<div>HELLO </div><div><br></div><div>FYI</div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div>---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: DCA NewsAlert &lt;<a href="mailto:press.africa@dotconnectafrica.org">press.africa@dotconnectafrica.org</a>&gt;<br>Date: Thu, Mar 2, 2017 at 08:27<br>Subject: .Africa Update: ICANN promises to create new top-level domain despite ongoing court case<br>To:  &lt;<a href="mailto:abdeldjalil.bachar@gmail.com">abdeldjalil.bachar@gmail.com</a>&gt;<br></div><br><br>

<div class="gmail_msg"><div style="display:none;display:none!important;color:transparent;line-height:1px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;height:0;width:0;font-size:0px" id="m_-519127072616769795preheaderContent" class="gmail_msg">A Third time lucky: ICANN beats off .africa ban</div><div id="m_-519127072616769795rootDiv" class="gmail_msg"><div align="center" class="gmail_msg"><div align="center" style="max-width:602px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="gmail_msg"><table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="gmail_msg"><tbody><tr class="gmail_msg"><td class="gmail_msg"><img alt="" width="1" height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" class="gmail_msg"></td><td align="center" valign="top" width="600" class="gmail_msg"><table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" class="gmail_msg"><tbody><tr class="gmail_msg"><td align="center" valign="top" class="gmail_msg"><div align="center" style="background-color:#ffffff;padding-bottom:10px" class="gmail_msg"><div align="left" style="font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:8pt;color:#000000" class="gmail_msg"><font face="verdana,arial" size="1" color="#000000" style="font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:8pt;color:#000000" class="gmail_msg"><center class="gmail_msg"><table bgcolor="#ffffff" width="595" id="m_-519127072616769795VWPLINK" class="gmail_msg"><tbody><tr class="gmail_msg"><td style="color:#000000;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" width="100%" rowspan="1" colspan="1" class="gmail_msg">Having trouble?
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<div style="font-size:28pt" class="gmail_msg"><span class="gmail_msg"><strong class="gmail_msg">A Third time lucky: ICANN beats off .africa ban </strong></span><img vspace="0" border="0" name="m_-519127072616769795_ACCOUNT.IMAGE.940" hspace="0" width="588" src="http://files.constantcontact.com/6555813b001/2373c1c9-32f4-4abc-9acd-d39386a117e1.jpg" class="gmail_msg"></div>
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<div style="font-size:11pt;text-align:center" align="center" class="gmail_msg"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,Times,serif" class="gmail_msg">     </span><br class="gmail_msg"><div class="gmail_msg"><span style="text-align:center" class="gmail_msg">                                                                                 Kieren McCarthy - The Register</span></div><div style="color:#000000;font-size:22pt;text-align:center" align="center" class="gmail_msg"><span class="gmail_msg"><i style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif" class="gmail_msg"><strong class="gmail_msg">Promises to create new top-level domain despite ongoing court case</strong></i></span></div></div>
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<div style="font-size:9pt" class="gmail_msg"> <i class="gmail_msg"><i style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif" class="gmail_msg">The Register is a UK based highly influential and respected source of reliable news </i><i style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif" class="gmail_msg">globally</i><strong class="gmail_msg"><i style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif" class="gmail_msg"><span class="gmail_msg">.</span><a style="color:rgb(0,0,255);font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9EfeAa43x0JAAJdCiwjRoGAlBJVnDYwHawg-43haEP_CTzRJFZC0gXEwVOT_oWf7QdzlUvVemjz-VhKA7OazG9BIu8ikwV_KKT0IVIrSAYwsc6fap0F8wRfA==&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://www.theregister.co.uk/" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank"> www.theregister.co.uk</a></i></strong></i></div>
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<div style="text-align:center" align="center" class="gmail_msg"><a style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9EfpGiXmUSAPgxGH2_TKYzTJirIKDuICzLxTDvbN-wwzQ5JHy9wYM9COvnV5ucRYyLcRJ0yBhGiLBjp2VAP5M5joXRCrqJSyHn86SHYR6aFAhWJQU609LtFIDD0949w7YwsC-RRpFBNhdt239pvetOPdtPysPMRlLvYjLiIkCKVFD9aZ7lAgU-9grU15IZb2Dl&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/13/icann_beats_back_dot_africa_injunction/" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">Third time lucky: ICANN beats off .africa ban</a> <br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
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<div class="gmail_msg">Internet overseer ICANN will push ahead with a new &quot;.africa&quot;  top-level domain, despite having twice been ordered not to because of  serious questions over how it handled the case.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">Earlier this month, a Los Angeles court <a style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9ECR0h-Rv4hSmsJ1Cu-41q6A6_e9eGKJkQazLsloJLG_fqj8-7H7uCySPY7IBZRbjlyZ6vUlZF5N1oEQqJgwbSdQz7kFBN-pNaUqGQPFW2n2q7BsG_KgqKnRNrUjJlSNFF2NoAqtyNzd0uS-9urbQArs5rgprDxTyT0fOwMWBOrqk=&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://regmedia.co.uk/2017/02/10/dca-icann-no-injunction-feb17.pdf" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">refused </a>[PDF] a preliminary injunction against ICANN that would prevent it from  adding .africa to the internet and allowing South Africa-based ZA  Central Registry (ZACR) from running it.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">The decision was just the latest in a lengthy battle  between DotConnectAfrica (DCA), which also applied for the name, and  ICANN, which decided to disqualify DCA back in 2013 on grounds that were  later shown to be highly questionable.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">Twice before, DCA has prevented ICANN from  &quot;delegating&quot; the name to the internet&#39;s root until its case with DCA was  resolved, but this time the judge decided in ICANN&#39;s favor, accepting  the argument that it would not cause harm to delegate it, and that DCA&#39;s  case is unlikely to succeed because it signed an agreement with ICANN  that said it wouldn&#39;t sue the organization.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">The decision - which displays a lack of understanding  of the internet registry business, making it vulnerable to challenge -  is the first time that DCA has not prevailed against ICANN, despite a  huge disparity in resources and information. Regardless, its legal case  against ICANN will continue.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<strong class="gmail_msg">Bye-bye bylaws </strong>
<div class="gmail_msg">Back in April 2015, ICANN was found by an independent review panel to have <a style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9ENAaUjsZASkdH3CZ-eoivxNCSuDLShwaeEbVVqX1YT5zLynsN3agKQF2XapLFRju2W2J4BPjyM-pgWMICfhhy3n5yIz8RAhEDqvb-4O_1pmryZgXvDo55i_mfjsF0JoACI3jvV3gFg-mRGfzTmTxQqN8tVWKVBVE9SWMVAq8mq6ENzbubILEAeA==&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/04/28/internet_bylaws_dot_africa/" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">broken its own bylaws</a> by refusing to allow top officials to be questioned over their role in the decision to disqualify DCA.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">Three months later, we found out why. In a  devastating critique of the organization and its staff, a panel of  independent judges determined that ICANN had not acted fairly in both  rejecting DCA&#39;s bid and then in refusing to hear its appeals in anything  but the most cursory manner.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">ICANN then invited further criticism when its lawyers  unilaterally decided to redact significant portions of the panel&#39;s  final report to cover up evidence of ICANN staff&#39;s complicity with the  other .africa applicant. That complicity even stretched to ICANN&#39;s head  of operations personally editing a letter to make sure it would meet  with all of the organization&#39;s criteria, sending it to the applicant,  and then receiving it back from them, signed, upon which the  organization approved their application.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">When its efforts to conceal the staff&#39;s actions were exposed, ICANN&#39;s lawyers then <a style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9EltTDUfC9nEGZ1KhBBb_Ft-zjcpYvuRydcHhavmLCOT2O4sUnIkjyewP43Gzb1Vm5UhQ2S8Jv-dpDowHOozBVU1v475S6SuaBDK52vf09EL7RBYNHIlLBtYRGfsYl5M1EvtuLrpGmRRlIJv6NB6TKL8V6f3sOddtdGSZmKPMQSK8=&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/15/icann_dot_africa_review" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">falsely claimed</a> the redactions had been agreed between both parties, even going so far as to repeat the falsehood to ICANN board members.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">Upon further investigation, it was revealed that ICANN&#39;s staff had also <a style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9EzQH72eLI-NyV813tcHyWZ1yV49IVxdCVsLzaBYdSmqWKU388N2Ktw_9bNpNLODYlKSXTDvzqI5P1m6UboCLxNfm-i0hY_Ne73xPb8PAf8AP-2iT9UO-knWmKkapeSrw-7t97QQWJ-eap2GmDAMpChVzE1SWIOnY1O6A47GZt6G0=&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/24/icann_dot_africa/" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">repeatedly overruled</a> what were supposed to be independent evaluators of the .africa bid in  an effort to ensure that DCA was disqualified and its preferred bidder  won the rights to the name.</div>
<div class="gmail_msg">(Months later, ICANN&#39;s staff were also found to have  done the same with another applicant - for the dot-words .corp, .inc,  .llc, .llp and .ltd - when they <a style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9EfxLMNChCPp75Z7vTGiFloIoZ51ndEXiiNqZG_lUehUkmo40hwMP8uZKRdZ5NSZ96MahUIz6UpZ_Xe4NFHPeoWT3TE0zS3KOZFitG88tk1-Po1VSBl1FyPDQ3Ukwy3Ro1siO5abZZ7NAOAP267kUyy13X0TlVls_ICA7_2AfXnZMSHhWWLuT-nSeLLiI7OI2B&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/03/extraordinary_verdict_against_icann/" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">literally rewrote independent evaluators</a><a shape="rect" class="gmail_msg"> reports</a> to provide the grounds for disqualification. The CEO of the company called for ICANN&#39;s general counsel <a style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9EhTCymC_XOwUDeTQVYiOaUUSKoojAvWyBS_7xDN4mZDctoVywZLFO4F14qIZMPAmars8KueUsYXtNn4aFiOe__ENt9tFFP8YiE_94MzBCFhBirw9atPno4cb-jhkJgik_uureCSXCk6MgDf1--zbwKbxjADiBii18ZsDJ7Pvs2Ae4_c9VjjkH6kWNKc-v5jgf1-MJgMyPyO_BLdl7vTMViQ==&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/04/icanns_general_counsel_should_lose_his_job_over_this/" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">to be fired</a>.)<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">Despite having lost an independent review, ICANN  continued to make it impossible for DCA to be accepted as a legitimate  bidder for the name, prompting DCA to take the organization to court.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<strong class="gmail_msg">Sham </strong>
<div class="gmail_msg">In April 2016, that court <a style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9Ee3NhZd79jgZs82tzeOtmkFpkVB3tgRJ3VzQBFomFwhSGAiMYC-HxECvN7IuCUuoPpX7hmVbeDeV7qplntlxXpfh8mphxFk_LbZrkp5iofzbNbrXeLDays0eTEaT9pf1PdJTdwriGLeAO89EjjtHvEWkJYCK1ox2M7BHEX9yS7IheG1PRRqidL_xPHpatfzYi&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/13/court_slams_icann_over_sham_process/" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">sided with DCA </a>when it agreed that ICANN had run a &quot;sham process&quot; subsequent to losing  the independent review that was &quot;intended to deny DCA&#39;s application  based on pretext.&quot; It placed an injunction on ICANN that prevented it  from delegating .africa until DCA&#39;s case had made it through the system.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">Despite those repeated decisions against it, ICANN  continued to use its significant legal resources in an effort to get  that decision overturned, and managed to have the court&#39;s jurisdiction  moved, requiring DCA to apply again for another injunction.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">It was that injunction that the judge decided not to  allow to stand, under the logic that it is possible for the .africa name  to be redelegated at a future date. While that is theoretically  possible, it demonstrates almost no understanding of how the internet  registry market functions.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">The judge also accepted the argument that Africans  were suffering by not having the .africa name under which to register  names: a contention that is misleading at best given the fact that every  country has its own top-level domain, and that the market for dot-words  had exploded to several thousand in the past year. There is literally  nothing that the addition of the .africa name to the internet will do to  expand Africans&#39; access to the internet addresses; it is simply a word.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<strong class="gmail_msg"> Poor judgment </strong>
<div class="gmail_msg">The judge also accepted the notion that the other  bidder - ZACR - was suffering financial losses as a result of the  ongoing litigation. A claim that is unverifiable since the spreadsheet  on which the judge based his decision was submitted by ZACR under seal,  claiming it contained commercially sensitive material. Regardless, it  seems unlikely that ZACR is suffering ongoing costs with respect to the  .africa name that it could not easily choose to discontinue until the  case was decided.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">As to the likelihood of DCA winning, the judge argues  that a single paragraph within the contract signed between DCA and  ICANN (and written by ICANN) that says no applicant is entitled to sue  ICANN with respect to decisions made through the process, will prove  sufficient to undermine the case.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
<div class="gmail_msg">That also seems unlikely given the degree to which  ICANN&#39;s staff and board have already been shown to have broken their own  procedures and bylaws in order to give preference to one bidder. Under  those circumstances, it is hard to imagine that the contract clause  retains its authority.<br class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
Regardless, ICANN appears determined to push ahead  with delegation of .africa. While it no doubt views that as a victory,  the battle over the top-level domain is likely far from over. <br class="gmail_msg"> <i style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif" class="gmail_msg">
<div style="color:#000000;font-size:12pt" class="gmail_msg">
<div style="font-size:14pt" class="gmail_msg"><strong class="gmail_msg">The full article is available to read </strong><span class="gmail_msg"> </span><i class="gmail_msg"><a style="color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001deE7D_QOrIoB9hLqSa_oH7R0me57hLGU7ClvrnsbcVYoS2H3JqFznG9MqnYpOG9EfpGiXmUSAPgxGH2_TKYzTJirIKDuICzLxTDvbN-wwzQ5JHy9wYM9COvnV5ucRYyLcRJ0yBhGiLBjp2VAP5M5joXRCrqJSyHn86SHYR6aFAhWJQU609LtFIDD0949w7YwsC-RRpFBNhdt239pvetOPdtPysPMRlLvYjLiIkCKVFD9aZ7lAgU-9grU15IZb2Dl&amp;c=uLnAl4oLbOMh4iWtEoPxcvH_NP5uKUPxZEAc9NIYObpag4tx69KPeQ==&amp;ch=Ihtmz6Ui0P6ylUxJj5e7qtnQjQyaI8D53aXo0OhEynYu-kySqG_DJw==" alt="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/13/icann_beats_back_dot_africa_injunction/" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">here:</a> </i><br class="gmail_msg"></div>
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<div class="gmail_msg"><span style="text-decoration:underline" class="gmail_msg"><strong class="gmail_msg">About DotConnectAfrica: </strong></span></div>
<div class="gmail_msg"><br class="gmail_msg">DotConnectAfrica Trust is an independent, non-profit and non-partisan organization that is based in Port Louis, Mauritius <a shape="rect" class="gmail_msg">(Reg.ID CT8710DCA90)</a> with its registry operations located in Nairobi, Kenya. <span class="gmail_msg">Its  main charitable objects are: (a) for the advancement of education in   to the African society; and (b) in connection  with (a) to provide the African society with a continental Internet </span><a shape="rect" class="gmail_msg">domain name</a><span class="gmail_msg"> to have access to  for the people of Africa as a purpose beneficial to the public in general. </span></div>
<div class="gmail_msg"><span class="gmail_msg"> </span></div>
<div class="gmail_msg"><span class="gmail_msg">DotConnectAfrica through its affiliate </span><span class="gmail_msg">DCA    Registry Services Ltd.intends to channel surplus resources gained  from   the .Africa registry operation to sponsor foundations that  will cater  to  various charitable projects including the already  launched miss.africa and generation.africa, as well as capacity building for African ccTLDs, with the general objective of improving the African Internet.</span></div>
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</div></div><div dir="ltr">-- <br></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Cordialement
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ABDELDJALIL BACHAR BONG

DGA &amp; Co-Fondateur ZIYARA Sarl
<a href="mailto:E-mail%3Abachar@ziyara.td">E-mail:bachar@ziyara.td</a>
<a href="http://www.ziyara.td">http://www.ziyara.td</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/bacharbong">https://twitter.com/bacharbong</a>
Tél:0023566274284
N&#39;djaména(Tchad)

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Le Secrétaire Exécutif 

Forum sur la Gouvernance de l&#39;Internet au Tchad (FGI Tchad)
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The Executive Secretary 

Internet Governance Forum (IGF Chad) 

E-mail1: <a href="mailto:Bachar@igf.td">Bachar@igf.td</a>
E-mail2: <a href="mailto:info@igf.td">info@igf.td</a>
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Twitter :IGFCHAD 



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