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About René Lefort

René Lefort has been writing about sub-saharan Africa since the 1970s and has reported on the region for Le Monde, Le Monde diplomatique, Libération, Le Nouvel Observateur.

He is the author of "Ethiopia. An heretical revolution?" (1982, Zed books).

His email is renelefort@wanadoo.fr

Articles by René Lefort

Saturday 31st December

The great Ethiopian land-grab: feudalism, leninism, neo-liberalism ... plus ça change

René Lefort, 31 December 2011
Land in Ethiopia is being leased to agro-industry investors on very long terms and below market rates. The beneficiaries have good political connections. But land has been the play-thing of centralising authoritarians throughout Ethiopia's recent history
Wednesday 25th May

"Beka!" ("enough"). Will Ethiopia be next?

René Lefort, 25 May 2011
Meles Zenawi has been protecting himself from any Arab-spring copy-cat movements in Ethiopia. On balance, it is unlikely that the opposition is strong enough to mount the kind of challenge seen in Egypt and Tunisia. Conditions are not seen to be as brutally unjust in Ethiopia, and no one doubts that the army would be loyal to the Tigray-dominated regime. But there may be surprises yet
Tuesday 20th July

Ethiopia's election: all losers

René Lefort, 20 July 2010
The crushing electoral defeat of the Ethiopian opposition does not actually help the ruling party and encourages its slide into authoritarianism
Tuesday 24th March

Ethiopia's famine: deny and delay

René Lefort, 24 March 2009
Ethiopia's desire to project an image of a dynamic country led to callous denial of the reality of famine
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