France

For the UN, it was mainly civilians who were killed on January 3 in the Barkhane strike near Bounti. The spokesman for Antonio Gutteres, the UN Secretary-General, expressed his concern about respect for the precautionary principle. In Paris, the Ministry of Defense and the military claim that Barkhane hit terrorists. as…

One of the largest underground uranium mines in the world is closing its doors. Akouta Mining Company (Cominak), a subsidiary of Orano Cycle (French multinational, formerly Areva), which has been using uranium deposits in the province of Agadez in northern Niger since 1978, will stop production on Wednesday 31 March. A closure carried out under unsatisfactory conditions for non-governmental organizations which, in addition to the social…

On January 3, 2021, Operation Barkhane targeted the village of Bounti, in central Mali. The French army was accused for weeks of mistakenly saying it was targeting jihadists who organized a rally. But the version of the human rights division of Minusma, the UN mission in Mali, is completely different. as reported from Bamako,…

At least 19 civilians were killed in a French airstrike in central Mali in January, according to a UN report on Tuesday by Agence France-Presse (AFP), which added that the victims were protected under international law. On January 3, French warplanes crashed near the remote village of Bounti in circumstances that sparked controversy in the war-torn Sahel state. Residents of the village said the strike hit a wedding party and killed civilians. But the French military denied the allegations, saying it…

The first day of negotiations is Monday, March 29, in Paris during the Bouaké bombing. On November 6, 2004, two Ivorian army aircraft landed on a French base in this city in Côte d'Ivoire, killing 10 and wounding 38. The aircraft was piloted by Belarusian mercenaries and aided by Ivorian co-pilots. This day was devoted to the call of witnesses, the reminder of the facts and the first hearings.…

France resumed its embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Monday after a seven-year closure. "The embassy reopened in Tripoli on March 29, 2021," said a tweet from the diplomatic mission. Last week, Mohammad Menfi, head of the Libyan Presidency, announced during a press conference during his visit to Paris that the French embassy in Tripoli would be resumed. In July 2014, amid unrest following the 2011 ouster of strongman Moammar Gadhafi, the embassy closed its doors in Tripoli, but continued its work from Paris.…

On November 6, 2004, two Soukhoï Su-25s from the Ivorian army bombed the French base in Bouaké. Results: 9 French soldiers and one American civilian killed and 38 French soldiers wounded. The aircraft was piloted by Belarusian mercenaries and was assisted by Ivorian co-pilots. Defendants who will be absent from this trial. More than 16 years after the events, the victims especially want to understand why France ordered the alleged perpetrators of this murderous attack to go away after the Togolese authorities arrested…

On November 6, 2004, two Ivorian planes bombed a French camp for the Licorne force in Bouaké, Ivory Coast: nine French soldiers and one American civilian were killed, 38 people wounded. In retaliation, the French army destroyed the Ivorian air force. Tensions are rising between Paris and Abidjan. More than 16 years later, the trial of the persecuted pilots for murder, attempted murder and destruction of property will begin on Monday before the Assize Court in Paris, without the accused. The box will be empty. Of the…

In Rwanda, observers close to Paul Kagame's government welcome progress on the conclusions of the Duclert report on the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda. But they emphasize that this is not necessarily enough. Jean-Paul Kimonyo is a researcher and former adviser to President Paul Kagame. He believes that the Duclert report clarifies the dynamics between the French decision-makers at the time and what happened in Rwanda. However, he emphasizes a gap between the content of the report and its conclusion, which excludes the idea of…

No involvement but "heavy and overwhelming responsibility" in the genocide of the Tutsis. This is the conclusion of the Duclert report on France's role in Rwanda between 1990 and 1994. A document delivered on Friday 26 March to Emmanuel Macron. This report, written by a commission of historians led by Vincent Duclert, points to Paris' "blindness" to the genocide of the "racist, corrupt and violent" regime of Hutu President Juvénal…