We had very good news this week about our audiences at RFI English, the Anglophone section of Radio France Internationale, with growing followers on social media and also millions of readers on our website!
It's so heartwarming to hear in the context where journalism is at threat all over the world and no less in the English-speaking world... Thank you to our followers and and readers for your trust!
Amnesty International
30 April 2025
Mali: Authorities must abandon alarming proposal to dissolve political parties
Reacting to the proposal to dissolve all political parties in Mali following consultations on the review of the Political Parties Charter, Ousmane Diallo, Sahel Researcher at Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa, said:
“We are alarmed by the proposition to dissolve political parties in Mali and warn against what would be a flagrant attack on the rights to freedom of expression and association. The authorities must end the escalating crackdown on civic space and uphold the human rights of everyone in the country including critics, human rights defenders and opposition politicians.
“The dissolution of political parties would be at odds with the constitution enacted in 2023 by the transitional authorities, which guarantees the existence of political parties and asserts their right to ‘form and operate freely under the conditions determined by law’.
“It would also be inconsistent and incompatible with Mali’s international human rights obligations including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which it is a state party.”
Background
Military authorities governing Mali have intensified the crackdown on political parties since 2024.
Between 10 April and 10 July 2024, the authorities suspended “political parties’ activities and associations’ activities of political nature” through a decree and prohibited any media coverage of political activities within the country. Several political parties had called on the authorities to respect the Transition Charter and organise elections leading to a return to constitutional order.
The national dialogue organised in May 2024 by the authorities and boycotted by most of the political parties had recommended extending the transition until the “stabilisation of the country”. The recommendations also included tougher conditions for the creation of political parties and the elimination of their public funding.
In June 2024, 11 political party leaders were arrested and charged with “plotting against state authority” and “opposing legitimate authority.” They were provisionally released in December 2024.
On the attack against a Mosque in the South East of France:
France: Mosque attack suspect turned himself in Italy, as rallies denounce Islamophobia
« Sale arabe » : deux Algériennes en France victimes d’agression raciste
Background:
French-Algerians dream of a new life in Algeria to escape Islamophobia
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/french-algerians-life-algeria-escape-islamophobia
For French-Algerians and Algerian-French, No Place to Truly Call Home (NYT - 2015)
Reports Reveal Harassment of Algerians in French Airports Allegedly Directed by Interior Minister
UN rights office calls on France to address ‘deep issues’ of racism in policing
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/06/1138247
Since I've been a young teenager, since I learned at school about the horrors of World War II, I had lived in the fear it would all come back in a new form... I had expected Europe to hate Muslims, to see murders against foreigners, police's racism, new wars motivated by the desire to dominate and to "take all the land"...
I did expect we'd have to fight again, against fascism, against hatred, to save democracy.
What I did expect... was so much cowardice, and that so many friends would just stop writing and talking and meeting, because they are privileged enough to not fear any of this and continue living in the confort as usual, or to have a plan to expect somewhere... And don't want to hear "my constant politics.
And I surely didn't expect to see my 'hero' activists be so unfriendly, to ghost and deny we even collaborated.
I had always hoped the struggle and resistance would involve a lot of friendship and new forms of collectiveness.
I'm trying to rebuild these.
But it is particularly hard with so much heartbreak and loss.
So, my heart and immense gratitude go to the ones who are still here, to the new friends, and to the kindness of some strangers.
May you be blessed and protected from so much torment.
Despite all the horrors in the world, and my constant state of anxiety, I turn to friends, try to find some joy, especially in beauty...
We love David Hockney, went to this exhibition, absolutely amazing.
Perfect spring day for his spring spirit...
DRC conflict coltan entering EU via Rwandan smuggling routes, report finds
Coltan linked to conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has likely entered the European Union market through international commodities trader Traxys, a Global Witness investigation has revealed.
My report for RFI - read from here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20250418-report-reveals-major-european-trader-selling-smuggled-drc-conflict-mineral-in-eu
The photo of this child still haunts me...
How can so many people not care?
.jpg) |
This child got tested for malnutrition at World Food Programme (WFP) camp at El Fasher, in Darfur, Sudan, on 27 March 2025, here seen in a screengrab obtained from a video. via REUTERS - WFP |
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