The NGO’s 2025 World Report, published on Thursday, 16 January, calls into question the integrity of democratic institutions in terms of human rights around the world, with those in France no exception.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that President Emmanuel Macron’s gamble to hold snap elections to stem the rise of the far-right, following significant gains by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party in June’s European Parliament election, in fact led to the amplification of racist and xenophobic rhetoric across the country.

This also coincided with a rise in hate crime targeting minorities and growing economic inequality, highlighting the political and social fractures to be found in France.

Homeless charities warn of ‘social cleansing’ ahead of Paris Olympics

Behind the Olympic dream

The much lauded Paris Olympic Games – while showcasing French panache on the global stage – also unveiled human rights concerns.

Preparations for the Games involved controversial “social cleansing” strategies which targeted marginalised groups, specifically migrants, while during the event discrimination against athletes – specifically bans on the hijab – spurred criticism from the United Nations and civil rights groups.

Reports also revealed abuse against homeless people and the deployment of intrusive surveillance technology, sparking fears over privacy violations and discrimination.

Human Rights Watch also condemned racial profiling in police identity checks, highlighting systemic racism issues.

Meanwhile, alarming statistics on hate crime – including a sharp increase in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents – illustrated a normalisation of hate speech across political and media platforms in France.

France sees ratings plunge in global freedom of expression report

Erosion of freedoms

The report also reveals that environmental activists have faced increasing pressure as the government deployed excessive police force, restrictive bans and anti-terrorism laws to crack down on protests.

Press freedom has also suffered, Human Rights Watch says, after journalists investigating French arms sales to Israel and environmental issues were arrested, drawing condemnation from various press freedom groups.

Last year also saw the resumption of the destruction of informal settlements in Mayotte, France’s poorest and least developed department.

Before the devasatation of the Indian Ocean island by Cyclone Chido in December, France’s approach to irregular migration, crime and disease on the island had failed to address urgent social issues.

New Caledonia separatists in Paris court over alleged role in deadly riots

New Caledonia overlooked

HRW reports a litany of failings in France over the rule of law, excessive police force and the right to protest. However, there is no mention in the report of how these issues have manifested in New Caledonia, the French territory in the South Pacific.

Following weeks of deadly clashes in 2024, separatist leaders were deported to the French mainland and incarcerated.

When questioned on this omission by RFI, Human Rights Watch said it would respond in due course.

The French presidency said the visit aims to boost cooperation between the two countries while addressing major regional and international issues. President Lourenço is preparing to take over the presidency of the African Union in February, a key topic for discussions.

One of the key issues on the agenda is the conflict between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Macron, who visited Angola in March 2023, has reiterated his support for Lourenço’s efforts as key mediator. 

Since November 2021, the armed M23 movement, has seized large swathes of territory in the east of the DRC, rich in natural resources and torn apart by conflicts for 30 years. 

Rwanda denies supporting the M23 and says its aim is to tackle the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group primarily composed of Hutu militants formed in the wake of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

In December, Congolese Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame were to meet in Luanda for peace talks but the two parties failed to agree on the terms, leading to a last-minute cancellation.

DR Congo, Rwanda peace talks in Angola cancelled after hitting ‘deadlock’

Diversify the economy

On the economic front, more than 430 million euros worth of contracts are due to be signed during Lourenço’s visit to Paris.

While trade between France and Angola has been dominated by the hydrocarbon sector, Angola is now turning to France to help it diversify its economy.

Lourenço will attend the Angola-France Business Forum which will bring together companies from both countries at the headquarters of Medef, the French employers’ organisation, on Friday.

The French company Suez is expected to formalise the signing of a major contract in the treatment of wastewater in Angola.

Financing is also expected to be concluded between French bank Société Générale and Angolan authorities for the purchase of an Earth observation satellite to be manufactured by Airbus in Toulouse, southwest France.

For Angola, the objective is to map its oil and mineral resources but also water for agriculture.

A preliminary agreement is due to be signed with the French Development Agency concerning a huge irrigation project while cooperation continues to rebuild the coffee sector.

Discussions will also focus on the Lobito corridor rail line project, intended to transport minerals extracted in the DRC and Zambia to the Atlantic Ocean.

France’s Macron hails renewed economic ties with Angola

Potential and risks

For Sergio Calundungo, the coordinator of the Political and Social Observatory of Angola, the Lobito Corridor has great potential and represents an economic advantage not only for Angola, but for countries in the region, especially for the DRC and Zambia.

He however warns that there are potential risks associated with this type of development, that has attracted the interest of both American and European investors.

“We are talking about risks of an environmental nature, because it will have a lot of infrastructure, a lot of equipment, in an area that was left to its own devices and for such a long time and didn’t have much human intervention,” he told RFI’s Portugese service.

There is also a risk of social unrest he explains. “I believe that we must ensure that all these investments do not translate into land invasion, conflicts, disputes over access to land, access to water, access to other resources with local communities,” he says.

In a separate development, Angola is considering asking the French Hospital Equipment Company to open an ophthalmological hospital in the capital.

The deal outlines a 42-day ceasefire starting with the release of three hostages on day one, followed by four more by Sunday. 

Most of them are expected to be women, children, or the ill. Subsequent negotiations would focus on freeing male hostages and securing a full Israeli military withdrawal.

Under the agreement, Israel would gradually pull back its forces while maintaining an 800-metre buffer zone inside Gaza. The deal also includes the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, though anyone involved in the 7 October attack would be excluded.

French toll

“For too many months, we have had no news. We sincerely hope they can return to us alive and in good health. We have no certainty,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on RTL radio.

Since the conflict began, 48 French citizens have died. Eight were taken hostage, of whom two died in captivity and four were released during previous negotiations.

The two remaining French-Israeli hostages – Ofer Kalderon, 53, and Ohad Yahalomi, 49 – were captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October.

Israel-Hamas ceasefire must lead to ‘political resolution’ in Gaza, Macron says

Underground tunnels

Kalderon was kidnapped alongside his two children Erez, 12, and Sahar, 16, who were released after 52 days in captivity. His ex-wife Hadas Jaoui-Kalderon said his last message read: “We’re jumping through the window, we’re going to hide in the bushes.”

Yahalomi was taken with his 12-year-old son Eitan. He was shot outside his home during the attack. While Hamas released footage of him in January, no further information about his condition has emerged.

“I think at this hour of their spouses, of their children, some of whom are struggling so much to rebuild their lives after being hostages themselves in Gaza, sometimes gripped by feelings of guilt at having been freed while their father is still held hostage,” Barrot said.

Both men’s children were freed during November’s temporary ceasefire.

Barrot said France has been “tirelessly demanding” the release of its citizens for 15 months, adding that the government remains “in close contact with their families”.

“The agreement must be respected. The hostages freed. Gazans aided. A political solution must happen,” Macron posted on X

His reaction comes after Qatar’s prime minister said Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza starting on Sunday and a hostage and prisoner exchange after 15 months of war.

The agreement follows months of on-off negotiations brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and came just ahead of the 20 January inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while welcoming the deal said  it was “imperative” that the ceasefire removes obstacles to aid deliveries as he welcomed the deal that includes a prisoner and hostage exchange.

Ceasefire deal

The deal, not yet formally announced, outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters news agency.

Israel’s government is expected to vote on the deal on Thursday.

A Palestinian official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters earlier that Hamas had given verbal approval to the ceasefire and hostage return proposal under negotiations in Qatar and was waiting for more information to give final written approval.

As celebrations spread in Gaza’s Khan Yunis, Israel said several clauses in the ceasefire deal with Hamas remain “unresolved”.

The statement from Netanyahu’s office reads: “Due to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s firm stance, Hamas backed down at the last moment from its demand to alter the deployment of forces along the Philadelphi Corridor.

“However, several clauses in the framework remain unresolved, and we hope the details will be finalized tonight.”

Egyptian state media said talks were under way to open the Rafah crossing to allow aid into Gaza.

Israel pushed to sign

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly compelled to accept the Gaza ceasefire agreement following pressure from a team appointed by incoming US president Donald Trump.

According to reports, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Netanyahu in Israel after participating in ceasefire negotiations in Doha.

These efforts were said to be instrumental in achieving the recent breakthrough, which had been 15 months in the making.

Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, also met with Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in Jerusalem. The discussions focused on preparations for a potential hostage release agreement, his office announced.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was cutting a visit to Europe short and flying back to Israel overnight to take part in security cabinet and government votes on the deal – meaning the votes would likely be by or on Thursday.

Israeli troops invaded Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen broke through security barriers and burst into Israeli communities on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting more than 250 foreign and Israeli hostages.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza health ministry figures, and left the coastal enclave a wasteland of rubble with hundreds of thousands surviving the winter cold in tents and makeshift shelters.

  (with newswires)

Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government will face its first test this Thursday when the National Assembly examines a motion of no confidence which, even if it is not ultimately adopted, will clarify the position of the Socialist Party in parliament.

Barely three weeks old, the government did not ask for the confidence of the assembly on Tuesday after the prime minister’s general policy speech, as is customary.

Just like Michel Barnier’s previous administration, Bayrou has no majority in the house.

In return, the elected members of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) – who are constantly calling for President Emmanuel Macron to resign – tabled a motion of censure.

Thursday’s ballot marks the 150th vote of no confidence in government since the foundation of France’s Fifth Republic in 1958.

French Socialist Party threatens no-confidence vote against Bayrou’s government

Divisions

Along with LFI, the text has also been signed by Communist and Green MPs, but no members of the Socialist Party have fallen line with the left-wing parliamentary bloc.

Despite lengthy discussions, the Socialist Party has deferred their decision on whether or not to vote on the motion of censure until Thursday, further adding to the uncertainty.

Thursday’s vote will above all serve to clarify the balance of power on the left, and the position of the Socialist Party regarding the Bayrou government, in the run-up to the crucial state and social security budgets.

Bayrou has said he will back down on 4,000 job cuts in education planned by his predecessor Barnier, who was overthrown by a vote of no confidence in December. However he has shown little room for movement on contested pension reforms.

On 3 February, the National Assembly will convene to debate the draft 2025 Social Security budget.

Far-right National Rally leaders have already indicated that their MPs do not intend to vote in favour of the motion of censure, making it impossible for LFI to garner the 288 votes required for its adoption – even with the support of the Socialists.

Monfils, 38, entered the season’s first Grand Slam championships boasting a trophy from the Auckland tournament – the 13th title of his career.

And after taking five sets to dismiss his big-serving comaptriot Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round, Monfils swept past the unseeded German Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 to reach the last-32 for the 12th time in his 18 visits to the championships.

Moutet, playing in his sixth Australian Open, reached the third round for the first time with a four-set win over Mitchell Krueger from the United States.

Moutet, 25, who twice served for the third set before winning it in a tie-break, said: “I should have played with a bit more humility in the third set when I was leading 5-2.

“I should have finished it. He came back and I could have gotten my fingers burned. I should have had a better attitude at 5-2 up.”

Moutet’s progress furnished French men’s tennis with its best showing at the Australian Open since 2017 when Monfils, Benoît Paire, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon reached the last-16.

By contrast, the last of the five French female players was dispatched on Thursday. Varvara Gracheva, ranked 69 in the world, lost to the German Eva Lys, a player 60 places beneath her in the women’s lists.

Lys, 23, won 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to reach the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, second seed Iga Swiatek pulverized Rebecca Sramkova 6-0, 6-2 and  sixth seed Elena Rybakina was almost as brutal with a 6-0, 6-3 romp past Iva Jovic.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced that 70 gigawatts of new generating capacity are currently under construction worldwide, marking one of the highest levels in the past three decades.  

In its latest report, the IEA forecasts that nuclear power production will reach a record 2,900 terawatt hours by 2025. 

AI, data centres

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol called it a “new era for nuclear energy,” driven by the growing demand for electricity to power advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and data centres.  

While China has led the charge in nuclear energy expansion, the United States and France have faced challenges due to the high costs of building nuclear plants. 

Birol said nuclear power could help the world transition to non-carbon energy sources to curb climate change.

(with AFP)

The often fraught relations between France and its former colony Algeria have hit an all-time low after a series of disagreements over Western Sahara, the detention of a French-Algerian writer and a French-Algerian blogger accused of inciting violence. Both countries have spoken of “humiliation” and “dishonour”. Arab world specialist  Adlene Mohammedi talks about bilateral relations being polluted by internal affairs – notably Algiers’ lack of democratic legitimacy and the increasing influence of the far right in France. And while the sorely needed level-headed diplomacy  is more needed than ever, it’s been run down in both countries.   (Listen @2’05”)

France’s remarkable geological diversity means the country is prime dinosaur territory – home to fossils from all three periods of the dinosaur age.  The first dinosaurs were discovered in France in the 19th century, but as paleontologist Eric Buffetaut explains, many of the major finds have been in the last 40 years, thanks to amateur paleontologists around the country. (Listen @21’25”)

France enacted a law decriminalising abortion on 17 January 1975. Ollia Horton talks about the legacy of that right and how despite being  enshrined in the constitution, access 50 years later is still not guaranteed. (Listen @14’40”)

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani. 

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878).

The parties did not reveal the value of the “multi-year” contract nor its precise duration.

It was the first such deal struck by AFP and for Mistral AI, a European competitor to American giants like ChatGPT creator OpenAI.

Tie-ups between news organisations and AI developers remain relatively rare worldwide, despite a pick-up in activity last year.

OpenAI has struck the most deals, including with British business daily the Financial Times, French centre-left paper Le Monde and Germany‘s Axel Springer group, which publishes conservative broadsheet Die Welt and tabloid-style Bild.

“This is the first deal between two players with global ambitions, indeed a global footprint as far as AFP is concerned, but with well-anchored European roots,” the agency’s chief executive Fabrice Fries told AFP journalists in an interview.

He added that the contract would offer the agency “a new revenue stream”.

On Mistral’s side, “AFP brings a verified, journalistic source that we think is very important”, founder Arthur Mensch said.

Verified information

AFP articles in six languages – French, English, Spanish, Arabic, German and Portuguese – will be available to Mistral’s Le Chat chatbot from Thursday.

The product works similarly to ChatGPT, the first such tool to reach a broader audience: users type in a question and receive a response within seconds.

France bets on AI-powered traffic cameras to catch drivers who break rules

Le Chat will answer questions about current events using AFP articles – the text news the agency typically sends to its subscription-paying clients in the media, government and other institutions, and businesses.

The AFP integration will undergo a test period during which it will be available only to a segment of Mistral users.

Le Chat can draw on the agency’s text archives going back to 1983, but has no access to AFP’s photo, video or infographics production.

The records amount to around 38 million articles, Fries said, adding that the agency publishes a further 2,300 every day.

Access via Mistral’s Le Chat could be useful to “professionals or managers in large businesses” for “writing memos” or other documents related to current affairs, Fries suggested.

Among the broader public, many people are using generative AI tools in different ways. Some ask questions about daily life, receiving answers the bots have plucked from the internet.

The two user styles are “complementary”, Mistral boss Mensch said.

Where users’ questions “require verified information, AFP will provide” the inputs. “Concerning shopping or the weather, it will come more from the web,” Mensch added.

‘Recurring revenue’

Thursday’s AFP-Mistral deal comes just over a week after Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta said it would end its fact-checking programme in the United States.

Worldwide, AFP is a major participant in fact-checking content on Meta’s platforms.

“Our discussions with Mistral began just under a year ago, so there’s no link to Meta’s decision,” Fries said.

AFP had actively chosen a “strategy of diversification” in tie-ups with digital platforms as traditional media is wracked by crisis.

In 2023, AFP booked its fifth annual profit in a row, bringing in 1.1 million euros.

Beyond its income from selling content, AFP also receives compensation for its public-interest objectives from the French state, which amounted to 113.3 million euros in 2023, out of a revenue of 320.1 million euros.

In a departure from similar media-AI deals, AFP text articles will not be used to train and develop Mistral’s language models.

Instead, the agency’s content will form “a module that connects to our system and can be disconnected” when the contract expires, Mensch said.

“This isn’t a one-and-done payment, as is often the case in deals for training models, but development of recurring revenue” for AFP, Fries said.

The report, published yesterday, has highlighted armed conflict as the leading global risk for 2025, underscoring an increase in global division as world leaders and business executives prepare for the yearly meeting at the Davos ski-resort in Switzerland next week.

In the survey involving over 900 experts from academia, business, and policy sectors, nearly 25 percent identified conflict – including wars and terrorism – as the greatest threat to economic stability in the coming year.

Previously identified as the most pressing issue for 2024, extreme weather remains a significant concern but has fallen to second place.

Upon the release of the report, WEF Managing Director Mirek Dusek stated: “Faced with deepening divides and multiple risks, world leaders must choose between fostering collaboration and resilience or facing increasing instability … The stakes have never been higher”.

Conflict, climate cast shadow over Davos economic summit

Keynote speakers

The WEF conference begins on 20 January, the day Donald Trump is due to be inaugurated as the 47th US president.

Trump, has pledged to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and will address the forum virtually on 23 January.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to speak at the event on 21 January, while other prominent attendees will include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang.

According to WEF President and CEO Borge Brende, discussions will also focus on Syria, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the potential intensification of Middle Eastern conflicts.

The threat posed by misinformation and disinformation was again highlighted as a foremost risk over the coming two years, retaining its 2024 ranking within the survey.

China says West’s economic de-risking is a ‘false proposition’

Climate and ecology fears still dominate

Looking over a decade, environmental dangers – particularly extreme weather – topped the list of concerns for experts, followed by biodiversity loss, critical shifts in Earth’s ecosystems, and diminishing natural resources.

For the first time, global temperatures last year surpassed 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, approaching the limits set by the 2015 Paris climate accord.

The  WEF report defines a global risk as a factor that could significantly impact global GDP, population, or natural resources.

The 900 experts were questioned from the period of September through October 2024, with 64 percent of participants believing the evolution of a fragmented, multipolar global order is set to continue.

This year, Davos will host around 3,000 participants, including 350 top government officials and more than 900 CEOs.

As cleanup operations continue across the Indian Ocean archipelago, it is clear that no area has been spared the devastation.

“The island was hit particularly hard this time; the damage is clear,” said Aramadi Salim, a driver in the capital, Mamoudzou, speaking to RFI. 

Amidst the wrecked vegetation and debris-strewn roads, Salim noted some progress: “Things are starting to improve. We spent a week without electricity or water, searching for water wherever we could. Now that the power has been restored, life is getting better.”

However, Salim’s return to work is far from easy. “Just getting fuel means waiting in line for hours,” he said.

The situation in Mamoudzou is improving, but in the northern part of the archipelago, which bore the brunt of the cyclone, it’s much more complicated.

“The boat is my livelihood. Without it, I can’t work,” says a fisherman, standing near a bay where most of the boats have capsized. 

“We’re practically cut off from Mamoudzou, even when it comes to information.”

‘Slums already up’

In Mayotte, information is just as critical as water and food.

In some areas, contact with authorities and insurers remains impossible, fuelling frustration.

“Why are they hiding the truth? Half the population of Hamjago still doesn’t have electricity,” says Faoulati, a mother of four.

“It’s inhumane. The aid that arrived hasn’t reached us in the north. Everything is concentrated in the slums where illegal immigrants live. And we’re left out,” she adds.

The slums, known as bangas, reflect another ongoing issue in Mayotte – illegal immigration, mostly from the Comoros.

“There’s a big problem in Mayotte right now. All the bangas are already up. Now is the time to fix it,” explains Mari Atibou, a resident of southern Mayotte.

Emergency bill passed

During his visit two weeks ago, Prime Minister François Bayrou promised to tackle illegal immigration and rebuild Mayotte “within two years”. 

French PM Bayrou unveils ‘Mayotte standing’ reconstruction plan

His emergency bill, aimed at speeding up reconstruction, was passed in the National Assembly on Wednesday despite criticism from opposition parties. The law also includes temporary social measures.

Manuel Valls, the newly appointed Overseas Territories minister, added that a second law to propose longer-term solutions, was scheduled for March. 

Additionally, a bill restricting birthright citizenship in Mayotte will be reviewed on 6 February. It is aimed at lengthening the residency requirement for parents seeking French nationality for their children.

Independence Square was under lockdown for the inauguration, with security forces blocking roads and patrolling the area to prevent violence.

As he took the oath of office, Chapo pledged to “defend, promote and consolidate national unity, human rights, democracy and the well-being of the Mozambican people”.

But his presidency starts under a cloud of tension and mistrust.

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who claims the 9 October election was rigged in Chapo’s favour, has vowed to paralyse the government with daily demonstrations.

“We’ll protest every single day. If it means paralysing the country for the entire term, we will paralyse it for the entire term,” Mondlane said in a post on Facebook.

The unrest has already claimed more than 300 lives according to civil society group Plataforma Decide, with security forces accused of using excessive force against protesters.

Mozambique opposition leader calls for national strike, demos

Unknown ‘puppet’

In Maputo, Mondlane supporters are vocal in their rejection of the new president.

“Who is Chapo? I don’t know Chapo. He’s not my president,” said Paulo, a tuk-tuk driver waving a vuvuzela in Maputo’s Maxaquene district.

His words reflect widespread uncertainty about a leader who, until recently, was virtually unknown to most Mozambicans.

The 47-year-old entered the ruling Frelimo party without holding elected office, working his way up through administrative roles including heading the gas-rich Palma district in 2015 before becoming governor of Inhambane province.

His selection as Frelimo’s presidential candidate came after two days of internal party negotiations.

“As no faction managed to impose itself, they elected a puppet”, a former party member told RFI.

Post-election chaos in Mozambique sparks mass exodus to Malawi

Humble campaign image

Chapo is the first Mozambican president who did not participate in the 1975-1992 civil war. He has sought to portray himself as a man of the people, often referencing his modest upbringing.

“I was born in poverty. I’ve woken up not knowing what I would eat. I’ve sold mangoes in the street to buy paper and pencils,” he said during his campaign.

He also pledged to unite the country, stating on the night of his victory: “We will only be a nation if we know how to listen to each other.”

However, critics argue his affiliation with Frelimo, which has ruled Mozambique since independence in 1975, undermines his credibility as a candidate for change.

“It will be hard for him to win the hearts of Mozambicans as long as he is part of Frelimo,” said political scientist José Lourenço.

Mozambique’s highest court confirms Frelimo election victory

Poll observers critical

The election has drawn criticism from international observers, with the EU mission condemning what it called the “unjustified alteration of election results”.

Mondlane, who returned from exile last week, remains defiant. “This regime does not want peace,” he declared, blaming authorities for escalating violence.

The absence of many foreign leaders at the inauguration, with the exception of South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, has added to the perception of a tainted presidency.

Several Mozambican civil society organisations have petitioned the African Union not to recognise Chapo’s victory.

Meanwhile, Mondlane has expressed openness to dialogue, saying: “I’m here in the flesh to say that if you want to negotiate… I’m here.”

(With newswires)

The match ended 2-2 after extra-time and Bourgoin Jallieu won the shoot-out 4-2 to launch wild celebrations among their supporters at the Stade Pierre Rajon.

Lyon fans ripped out seats from the stands, threw them onto the pitch and fought with home supporters before riot police moved in to quell the clashes.

“I was never a talented player and I turned out at this level,” said Lyon boss Pierre Sage. “So I know all the things that go with playing at this level. We didn’t do the necessary things for playing against an amateur club like this.

“During the first-half we didn’t do enough. We didn’t play with any sense of pride or honour and Bourgoin Jallieu deserve their victory.

Blame

“I’m not pointing the finger at any one in particular. There is only one thing that we now have to live with and that is shame. Shame in front of our friends and families.

“Shame in front of people who love this club. Shame in front of the people who came to the stadium and shame in front of the world in general.

“It is a duty to beat a team that operates four divisions beneath us and tonight we didn’t do what we were supposed to do.”

In the two other games between fifth tier opposition and Ligue 1 clubs, Paris Saint-Germain scored twice in the closing stages to see off Espaly 4-2 and continue the defence of their crown.

And Strasbourg needed a penalty shoot-out at the Stade de la Colombière in Épinal, north-eastern France to beat Thaon who were playing in the last 32 for the third time in four years.

The match ended 2-2 after extra-time and Leroy Rosenior’s men claimed the shoot-out 5-3.

Elsewhere, Chafik Abbas bagged a brace as fourth division Cannes saw off Ligue 2 pacesetters Lorient 2-1. And Brest won the all-Ligue 1 clash with Nantes by the same score.

On Saturday, 11 January on Paris’s Place de la République, dozens of people were protesting against the decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), announced last year by Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou.

The group is made up of members of the diaspora from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, and exiled political opponents.

Boubacar Mintou Koné – a member of the Malian political opposition in exile, from the Front malien patriotique pour le salut (“Malian Patriotic Front for Salvation”) – told RFI: “This withdrawal from Ecowas, currently under way, has been carried out without the necessary consultation of all the nation’s active forces and without a referendum to ask the entire Malian people whether or not we should remain in Ecowas.”

He supports the call for a return to constitutional order and the transfer of power from the military junta – which seized power in 2021, in what was the country’s third coup d’état in 10 years – to democratically elected institutions.  

‘Freedom of expression is being trampled’

Protesters from Niger and the north of Mali also denounced the juntas’ incompetence in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel, as well as their ties with Russia.

“Russia is only there to exploit resources, by taking advantage of insecurity,” one protester from northern Mali said. “We also condemn and regret the inaction of the international community, which does nothing to try to alleviate the suffering of the people.”

Blinken tours West Africa offering US support to offset Russian influence in Sahel

Idrissa, a Nigerien living in Normandy, north-west France, travelled to the capital for the occasion. “Freedom of expression is being trampled on in the Sahel,” he told RFI. “Anyone who tries to speak out risks ending up in prison, whereas here in France we have the opportunity to voice our discontent.”

However, exiled Malian opposition figure Ismaël Sakho, who is president of the African Social Democratic Party, believes that even protesting in France is risky for members of the diaspora, as it could see their relatives back home threatened. But he says it remains a necessary evil.

“There needs to be leaders who dare, and we dare,” he told RFI. “We are not afraid because we want to remain part of a community that benefits us more.”

The protesters plan to assemble in Paris again soon, saying this first demonstration was a trial run.

Ecowas’ future in jeopardy after Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso leave group

Security threat

The withdrawal of the three countries from Ecowas poses major issues in terms of population circulation, trade and security.

Bakary Sambe is the regional director of the Dakar-based Timbuktu Institute, a think tank specialising in security and conflict resolution, who works on integration issues in West Africa.  

“In itself, the creation of the Sahel States Alliance through the Liptako Gourma Charter presaged a weakening of Ecowas and the tacit disappearance of the G5 Sahel, which was a key player in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa in general,” he wrote on the institute’s site.

For Sambe, the withdrawal risks the fragmentation of regional counter-terrorism efforts, and could have a negative impact on the African Union‘s efforts in terms of security and cooperation.

“Groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda are committed to the establishment of these states, denouncing democratic governance,” according to Oluwole Ojewale, research fellow at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, and regional coordinator at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS Africa).

He told The Conversation: “Their influence and operational model are on the rise. They are radicalising the population, heightening sectarian strife and aggravating the difficulties of already volatile regions. Operating in parts of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad, these groups aspire to form a jihadist caliphate in the Sahel region.”

The spike in consumption has pushed France to seventh place among European nations for cocaine use, according to the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Trends (OFDT). 

“The evolution of working conditions” has led to people using it on the job, said the OFDT’s deputy director Ivana Obradovic, citing restaurant workers trying to cope with intensive schedules and fishermen dealing with tough working conditions. 

While the price of a gram of cocaine has remained relatively stable – rising from 60 euros to 66 euros per gram between 2011 and 2023 – the drug’s purity has increased dramatically.  

The drug now tests at 73 percent purity compared to 46 percent in 2011. 

French authorities seized 23.5 tonnes of cocaine in 2023, up from 4.1 tonnes in 2010, reflecting record global production levels.  

Colombia, Bolivia and Peru produced 2,700 tonnes in 2022, more than double the 1,134 tonnes recorded in 2010. 

More than 2 tonnes of cocaine washes up on shores of northern France

Experimentation surge 

The report found cannabis remains France‘s most consumed illegal drug, with five million users in 2023. Of these, 1.4 million were regular users and 900,000 consumed it daily. 

MDMA and ecstasy use has surged from 400,000 to 750,000 users between 2019 and 2023, while heroin experimentation rose by 350,000 to reach 850,000 users. 

“Young adults have shown the highest increases in experimentation and yearly usage,” said Obradovic. 

The illegal drug trade in France generates between 3.5 and six billion euros annually. A recent OFDT study calculated the social cost – including lost lives, reduced quality of life and public finance impact – at 7.7 billion euros. 

“Heroin use no longer only affects the most vulnerable – there are more socially integrated people who consume it nasally,” Obradovic said. 

The report noted changing attitudes have contributed to cocaine’s spread, with the drug now being seen as more familiar and less dangerous than two decades ago. 

The company – which manages accommodation and food for fly-in fly-out (Fifo) mining workers in desert locations – posted a €10 million loss last year as it struggled to meet the expectations of its well-paid clientele.

Its woes deepened when a major contract with Fortescue Metals Group to manage camps at its Chichester iron ore hub in the Pilbara region of Western Australia was awarded to Canadian competitor Civeo.

“The food they serve is pretty much always disgusting, sometimes it’s completely inedible and are meals I wouldn’t even give to my pets,” an unamed employee from Fortescue’s Christmas Creek camp told newspaper The West Australian.

Sodexo’s flagship €1.5 billion contract with Rio Tinto, which serves more than 20,000 miners, is set to expire in 2026.

While the company is in late-stage talks to renew the deal, industry rumours suggest Rio management is under pressure to explore other catering options as competitors improve their offerings.

Rival Mineral Resources, known for its “seafood Fridays”, has been rolling out an a la carte service at its camps to attract workers in a tight labour market.

Paris’s eco-friendly Olympic Village gets mixed reviews from athletes

Service upgrade

Sodexo’s setbacks have contributed to total losses of more than €100 million over nine years, despite its revenue more than doubling to over €610 million in the past decade.

In response to its bad press, Sodexo has launched an aggressive upgrade of its services, pumping €130 million of fresh equity into its Australian operations since 2017.

New offerings include American barbecue dishes like beef ribs and brisket at Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri camp, while Asian chefs prepare Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. The company is also planning to add yoga classes and hair salons to its facilities.

Rising costs have hit Sodexo hard. Labour expenses doubled over the past decade, climbing from €170 million to €312 million. Food costs, meanwhile, have soared to €141 million.

“Like any other player in the food and facilities management industry, we are not immune to the rising costs of labour and raw materials,” said Sodexo Australia chief financial officer Abhi Shan.

While Sodexo struggles, Civeo has reported significant profits over the past two years and secured the Fortescue contract Sodexo lost in 2024.

Despite its losses, Sodexo is doubling down on its resources sector strategy.

The company has renewed key contracts, launched 20 new sites across Australia, and recruited chefs from India to address labour shortages.

The office of new Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he met the French ambassador to Beirut on Tuesday to discuss preparations for Macron’s visit.

The French presidency confirmed the date.

The trip follows Lebanon’s breakthrough election of Aoun as president on Thursday, ending a two-year vacancy amid pressure from international powers including France, the country’s former colonial ruler.

On Monday, Aoun appointed Nawaf Salam, an international judge and diplomat, as prime minister. Salam now faces the challenge of forming a government to address Lebanon’s severe economic crisis, which has stretched over five years.

US and France lead backing for Lebanon-Israel ceasefire deal

‘Unwavering commitment’

“The unwavering commitment of France to support Lebanon, its sovereignty and unity” would be highlighted during the visit, said Macron’s office.

His trip follows a ceasefire in November between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which was announced by Macron and US President Joe Biden.

Under that deal, there is a 60-day period during which the Lebanese army is  expected to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.

At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometres from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the country’s south.

From protector to onlooker: how France lost its influence in Lebanon

Ceasefire committee

A committee composed of Israeli, Lebanese, French and US delegates, alongside a representative from the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of the deal.

“The trip will also be the occasion to work on the implementation of the ceasefire… and to reiterate France’s commitment towards this within UNIFIL,” his office said.

Macron said on Monday that Salam’s appointment represented “hope for change” in Lebanon.

Macron’s office said he hoped Salam’s government could be both “strong” and “represent all the diversity of the Lebanese people”.

A Paris conference on funding for Lebanon in October raised around $800 million for humanitarian aid in the Mediterranean country.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides visited Lebanon on Friday.

(with AFP)

During a 90-minute address to the National Assembly, Bayrou said: “I have decided to put the pensions issue back on the table, with the social partners, for a short time and under transparent conditions.”

 The 73-year-old, who replaced Michel Barnier last December, said the review would be done without any restrictions.

François Bayrou named French prime minister as Macron seeks stability

President Emmanuel Macron pledged to revamp France’s complicated system of pensions as part of his second term in office. The proposals led to widespread protests over the key plank of the reforms – raising the retirement age to 63 by the end of 2026 and 64 by 2030.

Ushering in the rethink, Bayou said the timeline gave the review panel a window of opportunity.

“But I would like to set a shorter-term deadline, in the autumn, when the next social security funding bill will be discussed,” he added.

Bayrou, in his first major policy speech to French MPs, told them that he was going to ask the Cour des Comptes (independent auditors of public finances) to draw up detailed figures for the review.

“I am convinced that we can seek a new path of reform without totems or taboos, not even the retirement age is exempt, provided that it meets the requirements set – not to worsen the financial equilibrium of the system, which would be an unforgivable mistake,” he said.

France’s Prime Minister Bayrou names new cabinet

Reforming pensions

The review panel is likely to consist of unions and employers’ organisations as well as government officials. Bayrou added: “If, in the course of this conclave, this delegation comes up with an agreement that is balanced and fairer, we will adopt it. The matter will be referred to parliament in the next Social Security Financing Bill or before, if necessary by means of a law.”

He warned that if no new agreements were struck, the current plan adopted in April 2023 would apply.

France’s new economy, budget ministers get to work on budget for 2025

Shortly after Macron signed the pension reform into law, his approval ratings plummeted mainly due to his party’s decision to ram the pensions law through parliament without a vote via Article 49.3.

The Socialist party leader, Olivier Faure, said that Macron’s move showed disdain towards the anti-pension protest movement while hard-left MP François Ruffin denounced the action as a democratic hold-up.

Advocates of the changes say they are necessary to avoid annual pension deficits forecast to hit 13.5 billion euros by 2030, according to government figures.

Bayrou’s move to look again at pensions is regarded as a conciliatory gesture to critics of Macron’s brainchild. But the prime minister faces a challenge to find a common voice over the budget plan for 2025.

The failure to gain a consensus led to Barnier’s downfall in a no-confidence vote last year after only three months in office.

French PM Bayrou defends choices to lead country out of ‘difficult situation’

Sword of Damocles

Bayrou, like Barnier, lacks a majority in the National Assembly and could be dispatched just as theatrically if he fails to win backing from enough opposition MPs.

“This debt is a sword of Damocles over our country and our social model,” Bayrou said. “We have many reasons to worry, but one emerges with resounding force: our excessive debt.”

France is under pressure from the European Commission for overspending and from high refinancing costs demanded by financial markets.

Bayrou said that the 2025 public-sector deficit target was now projected at 5.4 percent of gross domestic product, against five percent targeted by Barnier’s administration.

“The task that the country has set us is to return to stability,” Bayrou added.

Most observers expect the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party to lodge a no-confidence motion after Bayrou’s speech but this cannot take place without the support of the Socialist party.

“They give the impression of being very active,” said Green party leader Marine Tondelier about the government’s efforts at compromise. “But the outcome is meagre,” she told the French news agency AFP.

(With newswires)

The siege, which began in August at the mine in the town of Stilfontein, about 150km from Johannesburg, cut off food and water supplies for months in an attempt to force the miners to the surface so that they could be arrested.

On Monday, authorities used a metal cage to begin recovering men and bodies from the shaft, in an operation expected to run for days.

“We don’t know exactly how many people are remaining there,” South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu told broadcaster eNCA. “We are focusing on getting them, assisting them out.”

It was difficult to say when all the miners would be brought up, he said, adding: “When each one of the miners who are underground went there, no one was counting.”

In a statement, police said 51 bodies had been retrieved by Tuesday night, following nine the previous day.

Bodies recovered in operation to rescue hundreds trapped in South African mine

Survivors arrested

The 106 survivors pulled from the mine on Tuesday were arrested for illegal mining, swelling the figure of 26 a day earlier, they added.

For decades, South Africa‘s precious metals industry has battled illegal mining, which costs the government and industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year in lost sales, taxes and royalties, a mining industry body estimates.

Typically, it is centred on mines abandoned by companies as they are no longer commercially viable on a large scale. Unlicensed miners, known locally for taking a chance, go in to extract whatever may be left.

The South African government has said the siege of the Stilfontein mine was necessary to fight illegal mining, which Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe called “a war on the economy”.

But residents and rights groups have criticised the crackdown, part of an operation called “Close the Hole”.

“The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution responsible for the manufacture and quality control of the medals, to assess any complaints about the medals and to understand the circumstances and cause of any damage,” the IOC said on Monday.

“Defective medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved identically.

“The replacement process should begin in the coming weeks.”

A spokesperson for the Monnaie de Paris refuted the term “defective” and said that the medals signalled by athletes as being “damaged” since the month of August have already been replaced.

“We have replaced all the damaged medals since August and we will continue to do so in the same professional manner as before,” said the spokesperson, adding that replacements were “underway” and were being made “as requests come in”.

More than 100 defective medals

According to French online media outlet La Lettre, “more than 100 defective medals have been returned by disgruntled athletes”, who have seen their awards deteriorate.

Some Olympians from the Paris Games took to social media to share photos of their medals.

One such athlete was American skateboarder Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in the street skateboarding competition on 29 July.

Ten days later he posted a picture of his medal, where he complained about its quality.

“These Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re apparently not as high quality as you would think,” he said.

“It’s looking rough. Even the front. It’s starting to chip off a little.”

Quality of the vernish

According to La Lettre, the medals “had to bear the brunt of the new products used”, as new regulations banned a component of the varnish previously employed and “had to be replaced at short notice”.

The 5,084 gold, silver and bronze medals for Paris 2024 were designed by luxury jewellery and watch firm Chaumet and produced by the Monnaie de Paris.

How French jewellery house Chaumet designed the Olympic medals

Each medal contains a small piece of the Eiffel Tower, taken from the stocks of the Parisian monument’s operating company.

(with AFP)

Marjane Satrapi arrived in France in 1994 and gained French nationality in 2006.

In July, she was awarded the Legion of Honour, France’s highest order of merit, but the graphic novel author and filmmaker decided to “reject” the honor, in a letter addressed to France’s Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, which was published on Instagram on Monday.

France’s visa policies

“I can’t ignore what I see as a hypocritical attitude towards Iran,” Satrapi wrote, clarifying that her decision was not meant to disrespect the award itself.

Satrapi particularly pointed to France’s visa policies, which she believes favour the children of Iran‘s elite over dissidents.

 “I can’t continue seeing the children of Iranian oligarchs come to spend their holidays in France, even become naturalised, while at the same time young dissidents have difficulty in obtaining a tourist visa to come to see what the country of the Enlightenment and human rights looks like,” she wrote.

“When you have people who are fighting for democracy, you need to support them,” she told French news agency AFP on Monday.

She joins an illustrious list of artists and intellectuals to have refused the Legion of Honour – including philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux, and economist Thomas Piketty. 

(with AFP)

The often fraught relations between France and its former colony Algeria have hit an all-time low after a series of disagreements over Western Sahara, the detention of a French-Algerian writer and a French-Algerian blogger accused of inciting violence. Both countries have spoken of “humiliation” and “dishonour”. Arab world specialist  Adlene Mohammedi talks about bilateral relations being polluted by internal affairs – notably Algiers’ lack of democratic legitimacy and the increasing influence of the far right in France. And while the sorely needed level-headed diplomacy  is more needed than ever, it’s been run down in both countries.   (Listen @2’05”)

France’s remarkable geological diversity means the country is prime dinosaur territory – home to fossils from all three periods of the dinosaur age.  The first dinosaurs were discovered in France in the 19th century, but as paleontologist Eric Buffetaut explains, many of the major finds have been in the last 40 years, thanks to amateur paleontologists around the country. (Listen @21’25”)

France enacted a law decriminalising abortion on 17 January 1975. Ollia Horton talks about the legacy of that right and how despite being  enshrined in the constitution, access 50 years later is still not guaranteed. (Listen @14’40”)

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani. 

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878).

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

WORLD RADIO DAY is coming up – it’s on 13 February. As we do every year, we’ll have a feast in The Sound Kitchen, filled with your voices.

Send your SHORT recorded WRD greetings to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr by 1 February. This year’s theme is “Radio and Climate Change”, but you don’t have to talk about the theme – if you just want to say “hello!”, that’s fine, too.

Be sure you include your name and where you live in your message.

Most importantly, get under a blanket to record. This will make your recording broadcast quality.

Bombard me with your greetings!!!!

The RFI English team is pleased to announce that Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan, won the RFI / Planète Radio ePOP video contest, in the RFI Clubs category. Bravo Saleem! Mubarak ho!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English – that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On the 23rd of November, I asked you a question about the legislative elections in Senegal, which were won by a comfortable margin by Pastef, the ruling party.

The win came just a few months after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye secured the presidency, pledging economic transformation, social justice, and a fight against corruption, so now the way is cleared for Faye and Pastef to carry out ambitious reforms. May they succeed!

You were to re-read our article “Senegal’s ruling Pastef party on track to get large majority in elections”, and send in the answer to these questions: How many registered voters are there in Senegal, how many members are there in the Parliament, and for how long do those MPs serve?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Senegal’s roughly 7.3 million registered voters were called to elect 165 MPs for five-year terms.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is the best thing to wake up to?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Kashif Khalil from Faisalabad, Pakistan, who is also this week’s bonus question winner.

Congratulations on your double win, Kashif!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Nafisa Khatun, the president of the RFI Mahila Shrota Sangha Club in West Bengal, India, and Nahid Hossen, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. There’s RFI Listeners Club member Sunil Dhungana from Braga, Portugal, and last but not least, RFI English listener Renu Sharma from Rajasthan, India.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: Slavonic Dance op. 46 No. 6 by Antonin Dvorak, performed by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by George Szell; “Jarabi”, written and performed by Toumani Diabaté and Sidiki Diabaté; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “La Musette” by Léojac and René Flouron, performed by Berthe Sylva with the Orchestre des Concerts Parisiens conducted by André Cadou.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Melissa Chemam’s article “France’s ex-president Sarkozy on trial over alleged Gaddafi pact”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 3 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 8 February podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

This week, we focus on the fight against the exploitation of ‘blood minerals’ or ‘conflict minerals’ in Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Conflic minerals is the term used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to describe minerals sourced from conflict-affected and high-risk areas, such as tantalum, tin, tungsten (referred to as the ‘3Ts’), gold, cobalt, coltan, and lithium.

These minerals are essential for high-tech applications, including smartphones, electric batteries, and other advanced technology such as appliances, cars, and even wind turbines. They are predominantly found in the African Great Lakes region, especially in eastern DRC.

In an effort to combat the illegal and exploitative trade of these minerals, the NGO Global Witness established a transition team several years ago.

The May 2022 a report from Global Witness revealed that these minerals are used in products by international brands such as Apple, Intel, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, and Tesla.

Now, with a trial underway in France and Belgium accusing Apple, many observers are hopeful that it could bring about meaningful change.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a criminal case against European subsidiaries of the tech giant Apple, alleging the company has illicitly used conflict minerals in its supply chain.

The American company claims it no longer sources conflict minerals from Central Africa, but is it doing enough?

DRC case against Apple brings new hope in conflict minerals crisis

The complaints filed against Apple have been described by lawyers involved as a matter of significant public interest.

European countries, consumers, and non-governmental organisations are increasingly scrutinising the international supply chains of minerals, with calls for highly profitable companies to be held accountable.

This complaint could mark the beginning of a broader wave of legal actions targeting technology companies linked to the sourcing of conflict minerals.

To examine the implications of this trial, this week’s guest is Gregory Mthembu-Salter, a researcher specialising in Africa’s political economy and a former consultant to the UN Group of Experts on the DRC on due diligence regarding conflict minerals. He is based in South Africa.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale.

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Be Our Guest” by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman; “Auld Lang Syne”, performed by the Glenn Miller Orch, and “New Year Resolution” by M. Cross, R. Catron, and W. Parker, performed by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas.

The quiz will be back next Saturday, 11 January, with the answer to the question about the legislative elections in Senegal. Be sure and tune in! 

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear what Helmut Matt, your fellow RFI English listener, has found to be true in his life. Don’t miss it!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Butterfly Lovers” by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, performed by the National Cinema Symphony Orchestra.

Next week, be sure and tune in for a special program featuring your New Year Resolutions and Wishes for 2025.

The Syrian National Army, supported by Turkish air power, is pushing against the US-supported People’s Defense Units (YPG), which Ankara claims is linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PKK, which has been fighting Turkey for decades. 

The YPG controls a large swathe of Syria bordering Turkey, which Ankara says poses a security threat.

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan says Turkey is determined to prevent the YPG and its affiliate the PKK from exploiting a power vacuum following the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

As Erdogan celebrates Turkish role in ousting Assad, uncertainty lies ahead

“We are in communication with the groups to make sure that terrorist organisations, especially Daesh [Islamic State] and the PKK, are not taking advantage of the situation,” he said. “Turkey is committed to continuing the fight against terrorism. All minorities – non-Muslims, Christians, non-Arabs, Kurds – should be treated equally.”

Opportunity for Ankara

Ever since the YPG took over control of the Syrian territory at the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Ankara has been seeking to remove it. 

With the ousting of the Assad regime and the withdrawal of its Iranian and Russian backers, which had in the past blocked Turkish military interventions, analysts say Ankara now sees an opportunity to finally remove the YPG threat.

“The current situation creates an opportunity for its [Turkey’s] fight against PKK and YPG because there is now no Russia, there is no Iran,” explains Bilgehan Alagoz, a professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Marmara University.

“Turkey was facing the Russian forces, the Iranian forces, and Assad’s regime forces while it was combatting the PKK and YPG,” she added. “We can name it as an opportunity for its fight against PKK and YPG.”

Success of rebel groups in Syria advances Turkish agenda

However, the YPG is still being supported by a small US military force, as part of the war against the Islamic State (IS). The YPG is also detaining thousands of IS militants.

‘The Euphrates is a line’

With the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army now approaching the Euphrates River, analysts say further eastward advances could put Ankara on a collision course with both Washington, and Syria’s new rulers – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. 

“The Euphrates now is like a line perhaps for the US military,” explains Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region and is now a foreign policy analyst for Turkey’s independent Medyascope news outlet.

“If that [military advance] goes on as such, it could bring Turkey indirectly head to head with the US, with even perhaps HTS, and it could put Ankara in a delicate diplomatic position again,” warned Selcen.

Tensions with Israel

The Israeli military’s advance into Syria is adding to Ankara’s concerns over the threat posed by the PYG and its political wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar last month described the Kurds as a “natural ally” of Israel, a comment that came amid growing Israeli-Turkish tensions.

Turkey seeks Gaza ceasefire role despite US criticism over Hamas ties

“Israel is now carving out a corridor [in Syria] between the PKK/PYD-controlled territories, and its own territories,” explained Hasan Unal, a professor of international relations at Ankara’s Baskent University.

“That suggests that this is what they [Israel] are trying to do – [to create] a Kurdish puppet state east of the Euphrates. And this is something that is likely to create lots of problems with Turkey,” he added.

With Israel’s presence in Syria, Ankara is likely to step up pressure on the YPG, and on the incoming Trump administration to end US military presence in Syria.

Madhya Pradesh is often referred to as the Heart of India. Located right in the middle of the country, the Indian region shows everything India has to offer through its abundant diversity. The IFTM trade show, which took place in Paris at the end of September, presented the perfect opportunity for travel enthusiasts to discover the region.

Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh’s tourism board, sat down to explain his approach to sustainable tourism.

“Post-covid the whole world has known a shift in their approach when it comes to tourism. And all those discerning travelers want to have different kinds of experiences: something offbeat, something new, something which has not been explored before.”

Through its UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Shukla wants to showcase the deep history Madhya Pradesh has to offer.

“UNESCO is very actively supporting us and three of our sites are already World Heritage Sites. Sanchi is a very famous buddhist spiritual destination, Bhimbetka is a place where prehistoric rock shelters are still preserved, and Khajuraho is home to thousand year old temples with magnificent architecture.”

All in all, Shukla believes that there’s only one way forward for the industry: “Travelers must take sustainable tourism as a paradigm in order to take tourism to the next level.”

In partnership with Madhya Pradesh’s tourism board.

Also known as the Land of the Beautiful Islands, Malaysia’s landscape and cultural diversity is almost unmatched on the planet. Those qualities were all put on display at the Malaysian stand during the IFTM trade show.

Libra Hanif, director of Tourism Malaysia, explained the appeal of the country as well as the importance of promoting sustainable tourism today: “Sustainable travel is a major trend now, with the changes that are happening post-covid. People want to get close to nature, to get close to people. So Malaysia being a multicultural and diverse [country] with a lot of natural environments, we felt that it’s a good thing for us to promote Malaysia.”

Malaysia has also gained fame in recent years, through its numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which include Kinabalu Park and the Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley.

Green mobility has also become an integral part of tourism in Malaysia, with an increasing number of people using bikes to discover the country: “If you are a little more adventurous, we have the mountain back trails where you can cut across gazetted trails to see the natural attractions and the wildlife that we have in Malaysia,” says Hanif. “If you are not that adventurous, you’ll be looking for relaxing cycling. We also have countryside spots, where you can see all the scenery in a relaxing session.”

With more than 25,000 visitors at this IFTM trade show this year, Malaysia’s tourism board got to showcase the best the country and its people have to offer.

In partnership with Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. For more information about Malaysia, click here.