09/06/2023

June Newsletter: From Paris to the world, via Africa

 

Substack Newsletter


New season, new life? 
Almost.

This month of May brought warmth over Europe. It also called me to accept a new job, and thus to return to my previous life as an African news journalist.

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Writing for the news demands a very different rhythm. I still write features that take me days, but in between other pieces that I have to turn around in less than two hours.

The best part of going back to the news is indeed to connect with so many people, and in particular to reconnect with people I used to interview, work with, ask for insight... All of them still remember at least my name, and have been so helpful so far.

Obviously, us journalists, we're nothing without everyone else... I'm grateful for this position of connection, and dialogue.

I'm still writing about arts and music too, history and politics, and cover Africa way more.
Here below are a few articles and events you might be interested in, I hope.

With all my best wishes, especially to my Bristol people, I miss you tremendously, you're in my thoughts daily.


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Arts, counter-culture and history

After my talk with Alfredo Jaar at the Goodman Gallery in London, I wrote this piece for Art UK: 


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We talked a lot over lunch then dinner the following day, where I also met with amazing artists like Sonia Boyce and Zineb Sedira, and art historians.

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During the past couple of months, I also wrote about street art, the history of Bristol's graffiti scene in three parts for the NYC-based magazine UP Magazine.

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The documentary series 'Herstory' sings new song for Saudi Arabia's female musicians: 

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Early in July, I'll also have the honour to lead a conversation with the Guyanese-British artist Hew Locke at the Royal Academy of Arts, as part of their delightful Summer Exhibition. 

I first met Hew Locke in 2022 at the Tate Modern for an interview around his powerful installation 'The Procession' for Art UK too. 

Do join us if you're in London on 5 July !

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Next art story: feature on Algerian French pioneer woman artist Katia Kameli.
Came out on 9 June on the New Arab.

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As for RFI, I'll always keep an eye on arts, films and music. 
Here are the first pieces I worked on during the spring:
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On a daily basis, I mainly cover politics, social issues, activism, humanitarian work and responses to wars...

On conflict resolutions

In Sudan, firstly, rapidly becoming one of the most worrying wars of the year, but deeply undercovered: https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/sudan/


Politics

Like here in Senegal, while the tense debates around next year's election, and the state of the opposition have created lost of violence: 

or there in Nigeria, after the swearing-in of a new president:


 Social issues 

Like LGBTQ+ rights:
&

Refugees and migration issues


Environment

TotalEnergies is sued by the cities New York and Paris, and some of the most important NGOs, a trial that might last up to two years...

UN biodiversity day turns 30, but is the world doing enough?

I hope to travel back to North and Subsaharan Africa later in the year...

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And you can always find my Substack newsletters here, and subscribe if you want, for free of course.



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Hoping to see you soon...
take good care.

all the best,
melissa x


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Melissa Chemam
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07/06/2023

PJ Harvey's new single : 'I Inside the Old I Dying'

 

PJ Harvey - 'I Inside the Old I Dying' 

(Official Video)






‘I Inside the Old I Dying’ is taken from the new album ‘I Inside the Old Year Dying’, out July 7th on Partisan

Directed by Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña

Produced by Catalina Vergara Production Assistant: Nina Salvador A production of Diluvio, Globo Rojo, Pista B Art and Animation: Francisco Visceral, Francisco Schultz, Trinidad Santibañez, Joaquín Cociña and Cristóbal León Art and Animation Assistants: Paolo Caro, Isidora Rojas, Laura Donoso, Lluvia Anaïs, Lucas Pacheco, Javiera Sandoval, Rocío Álvarez, Yair Gómez, Julieta Morales, Samuel Lagunas, Natalia Geisse, Joaquín France, Dalia Cociña, Matías Yunge and Fernanda Padilla Data Management: Paolo Caro Editing and Post Production: Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña As the Dog: Klaus Polly Jean Harvey - vocals, electric guitar John Parish - acoustic guitar, drums, vocals Cecil - keyboards, field recordings Colin Morgan - backing vocals
Produced by Flood & John Parish

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05/06/2023

World Refugee Week: Bristol's Festival - June 2023

 

As faithful readers here know, I have been covering refugee issues for years, since I joined the BBC World Service in 2009, then from Kenya in 2010-12, from Iraq, from the UK, France and Italy, and up until last year when I reported about the refugee food festival in Marseille.

From England, I wrote a piece on the Bristol Refugee Festival in 2019, and discussed the issues on a podcast episode in 2020.

This year Bristol Refugee Festival will take place 12-25 June.



The Festival is run by Jules Olsen and Danny Vincent, and offers a dozen events over a week around World Refugee Day, on 20 June.

The aim: "to celebrate the contribution that refugees and asylum seekers make to the city, create a better understanding of why people seek sanctuary, help overcome misconceptions and promote successful community cohesion."

On 25 June, the first Celebrating Sanctuary event since 2019 will take place in Queen Square, bringing music, dance, food and fun for family. 

Here is the global line up of artists performing: 

Alphonse Daudet Touna - Cameroonian balafon player 

Bahman Salahshour - Iranian singer 

The Dovetail Orchestra - Bristol's refugee ensemble 

MoYah - Mozambican rapper and afrofusion artist 

Nabra - Soudanese oud duo 

Tashi - Tibetan music, vocals and dance 

The Bristol Griot / kora player Moussa 

Koyate with trumpet from David Mowat 

Muti Musafiri - hip-hop dance 

There will also be events taking place at the Bristol Old Vic theatre and at Arnolfini, including workshops run by Bristol Refugee Artists Collective.


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If you're in the city, don't miss it! If you're near, think about going!!

This year has seen disgraceful migration policy discussed at the British Parliament, so refugees need our support more than ever.

Here is the list of events:




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All the details here.

I'll write about it further in a few days.

I wish you a wonderful festival!
m


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Understand the tensions in Senegal



My latest on Senegal for RFI English:


President Sall's refusal to discuss new mandate is source of tension - opposition

Senegal’s President Macky Sall has not yet clarified whether he will run for a third mandate in the next presidential elections or not. Opposition presidential candidate Idrissa Seck blames the recent violence on Sall's failure to make his intentions clear.

Issued on: 





 Text by: Melissa Chemam with RFI


On Monday morning, Dakar had returned to relative calm after four days of protests and violence.

While the presidential camp blames the protesters, the opposition has denounced what it describes as an "abuse of power".

Opponent and presidential candidate Idrissa Seck is calling for calm, and on the Senegalese President, Macky Sall, to clarify his intentions for the next presidential election, in order to avoid more violence. 

He told RFI that "the problem with a third term is that even the prospect of it is causing turmoil."

He added: "We are seeing violence and upheaval in our typically peaceful streets. We have seen death. This is not good for our people. Nor is it good for Senegal's global reach. This situation will only worsen if President Macky Sall announces a bid for a third term. It would be unprecedented and deeply damaging for Senegal."

Protesters are angry that President Macky Sall has refused to rule out running for a third term while Senegal has a two-term presidential limit.

Call to stop the violence

At least 16 people are known to have died in the clashes between demonstrators and security forces in the capital, Dakar, and in Zinguinchor in the region of Casamance, in the south of the country.

The Red Cross in Senegal claimed yesterday that almost 360 people were injured in the violence.

The violence broke out on Thursday after the opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who is the mayor of Zinghinchor, was sentenced to two years in prison.

Sonko's supporters say his conviction on charges of "corrupting" a young woman are politically motivated and designed to prevent him from running for president.

They have condemned what they called the "murderous repression" by the national security forces.

Sonko's party, the PASTEF, has also condemned the restriction to the mobile internet by the government, to stop what it called "subversive messages" from being shared.

Difficult dialogue

According to Idrissa Seck, who was the head of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council in Senegal until late April, only Sall's clear indication that he will not run for a third term will appease the Senegalese people, especially young people. 

"I pray, I believe and expect that President Sall will not run at all," he added.

In April, Seck announced that he intends to run for president in Senegal's next election, scheduled for February 2024. 

He is taking part in the "national dialogue", opened by the President Sall last Thursday, which most of the other opposition parties are boycotting, including Sonko.

Seck told RFI that "the priority should be to protect democracy", and hopes to rally the opposition around him.

Now 63, Seck was prime minister of Senegal from November 2002 to July 2004, and placed second in the 2019 presidential election.

"It's the priority of the government to maintain peace and stability," Seck concluded. "So, I call all opposition leaders to focus on that too."

(with newswires)


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Senegal's opposition leader Ousmane Sonko sentenced to 2 years in prison


Ousmane Sonko, a prominent opposition candidate in Senegal's 2024 presidential election, has been sentenced to prison on charges of "corrupting youth", in a case he maintains is intended to stop him running.

Issued on: 


A court in Dakar sentenced Sonko to two years' imprisonment for the offence, but acquitted him of other charges of rape and issuing death threats.

The verdict was announced on Thursday morning at Darkar's main courthouse, following the trial on 23 May.

Sonko was not present at either.

The case, which Sonko's supporters maintain is politically motivated, has deeply divided Senegal and sparked repeated protests.

Controversial case

Sonko, 48, was accused of raping and threatening a woman who worked at a beauty salon in Dakar. The woman, 20, said she had been abused five times by the politician. 

Sonko claimed she was a "young girl who has been manipulated, promised a diplomatic passport and exile abroad, as well as large sums of money".

If he had been convicted of rape in absentia, Sonko would have been stripped of his electoral rights.

"Corrupting youth" – debauching or encouraging the debauchery of a person under the age of 21 – is a lesser offence than rape, lawyer Ousmane Thiam told AFP news agency.

But his conviction still threatens to rule him out of next year's vote.

"With this two-year sentence, Ousmane Sonko cannot be a candidate in the 2024 presidential election – it is a sentence of ineligibility," one of his lawyers, Bamba Cissé, told journalists outside the courtroom.

Arrest and unrest

Sonko's Pastef party called the verdict the "ultimate step in [President] Macky Sall's plot against Sonko", who they consider to be the main rival to the incumbent.

In a statement, the party called on its supporters to "stay mobilised", as tensions rose in Dakar and Sonko's stronghold of Ziguinchor, in the Casamance region.

Senegalese police at the entrance to the Dakar courthouse where the sentencing of Ousmane Sonko was held on June 1, 2023.

Another presidential candidate, former prime minister Idrissa Seck, told RFI that he “trusted the Senegalese justice system to handle the trial”, while encouraging Sall not to run for president again next year.

The court also sentenced Sonko's co-accused, Ndeye Khady Ndiaye, the owner of the beauty salon where Sonko was accused of repeated abuse, to two years' imprisonment.

The public prosecutor must now decide whether to order Sonko's arrest.

Sonko was temporarily detained on Sunday while leading supporters on a march from Zighinchor towards the capital. 

Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko during a meeting in Ziguinchor on May 24, 2023.
                     Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko during a meeting in Ziguinchor on May 24, 2023 
© MU                HAMADOU BITTAYE / AFP

He complained of being "kidnapped" by the security forces, which the government denied. 

    Interior Minister Antoine Diome, speaking on Senegal's public broadcaster RTS, said that Sonko had not been arrested but rather "dropped off" at his home in Dakar, to avoid more unrest among his supporters.

    He added that Sonko should have requested authorisation before organising his "freedom caravan". 

    Rebels in Casamance, a region geographically separated from the rest of Senegal by the Gambia, have been seeking regional independence for more than 35 years.

    Sonko is mayor of Ziguinchor, the capital of the region.




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