French

DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti (AX) — Ali Aref Bourhan, the dominant political figure who led Djibouti during the final decade of French colonial rule and helped steer its fraught path to independence, died Monday after a long illness. He was 91. President Ismail Omar Guelleh announced the death and offered condolences to Bourhan’s family, praising his decades of public service. “Ali Aref Bourhan will remain forever in the hearts of our citizens as a tireless public servant, guided by a strong sense of duty and commitment to…

MOGADISHU — The man at the center of a viral deportation saga stepped into Mogadishu last month to cheers, ululations and a crush of cellphone cameras. For many Somalis online, Mahad Maxamud — a TikTok creator with a following now exceeding 450,000 — returned a folk hero. For others, he was the face of a bruising fight over truth, power and the politics of migration. In late October, the official White House account on X labeled Maxamud a “criminal illegal scumbag,” alleging he helped kidnap two French intelligence officers…

Nicolas Sarkozy’s three weeks behind bars were marked by “greyness and solitude,” the former French president writes in excerpts from a prison memoir due next month — a personal chronicle that recounts prayer, confinement and the small routines that became a lifeline after his conviction in a Libya-related campaign financing case. The 216-page book, titled "Diary of a Prisoner" and scheduled for release Dec. 10, offers the first extended account of Sarkozy’s time at La Santé prison after his October conviction for allowing…

Nicolas Sarkozy Sentenced to Five Years in Landmark Libyan Funding Case PARIS — A French court on Thursday handed former president Nicolas Sarkozy a five-year prison sentence after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case tied to millions of euros of illicit funds allegedly originating from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Judge Nathalie Gavarino said prosecutors proved that Sarkozy allowed aides to approach Libyan officials for financial backing during his successful 2007 presidential bid. At the same…

A New Hope for Democracy in the Central African Republic In a bold move that resonates with the spirit of civic nationalism, former Central African Republic Prime Minister Anicet-Georges Dologuélé has publicly renounced his French citizenship, signaling his intention to challenge President Faustin Touadéra in the upcoming December 2025 presidential elections. This gesture not only underscores Dologuélé's commitment to the nation but also reflects a growing sentiment among Central Africans yearning for genuine representation…

Jean-Noel Barrot, France's Foreign Minister, has issued a grave warning, suggesting that a Russian triumph over Ukraine on the battlefield would unleash "chaos" on a global scale. His remarks came during a pivotal visit to Kyiv, a gesture that highlights France's unwavering support for Ukraine. This visit follows a significant week when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented his ambitious "victory plan" aimed at overcoming Russian aggression, alongside urgent calls for enhanced Western support. In a joint…

The newly minted administration of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, long awaited and hard-earned, now faces immediate turmoil as the specter of a no-confidence motion looms large over parliament.

Mogadishu (AX) — In a heart-wrenching incident, a Somali mother and her four-year-old daughter tragically lost their lives after drowning in the Loing River in northern France this past Monday, according to local sources. The heartbreaking event took place in Nemours, a town situated in the Seine-et-Marne region. The young girl had tumbled into the river by accident, and her mother met a tragic fate while trying to rescue her.The authorities were alerted by nearby residents who had been stirred by the mother's frantic cries…

French is still the 5th most spoken language - after English, Chinese, Hindi and Spanish - and the second most taught foreign language in the world. This is the result of the new report on the French language published by the International Organization of La…

The signing of the Évian Accords on March 18, 1962 paved the way for Algerian independence in July of the same year. But the agreements included a clause that allowed France to continue carrying out nuclear tests in the Algerian desert, causing widespread radioactive contamination of the soil and air. Sixty years later, the victims have not been properly compensated and the extent of the damage poorly assessed. Report by Karim Yahiaoui and Jennie Shin of FRANCE 24.