Media Reaction: "Beninese media reacts to President Barack

UNCLAS COTONOU 000309

PARIS FOR ARS (DWINTON)
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD (ANYASO, TITUS, LISENBY),AF/W (VHARPER)

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC KPAO SCUL BN
SUBJECT: Media Reaction: "Beninese media reacts to President Barack
Obama's speech in Ghana"


1. Summary: The Beninese media reacted extensively and positively to
President Obama's speech in Ghana, a speech that they found to be a
source of inspiration for Africa. The speech generated several print
articles, editorials and comments in the leading print media, with a
circulation of 2,500 for each daily. End summary.


2. On July 13, the right-of-center independent daily L'Autre
Quotidien, carried a lengthy editorial titled "Ghana: President
Barack Obama's African hope."
The editorial began with a key excerpt from President Obama's speech
referring to the statement he made that "the future of Africa
belongs to Africans themselves." The editorial wanted to reiterate
what the author viewed as a simple concept: How could Africans not
understand that the future of the continent would be the result of
their own efforts? In his opinion, "Decades after their countries
became independent, many African heads of State behaved like servers
of former colonial Masters, and continued to enrich foreign
factories." ... "Since the end of the eighties marked by the
national conferences and democratically elected governments, the
urgency of satisfying the needs of the populations did not take
place; rather, this led to fruitless nationalism." ...
Ghana took a different path, according to this author who stated
that, "Methodically, steadily and quietly, Ghana is putting together
all the ingredients needed for its economic take off." The author,
who had nothing but praise for President Obama's analysis of the
situation, agreed that "It is very easy to point a finger to others,
accusing them to be responsible for the problems of Africa, but the
Western countries were not responsible for the destruction of
Zimbabwe's economy during the last decade." ... "There was brutality
in Kenya and in Zimbabwe: no one wants to live in a society where
the rule of law gives way to brutality and corruption."


3. In the lead up to the historical speech in Ghana, all major print
media shared in the country-wide euphoria of President Obama's first
trip to sub-Saharan Africa. The most prominent headlines include:

L'Autre Quotidien:
"Africa is not isolated from world affairs."

Le Telegramme:
"In Ghana, Obama calls on Africa to take care of itself."

La Nouvelle Tribune:
"In Ghana, Obama calls on Africans to take their destiny into their
hands."

La Presse du Jour:
"As part of the activities scheduled to mark President Obama's visit
to Ghana, the American Cultural Center in Cotonou showed the French
documentary titled "Obama, l'Homme Qu'on n'Attendait Pas."

Boustani