19/02/2025

Ukraine's war, three years on

 

Too many conflicts...

I'm juggling between Sudan, the DRC, Palestine, and now Ukraine... Newsroom's short of staff...

Here are a few elements on Ukraine, as the sad anniversary of the start of the war, in 2022, nears.


The EU launches new sanctions package on Russia


EU envoys have agreed on a series of bans on Russian imports in a new sanctions package, as heads of states prepare to meet again in Paris to discuss the future of European security and of the war in Ukraine.


EU envoys agreed on a 16th package of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, EU diplomats said, including a ban on primary aluminium imports, sales of gaming consoles and the listing of 73 shadow fleet vessels.

The package, which largely sticks to the European Commission's proposal, is expected to be adopted by EU foreign ministers on Monday to mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"The EU is clamping down even harder on circumvention by targeting more vessels in Putin’s shadow fleet and imposing new import and export bans," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media.

"We are committed to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin," she added.


More talks


The French president contacted the American conservative leader on the phone before Monday’s mini-summit in Paris.

Emmanuel Macron still hopes to convince US President Donald Trump that nothing can be negotiated without the Ukrainians and that the Europeans must be able to "put forward their own solutions."

New talks are taking place in Paris this Wednesday.

The talks were set to take place Wednesday afternoon, with most participants taking part by video link, according to the Elysee.

This progress on the latest EU sanctions comes after Trump's administration said on Tuesday it had agreed to hold more talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine.

This came after an initial meeting that excluded Kyiv, a departure from Washington's previous approach that rallied US allies to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

18/02/2025

Podcast episode on the DRC / M23 conflict

 

New podcast episode: 



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As fighting continues in South Kivu between M23 rebels and Congolese forces in the eastern regions bordering Rwanda, uncertainty surrounding the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo grows. This week, we discuss how the African Union can assist with a International Crisis Group expert and address humanitarian risks with a UNICEF worker.

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Listen online here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20250218-the-crisis-in-the-drc-and-the-african-union-response

Or from Apple Podcast from there: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crisis-in-the-drc-and-the-african-union-response/id1241972991?i=1000693449821


16/02/2025

Updates from wartime Europe on Ukraine and the DRC

 

Working this weekend as the editor of our website.

Not nice to report on world wars when war rages so near here... 


Europe - Ukraine - US

Europe needs special Ukraine envoy to get meaningful peace role, Finland says after US rebuff

Europe needs a special envoy for Ukraine to ensure it gets a meaningful role in any peace process, two European leaders said on Sunday after the continent was ruled out as a partner in talks by US President Donald Trump's administration.

France and allies discuss holding informal Ukraine summit 

France is discussing with its allies holding an informal summit of European leaders to discuss Ukraine, a French presidency official said on Saturday evening. Four European diplomats said the meeting was likely to go ahead on Monday.


DRC conflict 

DRC: M23 rebels seen in centre of strategic city Bukavu 

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels were seen in the centre of eastern Congo's second-largest city, Bukavu, on Sunday, said a local official, a security source and five eyewitnesses.



DRC's president won't attend the AU summit, as M23 advances in South Kivu

Neither Rwandan President Paul Kagame nor his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi attended Friday's AU meeting.


African Union 

Djibouti's Mahmoud Ali Youssouf elected as AU commission chairman 

The Djiboutian presidency's spokesman has said that Djibouti's Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was elected Saturday as the chairman of the African Union's executive commission.



13/02/2025

Nigerian villagers vs oil giant Shell


Villagers from Niger Delta take oil giant Shell to court in London over pollution


A hearing opened on Thursday at the High Court in London into allegations that the oil company Shell polluted large tracts of the Niger Delta, in Nigeria, particularly in the areas traditionally claimed by the Ogoni people.





The villagers, supported by Amnesty International Nigeria, say that decades of spills have damaged farms and waterways.

"The pollution created by the oil giant has caused immense damage to the local environment, depriving thousands of people of access to clean drinking water," said the NGO Amnesty International.

"Sabotage and its consequences are insignificant compared to the destruction caused by the company’s oil exploitation," Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, says.

"While we are trying to focus the debate on environmental damage, talking about sabotage is just a way to avoid taking responsibility," Sanusi added.

Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC claim that the spills in the region were caused by sabotage or illegal refining.

A Shell spokesperson said: "The litigation does little to address the real problem in the Niger Delta: oil spills due to theft, illegal refining and sabotage, which cause the most environmental damage."

Shell's lawyers said in papers submitted to the court that SPDC recognises it is obliged to compensate those harmed by oil spills even if SPDC is not at fault

They added that they would not offer compensation where spills had been caused by the malicious acts of third parties.


Ten year old battle


Ten years ago, residents from the Bille and Ogale communities in Nigeria claimed their livelihoods had been destroyed and homes damaged by hundreds of oil spills caused by Shell, according to Amnesty's report.

The pollution caused widespread devastation to the local environment, killing fish and plant life, leaving thousands of people without access to clean drinking water.

According to the UN, at least 7,000 oil spill incidents have occurred in the region since 1958.

In 2011, a study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also highlighted the presence of benzene—a carcinogen—at nearly 900 times the WHO's recommended levels in contaminated water in Ogoni, in the west of the country.

"Shell repeatedly delayed the case arguing it had no legal responsibility for any of the pollution. The delay has had a devastating effect on people’s lives,"  said Sanusi.

Godwin Bebe Okpabi, leader of the Ogale community in the Niger Delta, told Reuters news agency that he was appealing to Shell's conscience to remediate the damage.

"As we speak, people are dying in Ogale, my community," he said. "It is sad that Shell will now want to take us through this very expensive, very troublesome trial, claiming one technicality or the other."

The month-long trial will determine issues of Nigerian law and whether SPDC can be held liable for oil spills caused by third-party interference, ahead of a further trial in 2026.

The case, parts of which began nearly a decade ago, has already been to the Britain's Supreme Court, which ruled in 2021 that the case should be heard in the English courts.

 


SA vs USA

 

New post on my newsletter:


South Africa resists the United States


What's behind the accusations coming from Trump and Musk against Pretoria





>> Read on from here:


 South Africa resists the United States




08/02/2025

Insight into the 'After The End' exhibition in Pompidou Centre-Metz


My new video for RFI:  

Post-colonial artists reimagine the future in new Pompidou exhibition in Metz • RFI English




After The End is an exhibition opening at the Pompidou Centre in Metz, showcasing artists from the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and other post-colonial regions.

Through their work, these artists from former colonies seek to present a fresh perspective on the world, offering new ways of imagining the future and inspiration for navigating today’s multiple crises.



To read my article:


Post-colonial artists reimagine the future in new Pompidou exhibition in Metz




07/02/2025

Yasmine Hamdan - Hon هون

 

One of my favourite singers: 




Video : written by Khalil & Yasmine Hamdan Directed by Khalil Music: Marc Collin, Yasmine Hamdan Lyrics : Yasmine Hamdan, Anas Alaili


Lyrics : Hon هون هون شو صاير هون انهيار وكوم حبّ يوم يوم ورا يوم بستجوب التلفون قتيل بغرفة النوم كلّ يوم پروڤة قتل هون مش قادرة إفصل خَلَص خلِص الحكي هون أرض صغيرة وجرح كبير ناس تضلّ وناس تغيب غيمة بوسط الصالون غيمة حزن معي هون هزّة بدَن وعالتّلفزيون خَلَص خلِص الحكي هون أرض صغيرة وجرح كبير ناس تضلّ ناس تضلّ وناس تغيب

Hon هون

What happened here? A collapse And a mountain of love Day after day I am questioning my phone There is a dead body in my bedroom Everyday they rehearse their killing I can’t dissociate Done What’s left to say A tiny land With a gaping wound Some people linger And some go absent Clouds in the living room Darkness sitting with me My body is shaking and the TV is on Done What’s left to say A tiny land With a gaping wound Some people linger And some go absent



DRC: peace talks on the way?

 

My latest for RFI:

DRC conflict

Regional leaders gather in Tanzania for high-stakes summit on DRC crisis


A joint summit between the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community will take place today and Saturday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi, are both expected to attend.


Members of the M23 rebel group after clashes with the Armed Forces of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), in Goma, North Kivu province
in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on 30 January 2025. © Arlette Bashizi / Reuters


Both presidents were supposed to meet in December in Angola and sign a peace agreement, but the meeting was cancelled.

 Both parties blamed each other for failed talks as tensions escalated.

A source close to the Congolese presidency said: "From this summit, we expect an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional withdrawal of Rwandan troops and their auxiliaries, the reopening of Goma airport for humanitarian reasons, and the return of the city to the official administration."

Tina Salama, the spokesperson for Félix Tshisekedi, added, "We also expect severe sanctions against Rwanda." 

The situation is at a "pivotal moment" United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, adding that the conflict "risks engulfing the entire region" and urged the parties to work together for peace.

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Read on from here:


Regional leaders gather in Tanzania for high-stakes summit on DRC crisis



04/02/2025

Newsletter from Marrakesh

 


Some light, colours and joy from Morocco


Arts, travels, new friendships and beauty... A replenished soul hopes to share some of the good vibes!



Link:


Some light, colours and joy from Morocco




'Le Miroir' (Act I) - Performance by Miles Greenberg @ 1-54

 


'Le Miroir (Act I)' is Performance by artist Miles Greenberg, here performed by a group of artist at the 1-54 art fair in Marrakesh, Morocco, on 1st February 2005. It explores 'human duality, self-confrontation, and emotional transformation.' 

Set against the surreal and historic backdrop of El Badi Palace, pairs of performers engage in ritualistic actions that unravel the tension between violence and intimacy, highlighting temporality and its transformative effects on the body and mind.


My visual insight:





Ceasefire in DRC

 

Latest, from this morning: 



Rwandan-backed group declares ceasefire in DRC's war-torn east



The armed group M23 has announced a humanitarian ceasefire from this Tuesday in DR Congo's explosive east, as a crisis meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame is getting planned for Friday.


 (image from Reuters)

M23 is a member of the political-military coalition of groups called the Alliance Fleuve Congo (River Congo Alliance), and the group said in a statement late Monday that it would implement a ceasefire from Tuesday "for humanitarian reasons," it said.

It added that it had "no intention of taking control of Bukavu or other localities", despite the M23 having said last week that it wanted to "continue the march" to the Congolese capital, Kinshasa.

The M23 started attacking Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, last week, with the support of some Rwandan troops.

Fighting has now stopped in the city of more than a million but clashes have spread to the neighbouring province of South Kivu, raising fears of an M23 advance to its capital Bukavu.

Half a dozen ceasefires and truces have been declared in the past four years of fighting, all systematically broken.


Call for truce


Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, a UN spokesperson announced that the DRC has requested an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council to discuss the situation in Goma.

Congo requested the session to take place on 7 February in Geneva. It is still subject to approval.

In South Africa, one of DRC's allies, President Cyril Ramaphosa said "a ceasefire is a necessary precondition for peace talks that must include all parties to the conflict whether they are state or non-state actors, Congolese or non-Congolese."

He also vowed on Monday to continue providing support to the Tshisekedi.

Pretoria had sent troops to North Kivu, as part of an armed force sent to the eastern DRC in 2023 by the SADC bloc, but 14 South African soldiers were killed in the recent fighting.

"Diplomacy is the most sustainable pathway to achieving a lasting peace for the DRC and its people," Ramaphosa added.

 "The fate of our population is being put to the test," the DRC's Communication Minister Patrick Muyaya said on Saturday.

"Every day, our brave soldiers fall on the front line defending the integrity of our territory. A humanitarian carnage is taking place, and we must not remain idle. Our compatriots expect a strong response from us," he added.


Difficulties setting talks


The Kenyan presidency announced on Monday that Tshisekedi and Kagame would attend a joint extraordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

Amid fears of a regional conflagration, the 16 member countries of the southern African regional organisation had called for "a joint summit" with the eight countries of the EAC, of which Rwanda is a member.

Nairobi currently holds the presidency of the EAC, and hopes to get the authorities of the DRC to finally talk face to face to their counterparts in Rwanda, accused of supporting the M23 rebellion.

"Given the race against time following the verbal and military escalation, the fact that it has been announced so quickly is a positive sign," according to Onesphore Sematumba, an analyst for the Great Lakes region at the NGO International Crisis Group.

Disagreements

The goal of new talks is to try to "rekindle diplomacy and put an end to the cycle of clashes" in the east of the DRC, Sematumba added.

The participants are said to include regional leaders, including the presidents of Uganda and Somalia, plus the president of South Africa.

But the two groups have differing views on solutions to the conflict.

The EAC advocates direct negotiations between the Congolese government and the M23, a solution that Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has so far refused to consider.

This event led him to replace the EAC’s peacekeeping force in the DRC with that of the SADC, which is calling on Rwanda to first withdraw from Congolese territory, as the government in Kinshasa wants.

"We should not have too high expectations," the analyst said, for whom simply holding this summit with all the announced participants would already be "a diplomatic success" in itself.

In Kigali, Paul Kagame’s participation has already been confirmed, so he will be present in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. However, a source close to the Congolese presidency has said that Felix Tshisekedi has not yet decided whether he will attend in person or join the meeting remotely.

A UN expert report said last year that Rwanda had up to 4,000 troops in the DRC, seeking to profit from the mining of minerals, and that Kigali has "de facto" control over the M23.

Eastern DRC has deposits of coltan, the metallic ore that is vital in making phones and laptops, as well as gold and other minerals.

Rwanda has however never admitted to military involvement in support of the M23 group. It alleges on the contrary that the DRC supports and shelters the FDLR, an armed group created by ethnic Hutus who massacred Tutsis during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.


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For more on the conflit, listen to my podcast episode from here:

DRC takes on Apple: can conflict mineral mining be stopped?

02/02/2025

Touria El Glaoui @ 1:54 Marrakesh - African art fair

 




Touria El Glaoui, the director of the 1:54 contemporary African art fair, opens the  Marrakesh edition in Morocco, in La Mamounia, 30 January 2025