West Africa

Sophie Pétronin, a French aid worker who was the last French hostage in the world, landed in the capital Bamako to have an emotional reunion with her son after being released along with a top Malian politician. Mali announced the release of Frenchwoman Sophie Pétronin, 75, and Malian politician Soumaïla Cisséon on Thursday along…

Sophie Pétronin and Soumaïla Cissé arrived in Bamako around noon. 22 local time. The aid worker and politician were released after four years and six months in captivity, respectively. When the Malian army plane arrived from Tessalit in Bamako, the joy and relief was enormous among relatives of the ex-hostages. it is the end of an infinite waiting time several days of excitement, four years of ordeal for the French humanitarian family and more than six months of torment for those close to Soumaïla Cisse, the leader of the…

The continuation of our series dedicated to transformations of the Guinean economy, the country Alpha Condé is very late on the Internet, but this delay can be compensated with the arrival of optical fiber. China has funded the construction of a public fiber optic network, known under the "backbone" of Anglicism. It is now entering the marketing phase. The traffic on the two buried loops over 4400 km,…

Auxiliary worker Sophie Pétronin was released on Thursday, October 8th. An event that puts an end to almost four years of captivity. Sophie Petronin had already narrowly escaped the kidnapping of terrorists in 2012. Previously, the French woman had worked since 2001 in favor of orphaned and malnourished children in Gao. In 2012, she was able to leave the Algerian consulate, where she had sought refuge, at the last minute and be filtered out of the country in disguise before the jihadists took control of the area. The…

Prominent Malian politician Soumaila Cissé, who was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in March, was released on Wednesday after Mali released over 100 alleged or convicted jihadists as part of negotiations to secure his release. Mali also released the prisoners in hopes of getting the release of abducted French aid worker Sophie Pétronin, who was kidnapped by the shooter in December 2016 in the northern city of Gao. "As part of the negotiations for the release of Soumaila Cisséand Sophie Pétronin, more than a hundred…

The Malian presidency on Thursday confirmed that French charity worker Sophie Pétronin, who was abducted in Mali and held hostage since December 2016, has been released. "The Presidency of the Republic confirms the release of Soumaïla Cissé and Mrs Sophie Pétronin. The former hostages are on their way to Bamako, "the Malian…

Two hostages, the French Sophie Pétronin and the Malian opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé, were released on Thursday, October 8, 2020. This release comes after the release of several dozen jihadists by the Malian authorities. The last French hostage still held in the world, Sophie Pétronin, as well as Soumaïla Cissé, a major Malian politician who until then is believed to be in the hands of jihadists, have been released, the Malian presidency announced on social networks on Thursday. The Presidency of the Republic…

Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian heard from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly on Wednesday and reacted to Alassane Ouattara's candidacy before also giving his opinion on the situation in Cameroon. Communist Deputy Jean-Paul Lecoq first asked the Foreign Minister what France's position was on Alassane Ouattara's candidacy. Response from Jean-Yves Le Drian: “Me, I am not responsible for assessing the new constitution for Côte d'Ivoire. That would really be interference. And you know very well, Mr Lecoq,…

This decision was taken in late September by the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons, which regulates asylum applications in France, and was published on Tuesday. According to the President of Ofpra, it is motivated by "the situation of public and political freedoms in this country". The organization believes that Benin no longer meets the definition of these "safe…

Bissau-Guinea President Umaro Sissoco Embalo on Wednesday reacted to the unilateral decision of the Conakry authorities to close the borders with Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone. Ten days before the presidential election on 18 October 2020, Guinea is therefore closing its borders without the reason why this closure is officially known.…