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| Délestron – the cartoon villain shining light on Ivory Coast's blackout woes | Délestron – the cartoon villain shining light on Ivory Coast's blackout woes |
| (17 days later) | |
| For decades, Ivory Coast has been a shining exception along the electricity-starved coast of west Africa, keeping the lights on at home while lighting half a dozen neighbours. Then came Délestron, glinting eyes visible beneath a black hood, a super-villain who brings terror wherever he strikes. | For decades, Ivory Coast has been a shining exception along the electricity-starved coast of west Africa, keeping the lights on at home while lighting half a dozen neighbours. Then came Délestron, glinting eyes visible beneath a black hood, a super-villain who brings terror wherever he strikes. |
| The cartoon character, whose name is a play on délestage – French for blackouts – has become a social media hit amid fears that once-rare power cuts could become more widespread for the region's top power exporter. | The cartoon character, whose name is a play on délestage – French for blackouts – has become a social media hit amid fears that once-rare power cuts could become more widespread for the region's top power exporter. |
| "If I see a tweet that Délestron is paying a visit in this or that quartier, I know not to bother going there to charge my phones," said Thierry Coulibaly, who operates a mobile call centre from a giant phone-shaped shack in the commercial capital, Abidjan. | "If I see a tweet that Délestron is paying a visit in this or that quartier, I know not to bother going there to charge my phones," said Thierry Coulibaly, who operates a mobile call centre from a giant phone-shaped shack in the commercial capital, Abidjan. |
| Corruption and under-investment mean sub-Saharan Africa's 47 nations produce a maximum of 68 gigawatts of power daily between them – roughly the same as Argentina alone. | Corruption and under-investment mean sub-Saharan Africa's 47 nations produce a maximum of 68 gigawatts of power daily between them – roughly the same as Argentina alone. |
| But while the roar of generators is familiar across most of west Africa, blackouts have come as a rude shock in Ivory Coast. Even during an eight-year political crisis that split the country and triggered two wars before ending in 2011, outages remained so rare that hardly anyone owns a generator. | But while the roar of generators is familiar across most of west Africa, blackouts have come as a rude shock in Ivory Coast. Even during an eight-year political crisis that split the country and triggered two wars before ending in 2011, outages remained so rare that hardly anyone owns a generator. |
| "It's a nightmare," said fishmonger Fatoumata Touré in Abidjan's Abobo district. "I refrigerate 2m CFA francs [£3,000] worth of stock every week and it keeps going off." | "It's a nightmare," said fishmonger Fatoumata Touré in Abidjan's Abobo district. "I refrigerate 2m CFA francs [£3,000] worth of stock every week and it keeps going off." |
| Délestron's popularity highlights how a growing segment of the region's inhabitants are harnessing social media to hold politicians to account for failing to deliver services, often despite huge energy reserves. Dressed in boots and hotpants in the tropical heat, Délestron has stung the state-owned electricity company into responding with a competing character, Electra. She has, so far, failed to put the government in a good light. "It's a light-hearted way of looking at the problem but it would be great if it pushed the government into taking up its responsibilities," said the cartoon's creator, Charles Dadié. | Délestron's popularity highlights how a growing segment of the region's inhabitants are harnessing social media to hold politicians to account for failing to deliver services, often despite huge energy reserves. Dressed in boots and hotpants in the tropical heat, Délestron has stung the state-owned electricity company into responding with a competing character, Electra. She has, so far, failed to put the government in a good light. "It's a light-hearted way of looking at the problem but it would be great if it pushed the government into taking up its responsibilities," said the cartoon's creator, Charles Dadié. |
| The mines and energy minister, Adama Toungara, said gangs stealing cables and rods had caused the recent disruptions. He added: "There are no blackouts to speak of in Ivory Coast." Still, plans to pour 20bn CFA francs into revamping crumbling national grids will be the first upgrade in 20 years. | The mines and energy minister, Adama Toungara, said gangs stealing cables and rods had caused the recent disruptions. He added: "There are no blackouts to speak of in Ivory Coast." Still, plans to pour 20bn CFA francs into revamping crumbling national grids will be the first upgrade in 20 years. |
| With shortages rippling across to Togo, Benin, Mali, Ghana and Burkina Faso – all of whom feed off Ivory Coast's grid – Dadié added: "When Délestron is not in Ivory Coast, he's wreaking havoc nearby. He's a pan-African hero." | With shortages rippling across to Togo, Benin, Mali, Ghana and Burkina Faso – all of whom feed off Ivory Coast's grid – Dadié added: "When Délestron is not in Ivory Coast, he's wreaking havoc nearby. He's a pan-African hero." |
| Urban youths across the region are turning to social media to vent their frustrations as infrastructure creaks beneath a rapidly expanding population. Senegal's popular movement Y'En A Marre (Fed up!) was sparked by weeks of power cuts before polls last year. The rap collective garnered momentum through online forums and forced long-time President Abdoulaye Wade to back down from running for a third term. | Urban youths across the region are turning to social media to vent their frustrations as infrastructure creaks beneath a rapidly expanding population. Senegal's popular movement Y'En A Marre (Fed up!) was sparked by weeks of power cuts before polls last year. The rap collective garnered momentum through online forums and forced long-time President Abdoulaye Wade to back down from running for a third term. |
| "Social media has been really important for mobilising young people, but its main importance is in alerting the diaspora to bring outside pressure," said Fadel Barro, who came up with the idea of Y'En A Marre during a 24-hour bout of darkness in his flat in Senegal's capital, Dakar. "The problem is when there are so many power cuts, you can't use [social media] to reach those people who can't switch on the internet." | "Social media has been really important for mobilising young people, but its main importance is in alerting the diaspora to bring outside pressure," said Fadel Barro, who came up with the idea of Y'En A Marre during a 24-hour bout of darkness in his flat in Senegal's capital, Dakar. "The problem is when there are so many power cuts, you can't use [social media] to reach those people who can't switch on the internet." |
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