas Perruchot, outgoing mayor New center (NC).

This quadragénaire, former UDF supported Nicolas Sarkozy, is seeking a second term in the prefecture of Loir-et-Cher delighted he had in 2001 with only 37 votes in advance to the Socialist Jack Lang.

But polls now give the loser faces the list of union of the left led by Marc Gricourt, a nurse liberal 46 years.

Hoping do lie polls, Francois Fillon has come "to help as leader of the majority", praising his "outstanding work" that "inscribed in the long tradition of the builders."

But the head of government has mainly benefited the Socialists for étriller of Blois and elsewhere.

"The truth is that the Socialists are incorrigible. For them, anything new must be fought. Everything that has failed in the past must be réessayé," he said before some 500 people gathered in a house neighbourhood.

According to him, the left favors "anything that helps to avoid substantive discussions".

With this in mind, "says Fillon, drawing loud applause, that it "conducts regular and violent attacks against the president because while they attack it, it avoids be questioned on their agenda."

The truth, insists there again, "because they did not", "there is no alternative to the left".

Nicolas Perruchot, also MP, welcomed this support in his "uphill battle" and does not shy in any way equate national and local issues. "It was important that the prime minister goes to Blois which will be a national test," Vice-President.

The leaders of the major parties who have made the journey in recent days join him at least on this plan. Segolene Royal and Francois Hollande have recently focused hand to Mr. Gricourt who hopes to capitalize on the 50.57% obtained by the Socialist candidate last May.

Francois Bayrou came to support the former chevènementiste Jean-François Mortelette defending the colours of MoDem and counts on its list UDF four deputies of the outgoing municipality.

Mr. Mortelette enjoys the support of centrist Senator Jacqueline Gourault remained loyal to Mr. Bayrou, who had obtained almost 20% of votes in the 1st round of the presidential elections.

MoDem could thus act as a trouble-maker in the second round imposing a triangular potentially adverse to the candidate of the majority.

A dispersion at the center that Maurice Leroy, the NC MP Loir-et-Cher, this Friday in Blois, has "deplored" in the hope of a rapprochement between the two towers.

As for Francois Fillon, he will continue his tour of France in support of the majority of candidates who are competing for his presence.

Saturday, it will be in Le Mans, Lyon Tuesday, Wednesday at Nantes. At Blois, he could still verify its growing popularity facing a head of state in free fall.

"Keep it up!" It launched a sympathizer before his departure. "Thank you for being popular!" He said another.

Rama Yade

The words of Rama Yade on February 16 this year, and the lack of apology from the latter, prompted the Socialist Philippe Saarland to complain. Photo credits:is opponent Socialist mayor of the youngest Colombes attack the government for defamation after she alleged that the left blaming her because of her skin colour.
"I committed myself to complain if I n'obtenais no explanations and apologies of Rama Yade. There's been no past ten days. " That is how the candidate of the left in Colombes, the Socialist Philippe Saarland, justified Friday the filing of a complaint against Rama Yade for defamation. The Secretary of State for Human Rights, which is presented in Colombes in number 3 on the list of the outgoing mayor Nicole Goueta, had, at a public meeting on February 16 this year in Colombes, denounced "this left ( ...) which grows on me because I am black. " The connection that had aroused the anger of the opposition. The spokesman of PS Julien Dray had demanded an apology, failing which he had promised of the prosecution.

"Having no taste for controversy, I am quite willing to withdraw the complaint if, as it did following statements Argenteuil (spray on anti-SDF Malodore, ndlr), Mrs Yade back on his charges, "says Philippe Saarland in a statement. The candidate, also general counsel PS des Hauts-de-Seine, sent his complaint by letter to the prosecution of Nanterre.

Another controversy arose in the wake of comments made Tuesday by Rama Yade, this time while traveling in Argenteuil to support Georges Mothron, UMP candidate to his re-election to municipal governments. Asked about the "spray Malodore", a product designed to remove the homeless, bought in August by the mayor of Argenteuil, Rama Yade had replied: "We must try everything to a city, we must try." Before talking of a "misunderstanding" two days later. "Obviously it was a wrong idea, unfortunately, that I utterly condemns," she said.

The battle between the municipal mayor outgoing UMP Nicole Goueta and Philippe Saar promises to be the most tightly des Hauts-de-Seine. Before the victory in 2001 by Nicole Goueta, a former RPF, the city was run by the communists.

Delanoe (PS) called MoDem to "break the ambiguity before March 9"

E outgoing Socialist mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, called MoDem to get out of "ambiguity" before the first round of municipal March 9, describing Marielle de Sarnez, tops the list of this movement in the capital, "concurrent" no opponent.

"MoDem was largely inspired by our project, while referring repeatedly left and right back to back. Gold democracy needs to clearly differentiated offerings," says Delanoe, in an interview to be published Saturday in Liberation.




For the outgoing mayor, "there is a clarification to be made" on the part of the movement Francois Bayrou. "The modem can support Mr. Juppe in Bordeaux, or even Dassault Mr. Corbeil, while teaming up with left-wing candidates elsewhere?", Interviewing the PS responsible.

"Of course, I take note of developments in the MoDem, and even some of his votes. But it is not fair to say + the left and right are the same thing +. Perhaps it is clever for a wide net, but the respect of voters means out of this ambiguity before March 9, "says Delanoe.

To the question "Marielle de Sarnez is it an adversary?", He replies: "it is a competitor."

According to him, the "real strategy" is to "tell the truth to the Parisians, and keep this cap," because "there will be no alternate progressive PS France without a strong, innovative in their choices and attractive for the left, and even the centre-left ".

As for the Greens, they "have contributed to the good job" in Paris. "They decided to approach this election alone. I respect this choice, but it will come together on what the vote will be expressed," he says.

Although widely given favorite in the polls (43% in the first round 57% in the second, according to a survey CSA) to keep the town hall in Paris facing Francoise de Panafieu (UMP), Mr. Delanoe assures that "there must be a commitment to the end".

"I am rather pessimistic active. There may be an abstention, dispersions and, worse, a kind of indifference," he says, saying "neither anxious nor euphoric" to a week of the first round .

In the event of re-election, will he complete his term of office? "If I am re-elected, I will be totally mayor of Paris. Since 2001, I have always participated in the national debate. Should I participate? I do not know, but it will never be at the expense of my function as mayor" , says Mr. Delanoe.

The Royal activism

The Royal activism on the ground seems to municipal pay. According to a CSA poll to be published Saturday in "Marianne", the former PS candidate in the presidential prevail in the second round on Nicolas Sarkozy, 51% vs. 49%, if the election were held today. A victory snatched thanks to the supporters of Francois Bayrou, earned by the sondagière "disaffection" against the President.

The president of Poitou-Charentes has also come under attack this week, the majority s'offusquant its tax policy and its support for George Frèche.

Opposed to the increase in taxes in its region

Segolene Royal has indeed fired the first vice-president of the region, Jean-Francois Fountaine (PS), after a disagreement at the time the budget was adopted. "I run, and if elected fact blackmail to resign because he asked me to raise taxes on gasoline, I would discharge its responsibilities," she said Tuesday on France 2 .

She thanked "his first vice president because he told her they could not continue to indefinitely borrow as it did for the region, which will reach record debt," joked immediately Patrick Devedjian , secretary general of the UMP.

"It's not bad to know that for someone who at the same time on the national discourse tells us that France is too indebted and that the president is not what it takes," he added .

According to Catherine Nay, editorialist with Europe 1, the candidate of "participatory democracy" would also have "refused to give the floor to" Jean-François Fountaine after their strong exchange at a meeting of the standing committee of the regional council.

The former companion of François Hollande is also referred to his support for George Frèche, chairman of various left the Languedoc-Roussillon region and excluded from the PS in the wake of his remarks on the composition of the French football team (he was late in November 2006 that the team comptât "nine out of eleven blacks, ndlr).

During a visit to Montpellier last Friday to support the mayor PS outgoing Mandroux Helena, the former Socialist candidate described the man who had also treated the harkis "sub-human" as "the builder of Montpellier." Which it has secured the support of four to five federations of PS arise when at the head of the PS.

His support for Frèche "more serious than algarade of Sarkozy"

A accointance sharply criticized on the right. Roger Karoutchi, State Secretary for Relations with Parliament, said she was "more serious" than algarade Nicolas Sarkozy at the Salon de l'Agriculture. "What is the most serious in this matter? It is worse to go say calmly, quietly, Frèche George, we are with you, we support as saying in the heat, the crowd of the exhibition of Agriculture to someone who insult you: put yourself aside, what ".

The left has not enjoyed the so-Frèche Royal alliance. "If at any time, it was felt that it was immoral in terms of principles, that Georges Frêche remains at the PS, we must try to stay the course and not on the grounds that there is a congress in a few months, change his mind because this or that, in this region, promise (..) its federations or its militants, "said Benoît Hamon leader, Henri Emmanuelli, the current New Socialist Party (NPS).

Segolene Royal ignored those critics who put forward any case on the results of the municipal PS. "Every election has a national sense," she said Monday in Périgueux. If the left is needed, and it expects to benefit in the race for the post of First Secretary of the Socialist Party.
Pierre Andrieu AFP | Segolene Royal, February 25, 2008 at a meeting to support Michel Moyrand, canidat the town hall in Périgueux

Could this be the reversal of a trend?

Could this be the reversal of a trend? Two opinion polls show Jean-Noël Guérini in Marseille in the lead for the first time. The candidate PS nibbling away at its backlog, while the mayor (UMP) is diminishing steadily. Especially in the first round: none provided the range 42% to Jean-Claude Gaudin, and 39% to Guérini. She has been reversed, according to Le Figaro yesterday: 40% for the Socialist Party, 37% for the UMP (1). Paris Match is in the same waters (2). After Paris and Lyon, Marseille left?

Alert. Not yet. "There is a continuum: progress, analyzes Patrick Mennucci, campaign manager of Guérini. But I would of crazy to say it's won. "Right, worried, met yesterday morning to refocus things. "It's not Guérini rising, it is we who lowered, Judge Claude Bertrand, chief of staff of the mayor. We are trapped in a vote-sanction "anti-Sarkozy, benefiting the FN and the modem. For Bruno Gilles, Mayor (UMP) of the 3rd sector, "it does not feel a sling against us on the ground, but it is burdened by one or two points of the effect Sarko, who make the difference." Renaud Muselier, the first assistant (UMP), said: "I would be more worried if the Prime Minister dévissait. But then, this is only a problem in the relationship between the President and the French. So, we will not swallow everything in the air because we énerve President! "

But the warning is fierce and, according to Claude Bertrand, "everybody is concerned." Also, the UMP wants to raise the tone. "We will charge more on the promises of Guérini, said Bruno Gilles. It has not quite denounced. "And the right will be used bad polls. "They will re-our voters, ensures Gilles. They have a little fire to the buttocks. "

The problem for the UMP is that the problem is also local. The left harvest the fruits of its entry into campaign very early, made mandatory by the deficit Guérini fame. The chairman of the General Council of Bouches-du-Rhone gained credibility and pugnacity. His combativeness surprised, Friday, during a radio debate on France Bleu Provence. Gaudin, with all its verve, should have Guérini crush. Wrong. The candidate has nothing PS dropped. "You are not an perdreau of the year, even though I am a pheasant," slipped Gaudin, exceeded. But the two birds, it took off a little too late. With its status as outgoing, ten points ahead in the polls in the fall, and the looting UMP to legislative and presidential elections in 2007, the vice-president of the UMP has subconsciously believe the party won . Feeling the gap is closer, he anticipated entry into campaign mid-January, but he is struggling to find the tempo. Gaudin tries to reassure them with the mechanics of voting, as the election is held in eight municipal sectors, it is not enough to have a majority vote in the city. Gaudin had, in 1983, but he lost, against Gaston Defferre. Guérini will have to battle hard to win the two key sectors, I and III. But an opinion poll today in Provence, would give the 50-50 in the third sector.

Appearance. The outcome will depend including the unknown: the FN will he remain in the 2nd round (we must achieve 10%), and in how many sectors? The triangular benefit the left. In the third area, stronghold of Muselier, lists MNR and MPF have made an appearance timely history to prevent the presence of NF 2nd round… Another key factor: Modem, up according to the pollsters. The postponement of its votes in the second round could prove decisive. But its candidate, Jean-Luc Bennahmias, rather leans to the left.


(1) 51% for Guérini in 2nd round, against 49% for Gaudin. Poll Logica TNS-Sofres, conducted from 22 to February 23 to 700 people.

(2) 40% for Guérini, 36% for Gaudin. Fiducial-Ifop poll, conducted on 22 and 23 February, with 803 people.

DILEMMA

civil lawyer who withdraws to get a statement from an accused facing the court. The scene occurred Tuesday evening, November 7, in Lyons. At the helm, Bruno Gollnisch, 56 years, MEP and regional adviser Rhône-Alpes (National Front), appears to "dispute the existence of crimes against humanity" as a result of comments made at a conference Press, October 11, 2004.



According to the formulas reported at the time by several journalists, witnesses at the trial, Mr. Gollnisch had declared: "The existence of the gas chambers, it is up to historians to discuss it." Or: "I do not deny the gas chambers homicides but the discussion must remain free."

For hours, the elected frontiste rejects any denial. He believes that his words were "truncated" or "evil transcribed by journalists." While continuing to maintain the ambiguity of a speech well established. "I recognize these tragedies, these millions of deaths," he notes, before explain: "But on the specific modalities, I am not a specialist."

At 18 hours, Alain Jakubowicz, a lawyer with the Licra and the Union of Jewish Students of France, is not satisfied answers to double relaxation of the accused which refers constantly reality of the Holocaust studies or historical archives Nuremberg trials, but never delivered the substance of his thought. The dialogue turned into a duel between two competing Lyonnais for years.


DILEMMA


Alain Jakubowicz formally asks to "national political leader" to make it clear that face "to a tribunal of the Republic". Suddenly, taking advantage of a hesitant silence, the lawyer proposes to leave the bench against civil parties an explicit declaration of number two in the FN. The presiding judge, Fernand Schir, made unprecedented rate this negotiation: "Me Jakubowicz proposes to withdraw if Mr Gollnisch recognizes that the organized extermination of European Jews by the Nazi regime during the Second World War is a crime against 'questionable non humanity perpetrated by including the use of gas chambers. "

Surprised, Bruno Gollnisch seems to weigh a dilemma between political positioning and judicial interest. Still evade, camper who plays the character to the extreme over words embody a hard his movement? Or drop ballast facing a charge strongly debated legally? The defendant replied: "Absolutely, Mr. Chairman." The magistrate wants to ensure that it recognizes the declaration. Mr. Gollnisch said: "My answer is yes."

Upon interruption of the following meeting, Alain Jakubowicz believes he received "a victory" in the trial: "For the first time the French are going to be a senior official of the National Front admit that the Holocaust is a crime against humanity incontestable. " "I do not see anything new here, I am surprised that we two years to push open doors," said Bruno Gollnisch at the threshold of the courtroom.

Toulouse: complaint against Modem

The Mrap recently filed a complaint with the public prosecutor against Toulouse Jean-Luc Forget MoDem candidate in the municipal elections in Toulouse, "for public defamation of a racist character", it was learned from the anti-racist movement.
The Mrap (Movement against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples) considers the words of Mr. Forget quoted in the Feb. 2 edition of the weekly Marianne, according to which "everyone wants to have his or her Arabic Arabs on the list, including me," as "of the crime of" public defamation of a racist character. "
"Through these words, he believes that people (...) a French citizen of North African origin and or Arabic + + would actually be unable to bear a political thinking for themselves, for projects, even to be independent-minded, "said the anti-racist movement in a letter to the prosecutor.
Toulouse: complaint against Modem
The Mrap recently filed a complaint with the public prosecutor against Toulouse Jean-Luc Forget MoDem candidate in the municipal elections in Toulouse, "for public defamation of a racist character", it was learned from the anti-racist movement.
The Mrap (Movement against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples) considers the words of Mr. Forget quoted in the Feb. 2 edition of the weekly Marianne, according to which "everyone wants to have his or her Arabic Arabs on the list, including me," as "of the crime of" public defamation of a racist character. "
"Through these words, he believes that people (...) a French citizen of North African origin and or Arabic + + would actually be unable to bear a political thinking for themselves, for projects, even to be independent-minded, "said the anti-racist movement in a letter to the prosecutor.

survey Ipsos-Dell for SFR

According to a survey Ipsos-Dell for SFR and 20 Minutes, to be published Thursday, February 28th in the free daily, the outgoing Socialist mayor of Nantes, Jean-Marc Ayrault, would be re-elected in the first round with 54% of votes. The current host of municipal opposition, Sophie Jozan (UMP), would receive 30%, while MoDem led by Benedict Blineau, would get 9% of the vote, no other list not exceeding 3%.



MéthodologieSondage conducted by telephone between 22 and February 25, 2008 with 603 people, constituting a representative sample of the population registered to vote in Nantes, according to the method of quotas.


[-] FermerEn case of the second round, the list Ayrault, which brings together the PS, PCF, the Greens and the Breton Democratic Union, would get 63% of the vote against the list UMP (37%). This good score can be explained by a review of quite satisfactory outgoing mayor: 81% of respondents say they are indeed "satisfied" the work accomplished by Jean-Marc Ayrault, mayor since 1989, compared with 16% dissatisfied.


Finally, among the concerns of Nantais, the lead on the environment, the living environment and cleanliness of the city (46%), social housing (39%), traffic conditions and parking (38%) , advocacy for the poor (32%) and the safety of goods and persons (25%).


Elected every time in the first round, Jean-Marc Ayrault had gained 54.94% in 2001. In the event of another victory, it would establish a record for longevity in the city of the Dukes of Brittany.

Earthquake magnitude 5.2 in uk

Earthquake magnitude 5.2 in Britain, no death reported

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 shook some parts of Britain on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, but there was no deaths or serious damage, according to the authorities.
The earth shook around 01h00 local time, awakening many people in London and in other regions. Earthquakes are rare in Britain and the Wednesday morning is the strongest recorded in nearly a quarter century.

A Barnsley in the north of England, a man was hospitalized after being injured by the collapse of a chimney that has gone through the roof of her bedroom, "said the spokesman of an ambulance service.

"(The quake) was really strong. I was asleep, and when I woke up, the room was shaking," said the BBC Jemma Harrison, who lives in Manchester (north-east England).

Shortly after the earthquake, the United States Geological Survey Center (USGS) had estimated the magnitude at 4.7 degrees, but his British counterpart was subsequently revised to 5.3 and then 5.2.

According to the USGS, the epicentre of the earthquake was located at 205 km north of London and 80 miles east of Sheffield.

"We have no reports of casualties," said a spokesman for the London police.

The police English county of Lincolnshire reported that some residents had reported minor damage to their homes.

Version française Delame Nicolas and Philippe Bas-Rabérin

Municipal Corsican: the threats of FLNC-UC against French

The non-Corsicans, which will vote on the island on 9 and March 16 will do so at their own risk. That is the veiled threat to the FLNC-Union of combatants in a news release yesterday…


"We advise French foreign to the vital interests of our land not to go to the polls." The "council" appears in bold type in a page and a half of the FLNC-Union of combatants (FLNC-UC) sent to France 3 Corsican. This threat, the first of its kind on the eve of elections, was greeted in silence lead by the political class of the island, usually more prompt to react.

If the FLNC-UC had already expressed before the 2007 presidential election, the tone this time is escalated. The armed underground movement believes that "the French colony settlement can in no way decide the political destiny of the nation Corsican (…) There is no law in this land. Him, we will respond appropriately at the appropriate time" , threatens the FLNC-UC, which claims many regular attacks on the island. The latest claim dates back to late November: 16 attacks, including the firing of rockets against public buildings.

The movement, which reaffirms that "the Corsican is still confronted with the problem of the denial of their national identity", also reiterated his accusations against the government and the president Sarkozy for its "repeated lies on the alignment of political prisoners" with their Corsican families on the island.


Embarrassment of the political class and other separatist movements Corsican face of this text described as a "very clear" by the leader of Corsica nazione indipendente Jean-Guy Talamoni. Through his campaign manager, the mayor of Bastia Emile Zuccarelli (PRG) said that he "did not react to news releases of terrorists." This press release is also a warning to the more moderate nationalist accused of a pact with the state. This includes the Party of the Corsican Nation (PNC), whose secretary general Jean-Christophe Angelini is blamed in the text for having recently met a senior official of the police.

The separatist radicals harden the tone on the eve of an election in which they do not want to be the big losers, as presage the various polls published in Corsica

Framing---Strasbourg

These vessels omnibus became a major topic of discussion in the city and on blogs.

Framing
Strasbourg: the extreme left can influence the election?

Among previous articles
Summary In Strasbourg, the merger of universities is consensus among the candidates 28.02.08

Lighting Strasbourg: vaporettos to solve the problems of transportation? 27.02.08

Summary In Strasbourg, the extreme right calls in the Kosovo campaign 26.02.08

Summary In Strasbourg, the "small" want to weigh candidates in the municipal election € 25.02.08

Lighting Strasbourg: European variable € 22.02.08

The facts Strasbourg: two centres in bisbille? 21.02.08 €

Links
The blog Special Municipal drafting local DNA
Follow the campaign in Strasbourg with Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace

The municipal campaign in Strasbourg on the site of Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace
The campaign in Strasbourg on the site of Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace

flagship programme Fabienne Keller,

This is one of the proposals flagship programme Fabienne Keller, mayor outgoing (UMP) in Strasbourg, new candidate: create a public transport network on the water. Dubbed "Illeo", this fleet, such as vaporettos of Venice, serving a series of piers. Stars power, the price of a ticket streetcar, would rotate every twenty or thirty minutes on the Ill river, a tributary of the Rhine crossing Strasbourg, the gap Faux-Remparts and the network port basins.


At the last council urban community, in early February, has been voted a financial contribution of 100,000 euros to co-finance a preliminary design on Illeo. She was assigned to the Autonomous Port of Strasbourg. He already manages eight tourist boats. They receive approximately 800000 tourists annually on the Ill and canals Strasbourg, including passing the locks and the bridge turn of the neighborhood of Petite France.

RESERVES THE PS


These vessels omnibus became a major topic of discussion in the city and on blogs. The other candidates for mayor have beautiful game to stress that the idea was already in the program of Mrs. Keller in 2001, and that in seven years, it has been slow. A simple feasibility study has imagined possible routes. A brief experiment was conducted in April 2007 among the Parc de l'Etoile (the district's administrative centre) and the European quarter, on the occasion of "Scenes of the environment" organized by the Urban Community of Strasbourg.

This project is also in the program Chantal Cutajar (MoDem), as the "bus-boats." Yann Wehrling, his No. 2, former national secretary of the Greens, imagine a network even larger. However, the candidate Roland Ries (Socialist Party) has expressed its reservations. There hardly believe for transport daily, and focuses, in the chapter of its program on "Transport soft" on the extension of the tramway network, carpooling, car-sharing and cycling. This is also the case of the Greens, led by Alain Jund, which advocate extending branches of the tramway network, night buses and a bus line "big belt" interquartiers in Strasbourg.

Initiatives and proposals are multiplying to secure the release of 41 hostages "political" FARC, exchanged 500 imprisoned guerrillas under a humanitarian agreement. After the end of the captivity of four former Colombian parliamentarians, the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, has proposed that a group of friendly countries in Latin America receives officials and Colombian FARC to negotiate the release of all prisoners of the guerrillas.

On the same subject
Ingrid Betancourt in distress
"Ingrid is dying, there was no time"


In a telephone message to the chain of state television VTV, the head of the Venezuelan State stated that "this is an idea that is taking shape within this group (of friends) capable of train immediately and receive an emissary of Manuel Marulanda (leader of FARC) and a Colombian to begin discussing the release of all hostages. " Chávez added that this option was considered a priority by his government and he mentioned the creation of a group of countries type "Contadora" (created in 1983 to deal with the explosive situation in Central America).


Prisoners of war


"The Secretary General of the OAS (Organization of American States), José Miguel Insulza, agreed, and I talked recently with one of his envoys, former foreign minister of Argentina, Dante Caputo . "Venezuelan President counts on the support of Brazil, Argentina, France, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba and Switzerland. According to him, the only obstacle to the formation of this group is the Colombian government: "All are in agreement except (Colombian President Alvaro) Uribe."

Moreover, according to one of the hostages released - Luis Eladio Perez - who was able to speak with Ingrid Betancourt on Feb. 4 while he was still in captivity, the former presidential candidate for the Colombian believes that the negotiations for exchange of hostages in Colombia must take place under the auspices of the Geneva Convention. He said during his first press conference Thursday in Caracas, that "to Ingrid, there are political alternatives […] The exchange must be achieved between prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention, with the condition paramount that the Colombian President Alberto Uribe recognizes the political status FARC. " According to the former hostage Ingrid Betancourt insists that "civilians should be excluded from the conflict to achieve a humane war."

No further unilateral release

Since South Africa, where he is visiting, Nicolas Sarkozy, who has made the release of Ingrid Betancourt a priority, called a "humanitarian gesture", but warned Marxist guerrillas holding hostage last six years. "It's a matter of life or death humanitarian emergency," said Sarkozy. I am ready, as desired by President Chavez, if it is the condition of his release, to go myself on the border between Venezuela and Colombia to seek Ingrid Betancourt whether this should be a condition of FARC. "Family Ingrid Betancourt, it launched Thursday in Paris a desperate appeal to save the hostage "to the brink of death"

Wednesday, four FARC hostages, including Luis Eladio Perez, holders of alarming news on the state of health of the French-Colombian, had been released without consideration by the Marxist guerrillas in Colombia, before being transferred to Venezuela to be submitted to President Hugo Chavez. Since then, the FARC have ruled out any further unilateral release and want to be a military withdrawal in the municipalities of Florida and Pradera (800 sq. km in the south) before entering into negotiations

all military agreements from France in Africa.

Considering that France "was not intended to maintain indefinitely the armed forces in Africa, nor had it" to play the role of policeman, "the Head of State announced the renegotiation" all military agreements from France in Africa. " Their "Writing" is "outdated" at-1960 has the same meaning today ". "It is no longer conceivable that we may be drawn into internal conflicts," he said. "Contrary to past practice, he promised, these new agreements will be published in full."

To reassure worried Nicolas Sarkozy has seen fit to make it clear that he did not believe it necessary to "make a clean sweep and clear everything with a single stroke of the pen. […] This is not a disengagement of France, but the security of Africa is first and foremost an African. "

Rwanda. These statements foreshadow-9000 french soldiers present on the African continent? Perhaps not. What is certain is that France no longer wanted to stay in face-to-face with these former colonies. This policy is not entirely a break sarkozyste. Born of trauma Rwanda, she dated a decade (African summit du Louvre in 1998). It is to associate, as systematically as possible, African and European partners to crisis management, always within the framework of international resolutions. This concept called Recamp (Capacity Building African peacekeeping) has been implemented gradually. However, he suffered a serious backlash with the crisis in Ivory Coast, where France has been directly involved.

France was also completed during the summer of 2007, the reorganization of its military in Africa. Four clusters correspond to the four "sub-regions" in shaping what could be the future map of settlements French. They are Dakar (Senegal), Libreville (Gabon), Djibouti and La Reunion. In each of its poles, France has set up a small staff and pre equipment. They participate in training armies in the region and are expected to host European officers. For the moment, has just one British and one Belgian…

The Ivory Coast is not among the sites selected and the military french no secret of their desire to leave the country as soon as possible. The staff have been severely reduced (1800 men) and the military will now earmarked for external operations, rather than the forces of "presence", making their departure much easier.

"Sandpit. In Chad, France is the initiator - and, despite it, the main contributor - of the European Force (EUFOR) took over its deployment, after the recent events, during which France found itself in the front line . The announcement of the opening of a base in Abu Dhabi has revived speculation about the future of Djibouti. But there is no indication, at present, that the soldiers are preparing to abandon their "sandbox" preferred in Africa. Although Manning (2900 men) will be reduced.