Western Sahara: Reactions

 

“France’s recognition of Morocco’s illegal annexation of the Western Sahara is a significant blow not just to international law’s strict prohibition on acquiring territory by force but to the very human beings in Western Sahara the law is intended to protect.  This recognition will only encourage the impunity of regimes like Russia and Israel, who see that eventually, their own might, in Ukraine and Palestine, will make right. If even France must fall in line behind US diktat on Western Sahara, the laws of war be damned, France’s own sovereignty has taken a hit.” 

 - Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN's Executive Director 

Read my story for more, on RFI:

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240730-algeria-recalls-ambassador-after-france-backs-moroccan-plan-for-western-sahara

France, Morocco, Algeria

 

France backs Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara; Algeria withdraws its ambassador in France

France recognises a plan for autonomy for the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty as the "only way" of resolving a long-running dispute over the territory, President Emmanuel Macron has said in a letter on Tuesday. 

>> The latest from news agency:

France has recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, shifting a decades-old position, while the United Nations-mediated peace process remains stalled. 

"For France, autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework within which this issue must be resolved," according to the letter sent by Macron to Morocco's King Mohammed VI.

"Our support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 is clear and constant. For France, it now constitutes the only basis for achieving a just, lasting and negotiated political solution in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council."

According to a statement from the Moroccan Royal Cabinet, the French president sent this letter to Mohammed VI on the occasion of the Throne Day which marks the arrival in power of Mohammed VI, in 1999.

The Royal Palace in the statement welcomed the announcement and said it was a "significant development in support of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara."

Algeria said a few hours later that it has withdrawn its ambassador to France over Western Sahara rift.

"The Algerian diplomatic representation in France is now the responsibility of a charge d'affaires," the Algerian foreign ministry was quoted as saying by the official Algerian news agency APS.

The ministry denounced Macron's statement as a "step that no other French government had taken before."

 

Paris 2024: The 'Africa Station' - an Olympic haven for athletes, fans • RFI English

 

My latest report from the Games... On the side of competitions, following fans, organisers, delegations, journalists and other lovely people

Paris 2024 Africa Station: an Olympic haven for athletes, fans • RFI English

The Africa Station, in Île-Saint-Denis, north of Paris, opened its doors to the public a few days before the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, in partnership with France Médias Monde.

RFI's Melissa Chemam went to check out this unique venue designed to celebrate sport, the spirit of the Olympics and the diversity of African cultures. 

Find out more in our article: https://rfi.my/ApN9.y 🔔 Subscribe to our channel now: https://rfi.my/YTen 🌍 Get all the news from around the world live: https://www.rfi.fr/en/

Newsletter: latest post... African summer of art...

 

MELISSA CHEMAM

JUL 29, 2024 

African summer of art... in England!

Part I - Bristol's Arnolfini

Read from. this link:

https://melissa.substack.com/p/african-summer-of-art-in-england

-

African summer of art... in England!

Part I - Bristol's Arnolfini

PODCAST: Africa at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

 

PODCAST: Africa and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games - with sports journalist Paul Myers, sports fans and a flag bearer...

https://rfi.my/Aor1.X

SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA

Africa and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

Issued on: 27/07/2024 - 16:35

The Paris Olympics are officially open, and athletes from Africa are competing in a broad range of disciplines. In this episode of the podcast, we look at what to expect from the African teams.

In total, more than 200 delegations and 10,000 athletes are participating in 36 sports at the Paris Games.
RFI's sport editor Paul Myers discusses how African athletes from all over the continent are likely to perform.

-

#Paris2024: Celebrating Liberia

 

On its independence day...

#Paris2024: And the games started...

On my first day, I was sent to the African Village, known as 'Station Afrique' in French.

It's set in Île-Saint-Denis, north of Paris.

I went to meet sports fans, delegations from the African continent, journalists and some of the organisers:

 

-

The opening ceremony takes place this Friday evening, in central Paris with prestigious guests only.

I'll share interviews with African fans and sports people along the way... 

South African Group Urges Banning Israel from Olympics

 

23 July 2024

 The Olympics start here in Paris on Friday.

Azhar Sakoor is executive member of the Palestine Solidarity Alliance Youth League in South Africa. 

The group has organised a petition urging "for the ban of Israel from participating in the Olympic Games. This action would mirror the historic decision to ban apartheid South Africa from international sporting events due to its policies of racial segregation and oppression.

"The parallels between the apartheid policies once practiced by South Africa and those currently enforced by Israel against the Palestinian people are unmistakable. As South Africans who have lived through and triumphed over apartheid, we have a moral obligation to stand against similar injustices wherever they occur.

"The Olympic Games are a global symbol of unity, peace, and respect for human dignity. Allowing Israel to participate despite its ongoing violations of international law and human rights undermines these core values. Just as the international community rallied to isolate apartheid South Africa, we must now call for the exclusion of Israel from the Olympics until it ends its discriminatory practices and respects the rights of the Palestinian people."

See from Human Rights Watch: "World Court Finds Israel Responsible for Apartheid."

Al Jazeera reports: "Athletes from Russia and Belarus were banned from world sport following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but the IOC [International Olympic Committee] orchestrated their gradual return under a neutral banner, subject to strict conditions."

-

more on this soon 

Interview du jour: Gavin Jantjes

 

more soon

Donald Rodney

 

Do you remember this piece?

X-ray and a flame...

By Donald Rodney

From 1988

-

See the current exhibition at Spike Island:

 

-

more soon

West country bound

 

I’m a foreign news journalist, so travels and displacements are a huge part of my life. So, my problem with being in Bristol is that I don’t want to go anywhere else… 

-

more soon

Ernest Cole celebrated in London

African(-ish) Summer in England 

Fantastic time to see South African artists in London, as the world celebrates the 30 years of democracy in the country, including two exhibitions of the work of photographer Ernest Cole!

At the Photographers' Gallery:

 

And at the wonderful Autograph, in Shoreditch, on his work in Harlem, NYC, USA:

-

articles to come...

Mandela Day

 

A look at the great man's legacy, from my recent trip to Johannesburg:

The legacy of Nelson Mandela 30 years after his election as president • RFI English

African(-ish) Summer in England: part 1

 

So happy to be in London again!

First stop: British Library

Decolonizing Beauty Campaign: video trailer

 

ZIKORA MEDIA & ARTS is proud to announce the official launch of Decolonizing Beauty, a unique campaign designed to educate the public and celebrate the rich tapestry of indigenous and local beauty customs across Africa. In a world increasingly dominated by Western beauty standards promoted through pop culture and the global beauty industry, Decolonizing Beauty seeks to challenge narrow perceptions and showcase the multifaceted historic beauty traditions in Africa’s diverse cultures. The campaign will utilize a multi-platform approach to reach a broad audience of English and French speakers around the world. Throughout the remainder of the year 2024, a series of initiatives from the campaign will be announced. These initiatives include: Crowns of Coils: An Ode to African Hair A social media challenge designed to encourage content creators to appreciate African hairstyles and inspire their audiences To be announced in July Roots on Reels: Showcasing African Beauty Through Film A smartphone short film contest for African filmmakers to present cinematic portrayals of beauty customs practiced in their communities To be announced in August Motherland Beauty: A Poetic Exploration of Traditional African Beauty A poetry contest for African poets to express the essence of African beauty through the power of words To be announced in September African Beauty in Focus: A Photojournalism Project A call for African photojournalists to capture the essence of traditional African beauty practices through their lens To be announced in October And last but not the least: Hairitage in Motion: A Live Celebration of African Hairstyles A live hair show and performance arts presentation showcasing the artistry and diversity of African hairstyles To take place in December Stay tuned for exciting updates by following ZIKORA MEDIA & ARTS on social media: https://www.instagram.com/zikora.medi... https://x.com/ZikoraMediaArts https://www.facebook.com/zikoramediaa... About ZIKORA MEDIA & ARTS:

Launched in Abuja, Nigeria in 2023, ZIKORA Media & Arts is a media production company and cultural institution that produces, preserves and promotes creative content and art which captures the nuanced stories of Africa and Africans. Zikora means “show the world” in the Igbo language of southeastern Nigeria. The organization’s motto is to show the world what it means to be Unapologetically African. ZIKORA carries out its vision through its six Creative Branches: Film & TV; Journalism & News Media; Literary Arts; Performance Arts; Events; The Collective Tree. A Francophone Africa network is in place to connect to French-speaking Africans. ZIKORA has a number of projects underway including a documentary feature film in production, a West African dance training initiative in Senegal and an online publication called DIASPORA, which publishes personal essays about the experiences and cross-cultural identities of Africans living outside of Africa. Our vision is to capture the experiences, expressions and impressions of Africa and Africans through immersive storytelling produced through multimedia and creative multidisciplinary forms including, photography, dance, poetry, visual arts and film. Media Contact:

For more information about ZIKORA MEDIA & ARTS, please visit https://www.zikoramedia.com/ or email – info@zikoramedia.com

New podcast episode: Rwandan elections explained

 

1. Back to homepage
 
2. / Podcasts
 
3. / Spotlight on Africa

SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA

Kagame poised to extend rule for fourth term as Rwanda heads to polls

Issued on: 14/07/2024

2024 is a big election year for the world and especially for Africa, and in July all eyes are on Rwanda. 

Listen from here: 
https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20240714-kagame-poised-to-extend-rule-for-fourth-term-as-rwanda-heads-to-polls

-

Rwandans will cast their ballots on Monday in an election where President Paul Kagame is expected to secure another term, facing the same opponents he defeated in 2017.

Kagame, who has effectively led Rwanda since the 1994 genocide, confronts challenges from two other candidates: Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana.

The 66-year-old incumbent is lauded for steering Rwanda's economic resurgence post-genocide, with GDP growth averaging 7.2 percent from 2012 to 2022. However, his administration faces criticism for suppressing political dissent domestically and involvement in neighbouring Congo's conflicts.

Kagame's previous electoral victories have been overwhelming, securing over 93 percent of votes in 2003, 2010, and 2017, with his last win nearing an unprecedented 99 percent.

In contrast, his current rivals Habineza and Mpayimana garnered less than one percent each in the previous election.

Rwanda's National Electoral Commission received a total of nine presidential candidacy applications. 

Phil Clark, Professor of International Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS University of London talks to Spotlight on Africa about what's at stake in the election.

---

Episode mixed by Nicolas Doreau.

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale. 

By:Melissa Chemam

-

Listen from here: 
https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20240714-kagame-poised-to-extend-rule-for-fourth-term-as-rwanda-heads-to-polls