Paris-Brazzaville : My journey to Congo

The question that, I have always asked is this:  should the aforementioned leaders be forcefully overthrown or assassinated in order to give democracy a chance within the sub region?  It is a difficult question to answer. Furthermore, while I condemn leaders of the sub region, it is also honest to say that, without the help of western nations, these governments won’t have been in power for the length of time that they have. As far as I am concerned, it was during the period that, I do refer to as the turbulent phase of Telesud that Rynelle Kourissa, came to me again and insisted that, I should go and help her grandfather, Maurice Nguesso to set up his media house in Brazzaville.  While I accepted Rynelle’s proposals, what really made me to leave Paris for Brazzaville was a meeting that I had with Mrs. Lydie Hortense Kourissa at the Champ Elysees, located at 133 avenue des Champs-Elysees.  Our meeting was or took place in the restaurant section of the shopping mall. I can’t recall the day exactly, but all what I know is that, she called me and we booked an appointment for 4 pm. Mrs. Kourissa nee Lydie Hortense Nguesso is the eldest daughter of Maurice Nguesso.

And between the two Nguessos, that is Maurice and Denis, they have 48 children and countless grand children and great grand children. Lydie Kourissa is the oldest of them all. She therefore wields enough influence within the clan. But since she is a born again Christian, she is very meek and thrown aback. Christianity has whittled down any ounce of pride that, she might have had. Lydie Kourissa is light years away from the superciliousness demonstrated by her brothers, sisters and by her cousins of the ruling Nguesso family. She prefers to be called or identified only by the name of her husband, Mr. Jean de Dieu Kourissa MP. It is another feature that marks her out differently from her sisters who are married, but seldom carry the names of their husbands. It was with this soft spoken and respectful lady that I made an appointment, but strangely, I forgot to honor it. I could only remember that, we had an appointment, when she rang me again at around 6:30pm.

When she rang me, she told me this: “I have been waiting here since 3:30 pm and our appointment was at 4pm and now it is 6:30pm. If you don’t want to meet me, please tell me, for I am going back to Brazzaville tomorrow”. I just told her this: “Please I am sorry and I am on my way. I took a taxi from Conacq Jay to the Drugstore and met with her. I was so worried to have kept her waiting for too long, to a point that, I never argued much with her. Whatever she told me, I accepted. That was how my Paris work and stay ended and my Brazzaville adventure began. That was toward the end of 2010. But I began working officially for MNCOM in August 2011 and I held several functions within the media house before finally settling as the Director of MNTV and also Director of Studies and Planning of MNCOM, the parent company and name of the media group. But prior  to that meeting with Mrs. Lydie Hortense Kourissa and also the propositions and encouragement from Rynelle Kourissa as already mentioned, I had been coming to Congo since 2009 to cover some events, in particular, the pre-Presidential elections campaigns of 2009.  The person who facilitated everything was Colonel Chryst Bonaventure Engobo. Colonel Engobo is a highly secretive man who was one of the aide de camps of Commandant Marien Ngouabi. 

Paris-Brazzaville: CEMAC: harbors the most violent and most corrupt long standing African leaders

Bernard Volker wanted to watch in advance all interviews that I did and he also never wanted my show, “La Grande Interview” to be live anymore. For he was afraid and I think or suspects, he sensed that I was not only very independent minded, I had and still have a strong aversion for African dictatorial regimes. And in combating them, I am of the opinion that, diplomatic languages must not be used with them, for they are seldom diplomatic or economical when it comes to the violation of the human rights of their citizens or in exploiting them. In some cases, I support not only the overthrow of dictatorial regimes but also the killing or assassinations of violent dictators such as Saddam Hussein Abd al Majid al Tikriti or Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al Gaddafi. According to the online dictionary Wikipedia, the first was who was the fifth president of Iraq, was born in 1937 in Tikrit. He served as President of Iraq from 16^th July 1979 to 9^th April 2003. The second was born on the 7^th of June 1942 and ruled Libya as its second ruler from 1969 until he met his violent death in Sirte on the 10^th of October 2011. No matter what people may say, the killing of  any dictator is always a nice thing.

My style and inspiration was Tim Sebastian of the BBC, the former host of the programme Hard Talk now hosted by Stephen Sakur. But I started becoming bold and blunt like Bill O’reilly of Fox News.  According to the online dictionary Wikipedia Bill O’Reilly or William James O’Reilly was born on the 10^th of September 1949. He is a US syndicated commentator and author. He is the host of The O’Reilly Factor and has worked for several US news organizations such as ABC and NBC.  And since I was longing to carryout investigative journalism, I sensed that Telesud under Bernard Volker was no longer where I could excel my profession independently as I have been trained and was equally used to under Jean Philippe Kabore. I also wanted to be close to people in French-speaking Africa, particularly those in the majority French-speaking central African sub region. These is a region, I viewed as not having been given the opportunity to express their democratic will and  it is also peopled by people who were not willing to sacrifice their lives for free speech or multiparty democracy as it was and still is the case in West Africa.  

However, it also true that, there are some French-speaking African countries that were experiencing free speech and real democracy, however, these ones were largely found in West Africa. The hideout of oppressions and violent regimes was and is still the central African sub region. It is a part of the continent that was and is still harboring the most violent and most corrupt long standing African leaders such as Paul Biya of Cameroon, who has been in power for 32 years Obiang Nguema Mbasongo of Equatorial Guinea, who has been in power for 36 years, Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola, who has been in power for 36 years, Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo, who has been in power for 30 years and also the likes of Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Idriss Derby Itno of Chad.  The paradox is that, all over the continent, democracy is making progress.  And when taken specifically according to regions, one sadly discovers that, it only within the Economic Community of Central African States abbreviated in French as CEMAC where there is little or no progress in term of democracy.  

Paris-Brazzaville: Jean Philippe Kabore and the struggle for the soul of Telesud

Jean Philippe Kabore was at least able to generate through commercial contracts the sum of eight hundred thousand Euros for Telesud and kept the media house running. And while Jean Philippe Kabore was struggling with Telesud, a media that, the Bongos do occasionally use as their weapon of propaganda and also a formidable mace used to blackmail political rivals internally or countries whose leaders they didn’t like, the Bongos who are the owners, were busy fighting amongst each other for the economic and mostly political control of Gabon before and immediately after the death of their father, President Omar Bongo Ondimba. Telesud is sadly, not the only so-called pan African media house funded by African dictators. The other notable ones are Africa 24 and Afrique Media in French-speaking Africa. Some African dictators do also fund numerous newspapers and magazines. One thing with them all is that, they were not created to inform in an impartial manner, but were created for the propaganda of those leaders. Late Omar Bongo Ondimba created or funded Telesud and he did it, mostly at the time when he began facing internal and external pressure to leave power.

Before Omar Bongo Ondimba died in 2009, he had ruled Gabon for 42 years. Currently, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasongo is funding two so-called pan African media houses, namely Africa 24 and Afrique Media. But in his country, there is no free speech and he has been in power for 36 years and not thinking of leaving. President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who also has been in power for 30 years, is no different. In his country, there is no free speech and journalists might not be in jail, but they are either killed or tortured and expelled, if they are foreigners. He too wants to have his own pan African media and he has been rewarded with Africanews, which is a subsidiary of the pan European television called Euronews.  And that explains in part, the reasons why, you won’t find them covering or reporting on human rights abuses or popular revolts like the ones that recently took place in Burundi, Burkina Faso or the major opposition rally that took place in Brazzaville, Congo on the 27^th of September 2015. These media are not handicapped financially or technically as they sometimes claim.  

That also explains why, those who want to be informed on the  African continent relies mostly on western media such as the British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC), Cable News Network(CNN), Voice of America(VOA), Radio France International(rfi) and France 24 for credible information. Even though, they are sometimes biased or do stereotype the continent. But for the time being, there are no other alternatives until a credible African broadcaster emerges. However, with the coming up social media, especially Facebook, new independent and credible sources of information dissemination have started emerging and are challenging and also circumventing African governments and their censorship. There exist some good examples which are the cases of Sahara Reporter in Nigeria and News 24 in South Africa. The influence of the first contributed greatly in the peaceful alternation of political power in Nigeria in 2015.  And as regards Telesud, in spite all the efforts invested by Jean Philippe Kabore, he was not being supported financially by the Gabonese for reasons abovementioned and also because Jean Philippe was a Blackman.

However, when Bernard Volker and his white team came in, the Gabonese gave them a starting budget of Euros 5 million. Bernard Volker it must be recalled is a retired white French journalist with little or no knowledge of Africa.  But he came to Telesud not to improve on it performance. It seems it was only to make money and also for the group who followed Bernard Volker to Israel that Telesud have become for them. His first commercial operation was in Central African Republic and it was resounding flop. Telesud was paid the sum of Euros 50 thousand for an operation worth Euros 6 hundred thousand. While to his discharge it could be said he failed in Central African Republic because he did not know or understand how things worked, what he can’t be pardon was the spirit that he introduced when he was appointed. He claimed that, he wanted a new dawn professionally, but he began fighting everybody especially the news service. And the grand question that some staff began asking was this: How will the news service look like when Bernard Volker decided to attack Louis Magloire Keumayou, it founding and most influential member?

That was the question being asked by other staff when, it was clear that, Bernard Volker has decided to go to war against Louis Magloire Keumayou. Besides the tense atmosphere introduced into Telesud by Bernard Volker and his team, I hated the fact that, there was no more independence or objectivity in the way we treated or covered events. During the 2009 presidential elections that saw Ali Bongo Ondimba, the son of Omar Bongo Ondimba elected controversially as President of the Republic of Gabon, I was barred from interviewing opposition party candidates, in particular Mr. Mba Obam. Mr. Mba Obam, now late, was the main challenger of Ali Bongo Ondimba. I was disappointed, for I thought that, since the management was now in the hands of French whites, claimed to free and liberal professionally, we were also to be free to practice our profession independently. But it was a great mistake. It was total censorship, a thing that never happened under Jean Philippe Kabore, started happening. 

Paris-Brazzaville : Charles Villeneuve and Richard Attias

I suspect that, the new management never wanted a black person to hold any administrative or management functions within Telesud. Personally, I went on well with the new management, especially with Mr Bernard Volker and Aurelian Delpeyroux.  But I foresaw that, they did not have anything special to offer. Furthermore, I also sensed that, under them, Telesud would become like any other community broadcaster in France with little or no influence in French-speaking Africa and the French-speaking Caribbean islands as it used to have. For it was evident that, they (Bernard Volker and his new entirely white team) had no clearly defined strategy. I was not wrong in the way I foresaw things. For besides the existing programmes such as Afronight, La Grande Interview, Etretien du Jour, Lady Vous Ecoute and the news, to name just these few, they brought or introduced nothing new. They instead instill a spirit of divide and rule, a strategy that brought or pushed the news service on the brink of revolt. For its news Director was now being considered by Bernard Volker as a spy working for Charles Villeneuve.

The paradox is that, it was Mr Villeneuve who brought on board Bernard Volker, but when Villeneuve got sick and was not available to head Telesud, hence the management was given to Bernard Volker. Mr Charles Villeneuve is a journalist. He was formerly the director of the sports service of the privately owned French television called TF1.  TF1 is a private French TV channel controlled by TF1 Group whose major shareholder is Bouygues. According to the online dictionary Wikipedia, TF1 was launched on the 26^th of April 1935. While Bouygues SA is an industrial group headquartered in the 8^th arrondissement of Paris, France. Bouygues is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange and also the blue chip in the CAC 40 stock market. The company was founded in 1952 by Francis Bouygues and since 1989 has been led by his son Martin Bouygues. In 2011, it had approximately 130,000 employees. The group specializes in construction, real estate development, media and Telecommunications. It is alleged that, Charles Villeneuve has been working or have worked for the French intelligence service abbreviated in DGSE or in full: Direction de la Securite Exterieure or in English: the General Directorate for External Service.

The organization according to Wikipedia can trace its roots back to 1947, when the central external intelligence agency abbreviated in French as SDECE existed. SDECE was created by Alexandre de Marenches in 1944. Precisely it existed from the 6^th of November 1944 until 2^nd April 1982 when it became known as the DGSE. Alexandre de Marenches was a Franco-American soldier born in Paris in 1921. He was the son of Captain Charles-Constant-Marie de Marenches, a French aristocrat from a very old family of knights of Norman origin, aide-de-camp to Marshal Ferdinand Foch. Whether Charles Villeneuve is or was working as an agent of the French intelligence service or not is not important because, they are just unsubstantiated rumors and I don’t want to consider it because I have also been a victim of such accusations in Congo. What I know about Charles Villeneuve and which to me is the truth and most important is that he is currently working with Richard Attias & Associates. Attias & Associates is a public relations and events organizing company owned by Richard Attias.  

Mr Attias according to the online dictionary Wikipedia was on born on the 19^th of November 1959 in Morocco to a Jewish family. He is an event producer, founder and former chairman of Publicis live and he is presently the executive chairman of Richard Attias and Associates and founder of The New York Forum, the New York Africa Forum regularly held in Libreville, Gabon and the lesser known Build Africa Forum that was held in Brazzaville, Congo in February 2014.   This is how the web site of Richard Attias and Associates presents Richard Attias, founder in glowing fashion: Richard Attias has built an unrivaled reputation for advising global leaders, corporations and nations on how to build their global influence, catalyze innovation, and mobilize populations. He has provided clients across sectors with hands on assistance in: branding and strategic communications, the development of public-private partnerships, and investment in emerging markets. His talent for anticipating and managing the most pressing issues of our time, activating global networks, and inspiring innovation is based on his unique experience curating communities of senior leaders, developed over decades with leading platforms that he produced, including: The New York Forum and The New York Forum AFRICA; the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos; the Clinton Global Initiative, the Nobel Laureates Conference and the Doha Goals Forum to name a few.

Before establishing Richard Attias & Associates, now part of WPP, Attias served as advisor to the Emirate of Dubai where he devised a comprehensive branding strategy for the Government. Prior to that, Richard started his career at IBM, and then founded several companies in the IT Industry and in the Global Communications field. He also spent a decade at the media conglomerate Publicis Groupe, where he most recently served as Executive Chairman of Publicis Events Worldwide and designed more than 1,000 events for global corporations. A global citizen originally from Morocco, Attias completed his studies in civil engineering and earned a master’s degree in mathematics and physics. He has lived in France, Switzerland, Japan, Dubai and the United States. His Public Sector clients have included: the African Development Bank, Bahrain, Brazil, China, Dubai, France, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, UAE, UK, United Nations and USA. His Private Sector clients have included: Avaya, EDF, IBM, Lenovo, L'Oreal, Airbus, The New York Times, Renault Nissan, Sanofi-Aventis and Sony. Headquartered in New York City since 2009, Richard Attias & Associates is made up of a globally minded and culturally diverse team of experienced professionals. We have over 200 years of cumulative expertise in building innovative live initiatives, speaker and audience engagement, thought leadership, business journalism, strategic marketing and communication, branding, project management, production and logistics.

Our staff has graduated from many of the world's top schools including Columbia, Harvard, HEC, the London School of Economics, Oxford, Princeton and Yale.  It is a glowing praise for Richard Attias and his company but certainly not shared by citizens of Gabon and recently Congo where he organizes his events.  Citizens of both countries think that the hosting of New Africa Forum in Gabon and Build Africa Forum in Brazzaville are waste of fund for returns that, the population don’t see. They would have wanted that, the amount of money spent in hosting be put in other vital sectors such as healthcare and education, two sectors that needs massive investments not only in both countries but in most of Africa. 

Paris-Brazzavile: Blaise Louembe, the emissary of Pascaline Mferri Bongo Ondimba

What is not known is whether he was forced to or whether it was simply that, he was a Gaullist zealot.  It is something or a period that, the truth will never been known because I think Bernard Volker will not like to talk about. Bernard Volker is also known to have worked in both the United States and in Germany as correspondent for TF1. He is fluent in both English and German. But the coming of Bernard Volker at the head of a television station that was made up in majority of Africans from north and sub Saharan Africa and the Caribbean was not well received by the staff. It staff said that, the inferiority complex of the Gabonese have forced them to hand over the management of the first pan African television station to French whites whose only interest  was to make money. In fact the coming of Bernard Volker at the helms of 3 A Telesud that became known only as Telesud, also marked the end of its ambitions and originality. Bernard Volker made a lot of promises. He promised to transform or change everything. He promised regular and timely payment of salaries. The payment of salaries regularly and on time was the only piece of good news that came along with the takeover of Telesud by white men. For before they came, staff stayed for between two-three months without pay. The station also owed Globecast, the satellite distributing company, about three hundred and fifty thousand Euros. Besides owing Globecast, Telesud also owed rents for the offices that we were using at Cognac Jay. They owed twenty six thousand Euros in unpaid rents. 3 A Telesud was a company that was slowly but effectively going to be closed. But it must be pointed out that, Jean Philippe Kabore was no longer receiving financial support from the Gabonese. A thing that changed immediately the whites came, the floodgates of financing was opened in Libreville. One of the reasons why Jean Philippe Kabore was no longer receiving funding from Libreville was because, before and after the death of President Omar Bongo Ondimba, the interim administration or the transition phase in Gabon made things a little bit tough for Pascaline Bongo Ondimba.

Especially that, Pascaline Bongo Ondimba rapport with Ali Bongo Ondimba her younger brother, who was formerly defense minister and currently President of the Republic, was fraught with suspicions and power tussle. And as a consequence, Telesud had to suffer because it was not the priority. But as things got worst financially for Telesud, Pascaline Bongo Ondimba fearful of media reaction and the consequences on their already battered image in France, she was obliged to dispatch one of her loyal friend to Paris to solve the financial and management problems of Telesud. The emissary was Blaise Louembe. Mr Louembe was Pascaline‘s loyal friend in the government of Gabon formed by her younger brother Ali Bongo Ondimba. Mr Louembe was a former minister of finance and former pay master general. He is currently minister of Sports of Gabon. He was born on the 20^th of February 1960 in Koulamoutou in Gabon. He was the one who regularly left Libreville for Paris with bank checks to settle debts on behalf of Pascaline Bongo Ondimba. Whenever he arrived with those checks in France, in order to avoid the monetary authorities of France to search or trace the origin of the checks, the said checks were recycled as payment for legal counseling carried out by Danielle Palazzo Gauthier.

In fact, besides legal services, Danielle Palazzo Gauthier also served to launder money for Pascaline Bongo Ondimba. The checks brought from Libreville were used to settle the debts aforementioned and also the payment of salary arrears. During the era of Jean Philippe Kabore, he was assisted by Jean Luc Beis in the administration. The other management staff was Jacob Aime Leboue who was the head of human resources while Louis Magloire Keumayou was the news director. The new era under Bernard Volker, the administration became lily white. Aurelian Delpeyroux was the operational manager while Sandrine Parpet was the assistant to Volker. For a while, Jacob Aime Leboue and Louis Magloire Keumayou were left into their functions but they were soon ejected. I suspect that, the new management never wanted a black person to hold any administrative or management functions within Telesud. 

Paris-Brazzaville: Danyele Palazzo Gauthier, advocate and money-woman of Pascaline Bongo Ondimba

President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s morale was affected heavily because; Edith was not only his official first born, but also the most intelligent amongst his 29 children. Furthermore, she was the only one besides his elder brother Maurice Nguesso who was loved by ordinary Congolese. Her lost was synonymous to the lost of clutches to a cripple.  If Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba were still alive today, some monumental strategic errors being committed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso and which might cause him his prestige and even presidency won’t have been committed. It explains why her death also sparked in President Denis Sassou Nguesso the desire to leave the political scene. Denis Sassou Nguesso was convinced to continue by the likes of Isidore Mvouba and Jean Jacques Bouya coupled with the medical assistance from Professor Claude Maylin.  So I was told by Ouamba Sassou Nguesso, one of the 29 children of the Congolese leader. As for Omar Bongo Ondimba, formerly Albert Bernard Bongo, he was the second president of Gabon after the death of Leon Mba.

President Bongo Ondimba had his names changed from Albert Bernard Bongo to Omar Bongo, when he became a Muslim, but the mother of Pascaline Bongo Ondimba told me that, he reconverted back to Christianity in his last days. As Omar Bongo Ondimba bowed out of stage, his daughter Pascaline Bongo Ondimba gave the administration of some of her father’s wealth and investments in France to her friend by name Danielle Palazzo Gauthier. 

Mrs. Gauthier is a lawyer. She is also the niece of Roland Dumas who was not only France’s foreign minister under late President Francois Mitterrand from 1984-1986 and from 1988-1993, he was also the head of France’s constitutional Court from 1995-1999. Besides those posts that Roland Dumas held, he was also a friend to late President Omar Bongo Ondimba. France’s political elite have always held special relationship with elite of French-speaking African countries in chief, those who are governing. It also partly explains the reason why France has lost its credibility in most of her former colonies in Africa. Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier has her own chambers located at the prestigious Champ Elysee.  And according to an online Gabonese newspaper known as Dworaczek-Bendome, Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier also spelled as Danyele Palazzo Gauthier was born on the 27^th of January 1952. She is a graduate of the Universite des Sciences Sociale de Toulouse and the Institute d’Etude Judiciaire de Toulouse and she is also honorary Consul of Gabon in Bordeaux.  Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier who runs a controversial Gabonese or should I say, Bongo Ondimba funded company called Delta Synegie , headquartered in Luxemburg, which is  the parent company of most of their investments in Europe, is also the vice chair of the Albertine Amissa Bongo Ondimba Foundation.  Albertine Amissa Bongo Ondimba was one of the daughters of late President Omar Bongo Ondimba. She was born in 1964 and died in 1993. It is in her memory, a foundation was created and also an annual cycling race code named: Tour du Gabon Amissa Bongo Ondimba. 

Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier is a specialist in Urban, Construction, trade, succession and international laws. It is also reported that, she went or attended the Paris-Dauphine University along with Pascaline Bongo Ondimba. It is also reported that, it was while they were students that, they knew and befriended each other. And it was Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier who brought in a group of whites, namely: Charles Villeneuve and Bernard Volker to run 3 A Telesud. It was a clear takeover and also a fundamental change from how Jean Philippe Kabore and Louis Magloire Keumayou were running 3 A Telesud. Bernard Volker is a former or retired journalist with the privately owned French TV called TF1. Mr Volker is also known to have presented the news in 1968 in full military fatigue. May 1968 was a volatile period in France and it was punctuated by demonstrations and massive general strikes as well as occupation of universities and factories across France. And according to the online dictionary Wikipedia, at the height of the civil unrest, there was fear of a revolution, in particular when General Charles De Gaulle, for a moment left Paris. It was during this period that, Bernard Volker was ordered to present the news in full military gears. What is not known is whether he was forced to or whether it was simply that, he was a Gaullist zealot.  It is something or a period that, the truth will never been known because I think Bernard Volker will not like to talk about.

Bernard Volker is also known to have worked in both the United States and in Germany as correspondent for TF1. He is fluent in both English and German. But the coming of Bernard Volker at the head of a television station that was made up in majority of Africans from north and sub Saharan Africa and the Caribbean was not well received by the staff. It staff said that, the inferiority complex of the Gabonese have forced them to hand over the management of the first pan African television station to French whites whose only interest  was to make money. In fact the coming of Bernard Volker at the helms of 3 A Telesud that became known only as Telesud, also marked the end of its ambitions and originality. Bernard Volker made a lot of promises. He promised to transform or change everything. He promised regular and timely payment of salaries. The payment of salaries regularly and on time was the only piece of good news that came along with the takeover of Telesud by white men. For before they came, staff stayed for between two-three months without pay. 

Paris- Brazzaville: for Sassou Nguesso the lost of Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba was synonymous to the lost of clutches to a cripple.

The son or daughter of your brother or your sister is simply yours. Or put it simply, your son or your daughter. That said, what is certain is that, the proposition or suggestion that was made to me by Rynelle was not taken seriously, but, it did not also fall on deaf ears.  And, when the working situation at 3 A Telesud began to worsen, the idea of going to Congo started resurfacing.   It became all the sudden, very important more than ever, when Omar Bongo Ondimba’s health was deteriorating and the long illness of his wife Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba also began seriously falling apart.  As the health of both the President of Gabon and his wife became wobbly, it also affected 3 A Telesud and more the daily administration of Gabon. Salaries of staff at 3 A Telesud became irregular and I began weighing all options and the suggestions from Rynelle took all its importance. I began thinking of going back to Africa. Honestly speaking, had it not been that, all was not going on well, professionally, for me in France and particularly at 3 A Telesud, I won’t have ever gone back to work in Africa, for having stayed in France for a while, I had developed a negative feeling toward Africa and some of its elite which is not entirely wrong or a mere western influenced prejudice, as it is generally claimed by those intellectuals or elite who are the focus of my wrath and distraught.

For some African elite in particular, those governing have in my view point, no respect for human beings or they are not very different from animals in the way they react or do things. While I have been criticized for always wanting to compare Africa with western society, which might appear, it is true, pretentious, nonetheless, don’t some African intellectuals think that, there are some instances or situations where comparisons can be made? For example in the area of management, why is it that, some so-called African elite, can’t mange well?  Why is it that, some of them are so corrupt? Why can’t they respect basic human right values? Do those African intellectuals or elite need to be a westerner in order to give value to life?  Asking these questions is not tantamount to being biased toward African governing elite.  I know that my present position on some African elite, is hard or will not be appreciated by most Africans, but can anyone tell me how a government official will support the killing or rape of  his or her political adversary and that attracts no criticism?  Can anyone tell me why some African elite will steal funds donated or earmarked for development and instead invest it in wealthy countries?  The way which some African elite and their governments behave is heart breaking.

Some African elite are most of the time inhumane in their way of doing things. All what or all the ills that I use to think about some African elite and political leaders, especially those governing have been proven correct when I was in Congo and also my stay within power circle. It was an explained disgusting experience .My disappointment with most African political elite and even some so-called intellectuals who are unable to speak out or voice their opposition to the atrocious way that some African countries are governed is complete.  I have little or no respect for them and whenever I see or meet with them, I feel like vomiting. They are simply nauseating. Nonetheless, there are some honest and courageous ones who are drowned in the ocean of those who are dishonest. These ones can’t express themselves, for they are marginalized by those who are dishonest, inhumane and corrupt.

The death of Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba, the wife of Gabon’s President and followed by the death of her husband President Omar Ondimba Bongo signaled the coup de grace for 3 A Telesud.  

Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba was the official first child or daughter of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and her death in March 2009 was a great blow to the morale of her father who almost for the first time in his political life considered willingly abandoning the throne of President of the Republic of Congo. President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s morale was affected heavily because; Edith was not only his official first born, but also the most intelligent amongst his 29 children. Furthermore, she was the only one besides his elder brother Maurice Nguesso who was loved by ordinary Congolese. Her lost was synonymous to the lost of clutches to a cripple.  If Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba were still alive today, some monumental strategic errors being committed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso and which might cause him his prestige and even presidency won’t have been committed. 

It explains why her death also sparked in President Denis Sassou Nguesso the desire to leave the political scene. Denis Sassou Nguesso was convinced to continue by the likes of Isidore Mvouba and Jean Jacques Bouya coupled with the medical assistance from Professor Claude Maylin.  As for Omar Bongo Ondimba, formerly Albert Bernard Bongo, he was the second president of Gabon after the death of Leon Mba. President had his names changed when he became a Muslim, but the mother of Pascaline Bongo Ondimba told me that, he reconverted by to Christianity in his last days. As Omar Bongo Ondimba bowed out of stage, his daughter Pascaline Bongo Ondimba gave the administration of some of her father’s wealth and investments in France to her friend by name Danielle Palazzo Gauthier. Mrs. Gauthier is a lawyer. She is also the niece of Roland Dumas who was not only France’s foreign minister under late President Francois Mitterrand from 1984-1986 and from 1988-1993, he was also the head of France’s constitutional Court from 1995-1999. Besides those posts that Roland Dumas held, he was also a friend to late President Omar Bongo Ondimba.

France’s political elite have always held special relationship with elite of French-speaking African in chief those who are governing. It also partly explains the reason why France has lost its credibility in most of her former colonies in Africa. Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier has her own chambers located at the prestigious Champ Elysee. It is also reported that, she went or attended the Dauphine University along with Pascaline Bongo Ondimba and that. It is also reported that, it was while they were students that, they knew and befriended each other.  And it was Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier who brought in a group of whites namely: Charles Villeneuve and Bernard Volker to run 3 A Telesud. It was clear takeover and also a fundamental change from how Jean Philippe Kabore and Louis Magloire Keumayou were running 3 A Telesud. Bernard Volker is a former or retired journalist with the privately owned French TV called TF1. Mr Volker is known to have presented the news in 1968 in full military fatigue. May 1968 was a volatile period in France and it was punctuated by demonstrations and massive general strikes as well as occupation of universities and factory across France. 

Paris-Brazzaville: Francophonie is a disgraceful and shameful organization or hideout of African dictators

As far as I am concerned, I had never dreamt of ever working permanently in Congo or in any other African country, for I was already well established in France and was married with two children. But as I became very frequent on the continent, I began developing interest. However, the countries that I had in mind in case I wanted to resettle in Africa were Nigeria, Sudan or my native country, Cameroon. I also did develop keen interest in working in Ethiopia. My Congolese journey began with Rynelle Kourissa. Or should I say, it was Rynelle Kourissa who influenced by decision when, I made up my decision to go back to Africa and opted for Congo. Rynelle Kourissa is the daughter Mr Jean de Dieu Kourissa. And she is also one of the rare grand children of the  extended Nguesso ruling family who is not only intelligent but more so, independent minded, in a family who mostly think, that ,they were created to govern Congo and nothing else. Mr Jean de Dieu Kourissa, her father is a Member of Parliament in one of the electoral constituencies of Poto-poto.  Poto-poto is a populous neighborhood located north of Brazzaville. It is not only populous; it is also a cosmopolitan commercial hub and also one of the oldest in the city.

Jean de Dieu Kourissa is the son-in-law of Maurice Nguesso and Mr Maurice Nguesso is the elder brother and also the lone surviving brother of President Denis Sassou Nguesso. How come that, I opted to go to Brazzaville and work for the Nguessos or to be precise, Maurice Nguesso? This was how it all began.   As explained a little bit above, it was Rynelle Kourissa-Okounga who is my friend, who sparked it all.  She came one day into our office (3A Telesud) located at 15 rue Cognac Jay. I can’t recall the day or the month. All I can remember is that, it was in 2009. As for Cognac Jay, it is a street situated in the 7^th arrondissemnt of Paris and that, year, Rynelle Kourissa told or informed me that, Maurice Nguesso had a project to launch a television and Radio station in Brazzaville.  The Cognac Jay Street is a kind of Media Street or mythical street in Paris and France. Made so because, the same street and the same building that, 3 ATelesud was occupying two floors used to house prestigious French media houses. The last two most renowned electronic French media outfits she housed were France 5 and TV5. Both are state owned media houses, but the second while owned by the state has shareholders from Belgium, Canada (Quebec) and Switzerland (Suisse Romande).

TV 5 is a purely political and cultural channel created to promote the French language and culture. Hence it is financed by the aforementioned majority or partly French speaking countries through their ministries of foreign affairs and cooperation. The funding or subventions comes under the shield of a political organization called the “Francophonie”. The Francophonie is an organization that regroups countries that are French-speaking in majority or partly French-speaking. It is claimed to be the brainchild of former Senegalese President Leopold Sedar Senghor, president of Tunisia Habib Ben Ali Bourguiba and President Hamani Diori of Niger. The late President of Tunisia Habib Ben Ali Bourguiba was born on the 3^rd of August 1903 and died on the 6^th of April 2000. He was president of Tunisia from 1957 to 1987, while President Hamani Diori of Niger was born on June 6^th 1916 and died on the 23^rd of April 1989 in Rabat, Morocco.

He was president of Niger from 10^th November 1960 to April 19^th 1974.  The abovementioned triumvirates are claimed to those who revived or actualized the French-speaking political body called the Francophonie. It is also claimed that, the late former President of Senegal, Leopold Sedar Senghor was the one credited to have coined the word Francophonie. It is not exactly correct, because according to the online dictionary Wikipedia, Senegal’s president was the second person to coin the word Francophonie in 1962, but before him, way back in 1880, the word Francophonie was first coined by two French brothers who were geographers by name Onesime Reclus and Elisee Reclus. However, Senegal’s president and his two other African colleagues abovementioned could be credited for have revived or worked hard in 1970 for the political Francophonie to exist. Senegal’s first president was born on the 9^th of October 1906 and died on the 20^th of December 2001. He was the first black African to be elected into the prestigious Academie Francaise on the 21^st of June 1983. Leopold Sedar Senghor was president of Senegal from 1960 to 1980. 

The Academie Francaise or the French Academy according to Wikipedia, the online dictionary, was established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu who was the chief minister of King Louis XIII. It was however suppressed during the revolution in 1793 and restored as a division of the Institute de France in 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte. French Academy is made up of 40 members known as the immortals. Meanwhile the French Institute regroups five French learned Societies amongst which the French Academy is the most prestigious.  Most of its members are former French colonies located in Africa and in Asia. But recently, the Francophonie in a bid to increase its membership has been opening up her doors to countries that were not even France’s or Belgiums former colonies or that don’t speaking French.  One of such is Qatar. No one understands why the oil rich state is a member of the Francophonie if it is not it huge wealth that made the directorate of the Francophonie to lost its bearings.  The Francophonie in her ambitions wants to become like the Commonwealth of former British colonies that the Queen of England is its head even though symbolic.

But it can’t because, the Francophonie is weak in the defense and protection of human rights and real democracies, for most of its members from Africa, are most dictatorship. The Francophonie is a hideout for French-speaking African dictators, for they use their presence and membership into the 54 member states, 23 states with observers status and 3 associates members to shore up their international prestige.  The Francophonie is more vocal in the defense and promotion of the French language and culture globally than defending human right violations and the abuse of democracy that is prevent in most African countries that its members. The Francophonie is a disgraceful and shameful organization. Although I have presented Rynelle Kourissa-Okounga as the daughter of Jean de Dieu Kourissa MP, she is in reality, the niece of Mr Kourissa. But since she lost her mother at a tender age, she was brought up by Jean de Dieu, hence she is considered as her daughter. Furthermore in equatorial Africa, there is no such thing as a niece or a nephew.  The son or daughter of your brother or your sister is simply yours. 

Paris-Brazzaville : Jean Marie Kassamba and Tele 50 at the service of Joseph Kabila

But since the launching of Tele 50 was a success in term of promoting the realizations or achievements of President Kabila in terms of infrastructural development, he(president Joseph Kabila  decided that, it should become a permanent broadcaster at the service of his propaganda. President Kabila needed such a television, for he is at the head of a country and in particular in the city-province of Kinshasa, a place that is very hostile toward him. The hostility of the people of Kinshasa and most of the DRC with perhaps the only exceptions being the people of the Katanga and eastern DRC stems from the fact that, President Joseph Kabila is viewed not just as a foreigner but mostly   suspected of being a Rwandan Tutsi who is at the service of Paul Kagame.  There have always existed  rivalries between the DRC and Rwanda, but it went one notch up after the 1994 genocide and the support that,  Rwandans and Ugandans gave to former president Laurent Kabila in 1997 to overthrow President Mobutu and also the invasions of 1998 onward of large swath of eastern DRC.

Tele 50 meant to be an ephemeral Television has become permanent. It has become a formidable propaganda tool at the service of one man: Joseph Kabila. And the ideologue of the propaganda is Jean Marie Kasamba, who is a hard working professional journalist albeit at the service of a man who doesn’t have the intention to leave power. Tele 50 is professionally run and it services or productions are professionally done. It is a television whose products and content are done professionally. 

It is one of the rare Television stations in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Congo that has a web site and that is also updated regularly.  They are also present on several electronic and multimedia platforms .Their only problem is that, they are one sided. Everything about Joseph Kabila is good. As for 3 Telesud, It was through Keumayou that, Hamed Camille Paraiso, an excellent journalist from Benin was recruited. The others were Christian Mambou, who is not a journalist by profession but a writer of books that were self published, but with little or no impact. Mambou is from the Republic of Congo. He is hard working but sly and with an extraordinary avidity for money. Still under the tutelage of Keumayou, Pascal Boua, from Ivory Coast was employed.  Pascal Boua is not a journalist by profession but a marketing specialist who used to work at the Communications of Alassane Dramane Ouattara at that, he was prime minister of Ivory Coast under late president Felix Houphouet Boigny. 

Pascal Boua also had an implacable hatred for former President Laurent Gbagbo, who he accused of not being an honest man and also not fit to rule Ivory Coast. The news team was made up of the following: Louis Magloire Keumayou, Pascal Boua, Nidyha Palliakara, Christian Mambou, Camille Hamed Paraiso, Patricia Draline, I and technicians. We all worked hard to revive a television station that was ailing because as Constant Nemale was going or as he left, he also left with the manpower. It was while working at 3 A Telesud, that, I came to know Congo, because I used to travel there to cover events. Besides Congo, I also travelled to other African countries such as Ivory Coast, the DRC, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Sudan, Libya, Ethiopia and a host of others. 

Paris-Brazzaville (Part 3: Pascaline Bongo Ondimba)

As Constant Nemale left 3 A Telesud, Pascaline Bongo Ondimba brought on stage Mr. Jean Philippe Kabore of Ivorian nationality. Mrs. Pascaline Bongo Ondimba is the daughter of former Gabonese President Omar Bongo Ondimba. She was former minister of foreign affairs of Gabon from 1991- 1994 and from 1994 to 2009; she also served as directress of cabinet or chief of staff of her late father. Mrs. Pascaline Bongo Ondimba was born on the 10^th of April 1956 in Brazzaville to a Congolese mother by name Louis Mouyabi Moukala.  Although she has lost political influence since her younger brother Ali Bongo Ondimba came to power in 2009, she commands enormous economic power in Gabon and as proven, she has remain the chairwoman of the board of directors of several companies in Gabon, Morocco, France and in the United States, that was created or funded by her late father. Mr. Jean Philippe Kabore is the eldest son of Mrs. Henriette Diabate. Mrs. Henriette Diabate, who is currently the Grand chancellor of Ivory Coast, is one of the most loyal supporters of the current Ivorian President Mr. Alassane Dramane Ouattara.

Before the current position of Ivory Coast’s Grand chancellor, Mrs. Henriette Rose Dagri Diabate was minister of culture from 1990-1993 and briefly in 2000. She was reappointed as minister of Justice from 2003-2005.  Mr. Jean Philippe Kabore, who had no experience in journalism, is the one who hired Louis Magloire Keumayou as the first journalist within the new phase of what was then called 3 A Telesud. Mr. Keumayou is a French-speaking Cameroonian journalist and president of the Association of pan African journalists abbreviated in French as APA. It is a Paris based organization that groups journalists of African ancestry, who are working and living in France. And Mr. Louis Magloire Keumayou was born on the 10^th of June 1973. He has worked respectively for Radio Vatican and also for the French service of the BBC called BBC Afrique. Mr. Keumayou currently works for another pan African Television station called Vox Africa. He is a practicing Roman Catholic and married to a French woman of Caribbean ancestry with whom they have two children.

Louis Magloire Keumayou is the one who created the news service of 3 A Telesud. He was the one who asked me to join him in the creation of the news service of Telesud. And he was also the one who encouraged me to start the first programme that was broadcast or produced by the news service which was called La Grande Interview.

La Grande Interview, which became the flagship interviewing programme of Telesud was molded along to the flagship BBC Interviewing programme called Hardtalk presented by Tim Sebastian and currently presented by Stephen Sakur.  The name of the programme La Grande Interview, that I was the host, was chosen by a certain Vincent Douine and it was created to replace another very popular interviewing programme called JMK SHOW presented by Jean Marie Kasamba.   Mr Kasamba had also left Telesud for his native country, the DRC to work with President Joseph Kabila Kabange. In the DRC, Jean Marie Kasamba with the help of President Joseph Kabila created a television station called Tele 50. This television station based in Kinshasa was initially created to celebrate the 50^th independence anniversary of Africa’s largest country in term of area.  

From Paris to Brazzaville (part 2) Constant Nemale: the founder of 3 A Telesud

3 A Telesud was founded by a group of French-speaking black Africans who had at their head, a certain Constant Nemale. Mr Nemale is a journalist by profession. He was before becoming what he is today, the deputy editor-in-chief of a specialized sports magazine called Mondial Basket.  From editor of a sports magazine, he created along with some friends 3 A Telesud and also a marketing company called ETNIUM. He is today the founded of Africa 24, a media company that employs 90 staff from 23 nationalities. 3 A Telesud was financed by President Omar Bongo Ondimba and after his death, his daughter by name Pascaline Bongo took over the management, just like most of the wealth and investments that her late father had amassed in France. Mrs. Pascaline Bongo, who was the Directress of Cabinet of her father or the chief of staff of her father, was an influential figure in Gabonese politics, when her father Omar Bongo Ondimba was alive. The reggae loving Mrs. Pascaline Bongo has an independent way of life.  She is currently married to the former minister of Foreign affairs of Gabon, Mr. Paul Tongui.  However, she also has children with Mr. Jean Ping, former minister of foreign affairs of Gabon and also former chairperson of the African Union.

Constant Nemale used to entertain very good rapport with Pascaline Bongo, but suddenly the atmosphere changed. I don’t know what exactly happened and I also think it is not necessary to develop it here.  Nevertheless, what is necessary is to state here on that, Constant Nemale fell out with Pascaline Bongo. He left  3 A Telesud to create a successful rival of 3 A Telesud called Africa 24, this time around with the help and financial support of President Obiang Nguema Mbasongo of Equatorial Guinea. It has to be recalled that, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon are both oil rich countries and sub regional rivals.  Both countries with their oil wealth want to lead the sub regional Economic and Monetary of Union of Central African States abbreviated in French as CEMAC.  And it is reported that, mindful of the existing rivalry, Constant Nemale exploited it to the maximum. He exploited the rivalries between Presidents Obiang Nguema and Omar Bongo Ondimba, in order to get the funding from the first for his new pan African television station.

Other sources also claimed that, the ownership of an island in the Atlantic Ocean called Mbanie, disputed by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea is one of the reasons why Equatorial Guinea decided to sponsor the creation of Africa 24.  Anyway, it has also been discovered that, Equatorial Guinea sponsors several other electronic and print media organizations, notably the controversial pan-africanist Television station called Afrique Media  headed by Justin Tagou and a pan African magazine called Africa 54 published by Priscilla Wolmer.  The paradox with both Gabon and Equatorial Guinea is that, they are paragons of media freedom and free speech abroad, but in both countries, there is no freedom of speech or independent media organizations. What is also worth noting is that, the success of Africa 24 has eclipsed 3 A Telesud. The once leading pan African Television has become a peripheral television station for afro-Caribbeans in France, with little or no influence in Africa. As Constant Nemale left 3 A Telesud, Pascaline Bongo brought on stage Mr. Jean Philippe Kabore of Ivorian nationality. 

From Paris to Brazzaville (part 1)

When I left Cameroon for France, I worked with several media houses. It was not as though things were rosy for me from the start. Life is never easy for any immigrant in Western Europe or even elsewhere in the world. But with the help of friends and colleagues such as Daniel Emile Singleton, Tony Cross, George Kazolias, Diana Gladstone Smith, Barbara Cassasius, Jeff Apter and Zoe Harris to mention just these few, I integrated faster.  I also had the tremendous help and support from the Paris branch of the National Union of British and Irish Journalists abbreviated NUJ. At Radio France International (rfi), which I was stringing for them while in Cameroon and this since October 1997, things did not turn out as they had originally planned or promised me.  But interestingly, as my contract terminated with the English service of Radio France International, I got a job with AITV courtesy George Kazolias. It was a stringing job. From AITV, I went on to work as a stringer for Indigo Publications.

Indigo Publications are the publishers of the following newsletters: Lettre du Continent, Africa Energy Intelligence and Indian Ocean Report to mention just these few. However, that which is widely read and known amongst the business and political elite in French-speaking Central and West African sub regions is Lettre du Continent. This is so because, Lettre du Continent are specialist  and this, through a network of well placed top government functionaries in publishing secret information that traditional print and electronic media in the more often dictatorial regimes in French-speaking central and west African countries seldom have. Because, Lettre du Continent has and publishes first hand political and business news from the opaque countries in central and West African, which are in majority French-speaking, it is sold only through subscription and it is expensive. The annual subscription fee for the 8 page newsletter is Euro 800.

The editor at that time was Antoine Glaser, a journalist with a sound knowledge of French-speaking Africa and also the way Paris treats or deals with her former colonies south of the Sahara. Antoine Glaser was and still is my great friend. Besides working for Indigo Publications, I went on to work with the English services of Canal France International (CFI) and when they lost the rights to cover the Africa Cup of Nations football matches to LC2 International, a Benin Republic Television station headed by Enoch Christian Laheinde, I joined the new rights holders in doing what I was doing at CFI. That is football match commentaries and other individual team sports commentaries. While at CFI and LC2 International I focused on sports commentaries, it was when I joined 3 A Telesud that I did blossom professionally. 3 A Telesud is perhaps the first French-language pan-African Television broadcasting from Paris and directing its programmes toward French-speaking Africa and also the French-speaking Caribbean countries that are French dependencies. 

Dedication:Working as a journalist in Congo

This book is dedicated to all those who sincerely supported me while I was in Congo. There are certainly many, but on this page, I would like to mention these ones: Alain Akouala Atipault, Alphonse Ndongo, Alida Bienvenu Coddy,Augustine Kallakalla ,Alexandre Pierre Bougha, Bienvenu Okiemi, Clement Mierassa, Donald Ekouela Obami, Rynelle Kourissa,Raudand Pascal Eyangui, Mathias Dzon, Maurice Nguesso,  Mampassi Ngoma Rech,Olga Chinelle Moutonga Tchitembo, Olga Blanche Pethas, Lydie Hortense Kourissa, Joe Washington Ebina Jean De Dieu Kourissa, Jeannout Ondongo, Jean de Paris Bantsimba Leho, Guy Blaise Seydoux, Richy Mfouna Nde, Gustelle Klaire Nkoudissa, Tony Akoli, Kelly Joyce Mbimi,Leon Juste Imbombo, Sadio Kante-Morel,Sam Nick Owosso, Florent N. Koumba, Florent Blaise Nkounkou, Thierry Moungalla ,Michelle Walass, Cyr Ebina and Raymond Zephirin Mboulou.

Introduction : My experience working as a journalist in Congo-Brazzaville

This is book is written not as a score settling piece , but it is meant  to explain amongst other things my experience working as an independent journalist in a country that I have come to love. My wish is that, it helps many who will have the privilege to read it to understand some cultural realities that I suspect is unique to Congo especially amongst its elite: male and female.  It is also expected, I believe that, after reading this book readers would understand how difficult it is to work as an independent journalist in a country whose leaders pretend to love freedom of speech whereas in reality, their only love is a culture of praise with little or no room for contradictions. The Republic of Congo, I must point out is where I seem to have done my best journalistic work. It is also where to my chagrin; I discovered the importance to balance professional and family life. In other words, it is also where I lost my family and also found a new girl that I came to love and defend against all odds. However, what I don’t know as I write this whether my love and loyalty to her is reciprocal. As mentioned in the beginning of this introduction, this book is not meant to settle scores with my former friends. It is not also meant to serve as a kind of psychotherapy for me.

It is nevertheless aimed at helping me to forget all the violence that I suffered from people that I knew and thought that, they were my friends.  Finally this book sets into perspective Congo presently and also after President Denis Sassou Nguesso via the brief profiles of people that I have met while working in Congo. Denis Sassou Nguesso who is in his second and last mandate at the head of Congo and he is the one who has laid the foundation of a country with great potentials and he also shoulders the blame and responsibilities of all that has worked as well as all that has failed such as the falling standard of education and a lot more. What must be said is that, while as leader he will assume the responsibility of all that has gone wrong, President Denis Sassou Nguesso did or is not governing alone. Therefore, the responsibility of the positive as well as of the negative will be shared by all who have governed with him and have never had the courage to speak out. What is shocking is that, I wanted to give a credible face to a system that doesn’t want change. Truly, a leopard can’t change it spots.

Douala, April 15^th 2015

Congolese journalistic experience

Working as an Independent Journalist: My Experience in Congo