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PROTEGER LE REVE EN AFRIQUE AVEC L'AFRIQUE Par Jean-Claude MBVOUMIN
« Gagner en Afrique avec l’Afrique » est le titre donné au programme de développement de la fédération internationale de football association pour l’Afrique, à l’occasion de la coupe du monde sud-africaine ; ce programme lancé en 2006, prévoit entre autre la construction de terrains de football synthétiques dans 52 pays africains et la formation de cadres dirigeants du football. Plus qu’un programme technique et pédagogique, « Gagner en Afrique avec l’Afrique » est un appel à la mobilisation pour le développement du football sur le Grand continent. L’objectif est de permettre aux footballs africains d’être autonomes, de se professionnaliser. A l’horizon 2010, l’Afrique se doit, au minimum, d’atteindre les standards internationaux en matière d’organisation, de promotion et de gestion du football : la coupe du monde se veut être un puissant catalyseur. Au-delà de ces objectifs sportifs, la coupe du monde attribuée à l’Afrique contre vents et marées en 2006 est aussi porteuse d’enjeux politiques, économiques et culturels qu’on ne saurait occulter. Pour sûr, le coup d’envoi de la compétition, le 11 juin 2010 à l’Ellis Park Stadium de Johannesburg, inaugurera l’entrée symbolique de l’Afrique dans le concert des grandes nations, sur la voie de la modernité, de la paix et du développement. Assurément, des coupes du monde de football, on en redemanderait tous les quatre ans pour booster un continent au potentiel énorme, qui joue largement encore en dessous de son vrai niveau. Au-delà des formules, comment gagner le pari du développement de l’Afrique en général, de ses footballs en particulier? L’appel de Joseph S. Blatter s’adresse aux Africains, ainsi qu’à ceux qui œuvrent en Afrique, pour l’Afrique, ou qui aimeraient le faire. Nelson Mandela, légende vivante, ne dit-il pas un jour que ceux qui travaillent pour l’Afrique sans les Africains travaillent contre l’Afrique ? Les succès à venir ne seront donc durables que les forces vives du continent y sont effectivement associées, ce qui peut sembler aller de soi. Gagner en Afrique avec l’Afrique, pour Foot Solidaire suppose stabiliser ses jeunes sportifs, leur offrir localement des opportunités éducatives et professionnelles et les protéger du football miroir aux alouettes, qui laisse chaque année sous les ponts et sur les quais des gares d’Europe, de nombreux apprentis footballeurs attirés par les lumières du football. Pour sa part, Foot Solidaire s’appropriedores et déjà la coupe du monde 2010. L’objectif est d’en faire un outil durable de prévention et de protection des jeunes footballeurs africains, d’éradiquer le trafic et l’exploitation de ces enfants. L’association lance ainsi début 2010 une grande campagne de prévention en direction de plusieurs pays africains, avec création de Bureaux d’information pour les jeunes footballeurs. Toutes les informations sur ce projet vous seront délivrées sur ce site. En attendant nous souhaitons à tous une bonne rentrée 2009/2010. OPEN LETTER TO Mr SEPP BLATTER, PRESIDENT OF FIFA Open letter from the Association Foot Solidaire to Mr. Joseph S. BLATTER, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) - FIFA Strasse 20 Po Box 8044 Zurich, Switzerland Sent in advance by email and fax
Paris, 3rd February 2010
Subject: 2010 World Cup – Combating the traffic of young African footballers
Mr President, In June 2009, during the FIFA/Football for Hope conference in Johannesburg, our association had proposed the introduction of a prevention campaign targeted at certain African countries to combat the traffic in young footballers. This campaign was to involve going into the field to make young people, families and football coaches aware of the stakes involved in protecting minors. However, since August 2009 FIFA has not followed up on our proposal, stating budgetary constraints, delaying its response until December before finally abandoning the project. We feel that if this campaign is not launched, after the 2010 World Cup the traffic in young footballers will not only become a fixture in the African sporting landscape, it will become institutionalised. This is why I would like to draw your attention to the dramatic fate awaiting these young players who are mistreated, exploited and discriminated against on a daily basis. These are children, Mr. Blatter, the children of Nelson Mandela, of Roger Milla, of Rachid Mekhloufi, of Salif Keita, the children who will inherit Africa, a land which has been pillaged so often, children who are recruited at an increasingly young age, attracted with the promise of joining professional European clubs. When their trials fail, which is the case for the vast majority of them, the door is slammed in their faces and they are left in the street, far from their families, in countries where often they do not speak the language. Unfortunately, certain major figures of professional football have been aware of this situation for a long time but do nothing or even profit from this trade in children… This is unacceptable! In the Paris area alone we have been receiving over one hundred of these young players every year for the last 10 years. During the 59th FIFA congress in June 2009 you made a commitment to put an end to this "slavery". But the new regulations that came into force in 2009, regulations with which we were in full agreement, will unfortunately remain fruitless until educational and prevention work is carried out in parallel with children and families in Africa. This was the reasoning behind “Foot Solidaire Tour 2010” information campaign. We are also awaiting exemplary sanctions on offending professional clubs and agents. We recently sent FIFA a shocking dossier concerning the Spanish agent Salicrù Massegu, who maintains trafficking channels in Cameroon. We have yet to receive any response, while this gentleman continues his activities in the field. Nevertheless, I would like to insist, Mr. President, that the traffic in young Africans is not a case of bad White men dealing in poor little Black boys. Africans themselves are not slow in organising this trade in children. Of course, the huge differences in the level of development between continents is the main cause of this issue but football must still bear its share of responsibility. We all want to help make the 2010 World Cup a festival of humanity in South Africa, a country which defeated racial segregation thanks to the solidarity of men and women from around the world determined to conquer oppression, and by the courage of Nelson Mandela, a great and courageous man. As Apartheid was in his day, the current situation facing young African players is not unchangeable. The traffic in minors may be dealt with even more quickly, thanks to the will of football’s governing bodies – with FIFA in the lead – and with the involvement of everyone. But this needs resources as it is the future of our youth which is at stake. Foot Solidaire has recognised expertise in this area, as shown by the work we have carried out with FIFA itself, the European Parliament, the European Commission for Sport, the Council of Europe and the EPFL (the European Professional Football Leagues). The association is also present in Africa where it is able to get things moving in the field if it has the resources to do so. But for the last ten years, despite the promises and the clear relevance of our actions, no bodies have provided us with any long-term assistance. The protection of minors today seems useless; whether for political or financial reasons it is devoid of any meaning. The French Football Federation (FFF), despite the promises of its President, and the French professional football league (LFP), which employs a large contingent of African players, pass us back and forward from meeting to meeting, waiting for us to be tired out by our actions. This attitude is staggering at a time when France is getting ready to take part in the World Cup in Africa and is a candidate for the organisation of Euro 2016. Since 1st January 2010 we have not had any premises. This prevents us from continuing to receive those young people who ask us for help on a daily basis, but no-one seems to care.
Mr President, FIFA wants to “Win in Africa with Africa” and we are delighted that it has already launched this process with the organisation of the U20 and U17 world championships in Egypt and Nigeria in 2009. We are now asking for decisive help to improve the protection of young players who are candidates for migration. Otherwise, Foot Solidaire will disappear, the protection of minors will be forgotten about and Africa will forever remain a hunting ground for the unscrupulous who organise this traffic with impunity, with the complicity of professional clubs who employ directly or indirectly recruiters in Africa to detect future talent. You justly extol the professionalization of African football, but if the base is not healthy and if the talent of tomorrow is continually pillaged and trafficked how will this be possible? We are therefore asking FIFA for emergency assistance of €240,000 (two hundred and forty thousand Euro) which corresponds to the estimated budget for the organisation from the end of March of our information campaign to six African countries which are the most seriously affected by the traffic in young minor players. We are also asking for an annual grant of €200,000 (two hundred thousand Euro) for 5 years to enable our own association to be more professional. Finally, we request the acceptance of Foot Solidaire as an observer member of the recently created FIFA sub-commission responsible for validating the international transfers of minor players. Foot Solidaire has long placed its trust in those in charge of football, sure that they were aware of their responsibilities. But ten years of hypocrisy, immobility and what may seem to be discrimination towards us compel us to contact you personally, you who have worked for so long to see the 2010 World Cup awarded to Africa, to enable this continent to recover its dignity. We are therefore sure that you will understand our concerns. We look forward to hearing from you, Mr President. Yours sincerely,
Jean Claude Mbvoumin President of Foot Solidaire
Rama Yade: "Lutter contre la traite des mineurs." Extraits du discours à la Sorbonne, le 6 octobre 2009 lors du colloque: "Les Nouveaux défis du modèle sportif français" "S’il y a bien un sujet sur lequel nous devons et pouvons être exemplaires, c’est celui du recrutement de mineurs étrangers, cette pratique que l’on appelle communément la « traite des mineurs » et qui, il faut oser le dire, relève d’un véritable esclavage sportif. Certains joueurs étrangers, notamment africains, sont recrutés, dès l’âge de 13 ans, dans des centres de formation européens. Une très forte majorité d’entre eux ne deviendra jamais professionnel. Leur situation peut alors devenir dramatique : on les retrouve en déshérence sur le territoire national, déracinés, sans ressources, sans papiers. Ce traitement de jeunes gamins fragiles est insupportable. Ce serait l’honneur de nos institutions d’encadrer cette pratique. Comme c’est souvent le cas, la société civile, le monde sportif, ne nous ont pas attendus pour s’engager dans de telles actions de solidarité, et je pense à de très beaux projets tels que l’académie Diambars de Bernard Lama ou encore le projet Foot solidaire de Jean-Claude Mbouvin. Ils nous montrent la voie. Nous devons les appuyer. C’est pourquoi je propose la création d’un outil dédié, le « fonds sportif pour la protection internationale de l’enfance."
Le mot du Président
Par Jean-Claude MBVOUMIN
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POUR UNE CHARTE EUROPEENNE DU FOOTBALL SOLIDAIRE