Clip on WSF-TV: First part of the caravane Bamako - Dakar
This clip shows the first part of the caravan for free movement and development from Bamako to the World Social Forum in Dakar. The caravan was made up of different caravans from Mali, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Tunesia and activists from Europe. This video shows the first part of the caravan from Mali from Bamako to Nioro du Sahel and back.
Hann, "Airport of Dakar"
Hann Pecheur is a district of Dakar, situated on the western bay. On the afternoon of February 10th, a meeting is held between a delegation of the network “Afrique-Euro-Interact”, and representatives of ANRAF (Association Nationale des Rapatriés, Rescapés et Familles Affectées, Sénégal), a group of – broadly spoken – people and families that are affected by and survived migration and deportation in Senegal. The forum theatre group Kàddu Yaraax is showing a play about migration on the atlantic routes, and activists of the caravan enact the play about the case of Oury Jalloh.
Demonstration against Frontex
10th of February, Dakar: Demonstration and manifestation in front of the Frontex-Office in Dakar
600 participate protest against the massive death at the external frontiers of Europe
Shocking encounter with members of the “Rally - Budapest - Bamako”
On January 29th, while returning form Nioro du Sahel, the caravan held a stopover in Djenna, a little village, located about 3hours from Bamako. In front of some little restaurants around 20 large jeeps were parked pompously at the side of the road. A film team that accompanies the Caravan uses the opportunity to do interviews with the hungarian drivers about their rallye. The statements they give at one of the tables can hardly be called anything else but shocking. A video-clip of this you can find in the full article:
Caravan Bamako-Dakar meets caravan Contonou-Dakar
31 January Today, the activists of the Afrique-Europe-Interact network met with a
another caravan of more than 200 people. This caravan, travelling to
Dakar from Cameroon via Togo and the city of Contonou in Benin, focusses
on the injust politics of debt as well as displacement of people from
their lands. Representants of both carawans presented their respective
demands in a publing hearing.
Demonstration at the borderpost of Gogui
Gogui 29.1.2011
At the border post – a few huts, houses and shops close to a sentry bar – a sign with the following inscription hit the eye: « Stop a la migration irreguliere – un danger pour la population » « Stop irregular migration – A danger for the population ».
The propaganda sign put there by a Malian NGO on behalf of the EU and its outpost CIGEM at the border to Mauretania seems bizarre. It is here where the Mauritanian border police pushes back migrants who have been deported from Spain or caught by FRONTEX on the sea near the West African coast by force.
Commemorating the victims of fortress europe
28th January Nioro Today a funeral procession took place in commemoration of the men and women who lost their lives on their journey to Europe.
Speech after the march commemorating the dead on their way to Europe
Text of the Bamako-Dakar caravan for freedom of movement and equitable development
read on the 28th of February 2011 in Nioro / Mali after the march commemorating the dead on their way to Europe and especially the two refoulés who died exhausted in Nioro.
Protest against deportation in Bamako
26th January In front of the french embassy in Bamako 200 persons participated in a protest ralley against deportations from France. The situation escalated when tear gas was fired into the peaceful protest. About 5 participants were lightly injured.
Caravan Bamako – Dakar officially started
25th of January The Caravan for Freedom of Movement and Fair Development, organised and run by the „Afrique-Europe-Interact-Network“ from Bamako going to the World Social Forum in Dakar has officially started. On January the 25th after the group of „Sans papiers“ from France and the last group of german activists arrived and the first big assembly of the 230 activists from Mali, Kongo, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, took place.
Statement of Solidarity from Afrique-Europe-Interact to the Hungerstrike of Refugees and Migrants in Greece passed today
While the Caravan for Freedom of Movement and Fair Development came togehter today in Bamako for their start-off-meeting, in Greece about three hundred migrants began a hunger strike. They are fighting against their state of being illegal, exploitation and the degrading living-conditions they are suffering in Greece. They are demanding the legalitzation of all migrants that are working and living in Greece.
Afrique-Europe-Interact passed a declaration of solidarity today. You find the text here.
Video of spontaneous anti-deportation-protests on board the Air France Airplane
Turbulent Kick-off for the caravan Bamako - Dakar
Protest in the sky – Air plane forced to return to Paris to stop deportation
After spontaneous protests on board against an ongoing deportation, yesterday's Air France flight from Paris with destination Bamako in Mali was ordered to return by the airline. Eight activists of the „caravan for freedom of movement and fair development“ as well as other passengers that had participated in the protest were arrested, and are now awaiting the next flight.
Caravan News
The “Caravan for freedom of movement and fair development“ is part of the network „Afrique-Europe Interact“. It has been organized since February 2010 and develops fast. The next huge step will be on the 25th of January 2011: The activists, participating at the caravan, will join together for the kick-off meeting of the caravan in Bamako. The following ten days, we will be traveling with more than 200 people on buses from Bamako to Nioro at the Mauritanian border. From there, it goes back to Bamako, to meet with the caravan “Caravan Cotonou-Dakar.” Then the journey continues towards Senegal: Kayes – Kaolack – Dakar. The World Social Forum starts on the 6th of February. Some of us will already take part at the meeting of the migrants at the Isle de Goree on the 4th and 5th of February. We intend to report directly and immediately from the actions, meetings, demonstrations and to write about our experiences within the caravan. Our web page will be continually updated as well. Statements, press releases, images and video documents can be found on the web page. The page is set up in three languages: English, French, and German. We aim to translate them, but in all versions are different reports to find as well. All are warmly encouraged to visit the page and to participate in this way at the caravan!
Take part! Voyagez avec nous!
Delegation of Huioma-Workers will join the Caravan
The image originates from the struggle of the workers of Huicoma – an alliance of workers of several cotton mills in Mali. Since 2005, they have been protested against the gradual closure of their factories in the course of the privatization of the company in 2005. By an one-year sit-in at the Union House of Bamako, the workers and their families were able to gain far-reaching concessions in November 2010. But the negotiations are still ongoing. This is one reason, why a delegation of Huicoma-workers is participating e at the Bamako-Dakar caravan.
