Déplacés et réfugiés : la mobilité sous contrainte

Pendant plus de deux ans, de juillet-août 1994 à octobre 1996, environ 1 300 000 réfugiés hutu vécurent dans des camps installés en catastrophe au Kivu, à proximité de la frontière du Rwanda. L'offensive des "Banyamulenge" relayés par l'AFDL (Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo-Zaïre) de Kabila a fait disparaître ces camps. Ce texte a donc valeur de témoignage historique. Il décrit ce que furent les camps du Kivu, l'organisation physique et la gestion interne, l'encadrement par une multitude d'ONG, les problèmes d'approvisionnement par le "food pipeline" Est-africain et la vie au quotidien. Il montre aussi l'impact de la concentration des réfugiés sur l'environnement humain et physique de l'Est du Zaïre. Il pose enfin la question du sens de l'humanitaire dans un contexte géopolitique régional extrêmement tendu, sur lequel ne cessa de peser la mémoire du génocide de 1994. (Résumé de l'auteur

Evaluation of effects caused by differentially spliced Ets-1 transcripts in fibroblasts

The transcription factor Ets-1 is known to be involved in a broad variety of cellular functions such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and angiogenesis. In nearly all these reports, the full-length Ets-1 (p51) is commonly considered to be the active form and the role of the Ets-1?VII splice variant (p42) has not been addressed. Therefore, we studied the functional effects of p42 Ets-1 in comparison to p51 Ets-1 expression in a well-characterized mouse fibroblast cell line. Furthermore, the specific role of Ets-1 was evaluated using mouse fibroblasts with a reduced Ets-1 expression caused by RNAi and compared to fibroblasts with a binding inhibition of the whole ETS transcription factor family by stably overexpressing the ETS DNA binding domain as transdominant-negative mutant. Our results demonstrate that p42 Ets-1 has quite different functions and target genes compared to p51 Ets-1 (e.g. TIMP-4, MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13). In some cases (e.g. in cytokine expression) p42 Ets-1 is a functional transcription factor which acts in the same manner as a transdominant-negative approach

Climatic and cultural changes in the west Congo Basin forests over the past 5000 years

Central Africa includes the world's second largest rainforest block. The ecology of the region remains poorly understood, as does its vegetation and archaeological history. However, over the past 20 years, multidisciplinary scientific programmes have enhanced knowledge of old human presence and palaeoenvironments in the forestry block of Central Africa. This first regional synthesis documents significant cultural changes over the past five millennia and describes how they are linked to climate. It is now well documented that climatic conditions in the African tropics underwent significant changes throughout this period and here we demonstrate that corresponding shifts in human demography have had a strong influence on the forests. The most influential event was the decline of the strong African monsoon in the Late Holocene, resulting in serious disturbance of the forest block around 3500 BP. During the same period, populations from the north settled in the forest zone; they mastered new technologies such as pottery and fabrication of polished stone tools, and seem to have practised agriculture. The opening up of forests from 2500 BP favoured the arrival of metallurgist populations that impacted the forest. During this long period (2500–1400 BP), a remarkable increase of archaeological sites is an indication of a demographic explosion of metallurgist populations. Paradoxically, we have found evidence of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) cultivation in the forest around 2200 BP, implying a more arid context. While Early Iron Age sites (prior to 1400 BP) and recent pre-colonial sites (two to eight centuries BP) are abundant, the period between 1600 and 1000 BP is characterized by a sharp decrease in human settlements, with a population crash between 1300 and 1000 BP over a large part of Central Africa. It is only in the eleventh century that new populations of metallurgists settled into the forest block. In this paper, we analyse the spatial and temporal distribution of 328 archaeological sites that have been reliably radiocarbon dated. The results allow us to piece together changes in the relationships between human populations and the environments in which they lived. On this basis, we discuss interactions between humans, climate and vegetation during the past five millennia and the implications of the absence of people from the landscape over three centuries. We go on to discuss modern vegetation patterns and African forest conservation in the light of these events.Peer reviewe

Cross-Location Analysis of the Impact of Household Socioeconomic Status on Participation in Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in West Africa

This study explores the relation between household socioeconomic status (SES) and participation in urban and periurban agriculture (UPA) in three West African cities. We used a structured questionnaire to survey 700 randomly selected households: 250 in Kano, Nigeria, 250 in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and 200 in Sikasso, Mali. Multiple correspondence analysis was applied on household asset variables to create an index of assets which was used as a proxy for household SES. The results showed no significant differences in households’ rate of participation in UPA across socioeconomic groups. Participation in UPA was rather significantly (P < 0.001) and positively related to household size. Interestingly, the analysis revealed that field crop cultivation and gardening were more common among households in the low and medium SES groups while those in the high SES group were more likely to keep livestock

Communautés déracinées dans les pays du Sud

De novembre 1992 à 1994, entre 600 000 et 800 000 habitants de la province du Sahara ont été violemment "refoulés" vers le Kasaï d'où ils étaient originaires. L'analyse de ces événements montre comment la manipulation politique a attisé les rancoeurs déjà anciennes entre des groupes jaloux des droits découlant de l'antériorité d'occupation du territoire, et des migrants dont le nombre et le dynamisme économique menaçaient la prééminence des autochtones. Les perspectives électorales ont renforcé les repliements identitaires, favorisant les desseins de Mobutu qui n'hésita pas à pratiquer une politique de chaos pour affaiblir ses adversaires. La réinsertion des "Kasaëns", facilitée par les solidarités familiales et le soutien des églises locales et des ONG indispensable dans le contexte d'un Etat en décomposition a été observée dans les villes de Kananga et de Mbuji Mayi (agglomération devenue millénaire) et dans la région de Kabinda où l'étude d'un projet montre comment on est passé de l'intervention d'urgence aux préoccupations de développement. (Résumé d'auteur

Le voyage inachevé... à Joël Bonnemaison

Technological advances in food conservation have led to radical changes in eating habits in the capital of Gabon. A novel baking technique using microwave ovens has led to a revolution in bread production and distribution. As of 1987, fifty stands called "Hot Shows" (from the French term "Chaud Show") mushroomed throughout the city, selling crisp baguettes and pastries. Along with the more traditional-style bakeries, they have become new areas of urban life. Futhermore, the large proportion of domestic freezers (by African standards, with GNP reaching 5000 dollars per year per person, due to petroleum revenues) has resulted in new ways of buying and preparing food. Freezing has enabled women (most of whom work) to save time, as has the use of bread, taking over from traditional foods. Imports of low-cost frozen meat from the European Union have also affected street food vendors. However cultural loyalties to local produce have by no means disappeared. Eating habits have simple become mixed. (Résumé d'auteur