European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for a “surge” in European defence spending, urging the continent to take greater responsibility for its security.

Tuesday’s remarks at the European parliament in Strasbourg coincide with French President Emmanuel Macron’s gathering of military chiefs from 30 European and NATO countries in Paris to discuss Ukraine and wider security challenges.

“Europe’s security order is being shaken,” von der Leyen warned, stressing that the continent can no longer assume “America’s full protection”.

“The time of illusions is now over. Europe must step up and take charge of its own defence,” she declared. “We need a surge in European defence. And we need it now”.

Macron hosts European military chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees

Strengthening deterrence

Von der Leyen’s call comes as US President Donald Trump’s commitment to Ukraine and NATO has faltered, raising fears that Washington may scale back its security role.

Meanwhile, his openness to negotiating with Russia over Ukraine has sparked concerns that Kyiv could be pressured into an unfavourable deal.

“Putin cannot be trusted – he can only be deterred,” von der Leyen asserted, noting that Russia is outspending all of Europe combined on defence.

However, she expressed confidence in Europe’s ability to rise to the challenge: “We all wish for peace. But if we unleash our industrial power, we can restore deterrence against those who seek to do us harm,” she added.

Europe at a crossroads: can the EU unite amid shifting US ties?

Next steps for European defence

Thursday’s address comes as the European Commission has proposed redirecting cohesion funds – normally earmarked for poorer EU regions – towards defence and easing restrictions on military investments by the European Investment Bank.

With defence high on the agenda, EU leaders will meet at a summit in Brussels next week to further develop a common strategy.

Ahead of this, the Commission will publish a white paper outlining options to “substantially boost financing for European defence.”

“The European Council will continue to drive this work forward – to build our deterrence and strengthen security,” according to European Council President Antonio Costa.

Some in the EU Parliament are calling for joint borrowing, similar to measures taken during the Covid-19 crisis, however opposition remains from member states like Germany.

President Emmanuel Macron is to address Tuesday’s meeting, which he has said is being held in tight coordination with NATO military command.

More than three years since Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine, Europe is scrambling to boost its defences and break free from dependence on the United States.

This comes as US President Donald Trump announced a halt to military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, forcing European nations to reassess their strategy.

Trump has also renewed communication with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and criticised Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky, raising fears in Kyiv and among European allies that the US leader may try to force Ukraine to accept a settlement favouring Russia.

Ukraine on Tuesday, in talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia, was to propose an aerial and naval ceasefire with Russia, according to a Ukrainian official.

Macron sounds alarm on US-Russia shift, urges Europe to stand firm

Coalition of the willing

Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been leading efforts to form a so-called “coalition of the willing” to enforce an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine.

Macron last week said any European troops in Ukraine would only be deployed “once a peace deal is signed, to guarantee it is fully respected”.

Defence ministers from Europe’s five main military powers – France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland – are to meet in the French capital on Wednesday.

Those talks will centre on the “necessary rearmament of Europe” and military support to Ukraine, one of the French defence minister’s aides has said.

Starmer will, in turn, host virtual talks on Saturday with leaders of the nations willing to help support the ceasefire, his office has said.

‘Europe must do the heavy lifting’ in Ukraine, needs ‘US backing’: UK’s Starmer

Shifting geopolitical landscape

Macron’s decision to hold Tuesday’s gathering falls in line with his long-held vision of a stronger, independent European defence strategy.

In a recent address, Macron stressed the need for Europe to be ready to act alone if necessary, given the shifting geopolitical landscape and uncertainties surrounding external support.

Macron affirmed that France must be prepared to step up if the United States is no longer willing or able to provide support.

France’s commitment is reinforced by the European Union’s ambitious plans to ramp up defence spending.

At an emergency summit in Brussels last week, EU leaders agreed to a historic boost in defence budgets, focused on enhancing the continent’s military capabilities.

EU leaders vow to boost defence as US announces new talks with Kyiv

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a fund of up to €800 billion, including €150 billion in loans for joint procurement of European defence equipment.

Meanwhile, Macron has extended France’s nuclear deterrent offer to the rest of Europe, with the aim of securing cooperation by mid-2025.

Clément Beaune – the newly appointed High Commissioner for Planning in France and former Minister for Europe – spoke to RFI on Monday, emphasising that while Europeans are committed to rearming, “a lot of time has been lost on European defence”.

He told RFI that France must invest more in its armed forces “without breaking its social model”.

Defending his role as High Commissioner for Planning – a position previously held by Prime Minister François Bayrou – Beaune insisted that “thinking about the long term is not a luxury but a necessity”.

During the first leg, the Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson produced a string of saves to keep PSG at bay. The 32-year-old Brazil international described the game as the performance of a lifetime.

But six days later, his PSG counterpart shone. The 26-year-old Italy international repelled efforts from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones while Gonçalo Ramos and Ousmane Dembélé converted their attempts for PSG.

Their accuracy and Donnarumma’s heroics set up Désiré Doué with the chance to take PSG into the next round and the 19-year-old swept the ball confidently into the right hand side of Alisson’s goal.

“It does not matter if we deserve the win,” said the PSG boss Luis Enrique after the tie.

“I think both of the teams deserved to go through. We were better in Paris and they were better here. My team showed great personality and character at Anfield. The atmosphere was great and it was tough.”

Change

During the first leg at the Parc des Princes on 5 March, PSG pulverized Liverpool but Harvey Elliott scored late to give the English Premier League leaders the advantage.

That was erased 12 minutes into the second leg when Dembélé profited from a mix-up between Alisson and Ibrahima Konaté to tap home.

“It was the best game of football I have ever been involved in,” said Liverpool manager Arne Slot said. “It was an incredible performance, especially if you compare it with last week. We were creating chances and then we were 1-0 down. We ran out of luck after last week.”

Elsewhere in the competition, Harry Kane and Alphonso Davies were on target for Bayern Munich who completed a 5-0 aggregate victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

Barcelona won their second leg 3-1 against Benfica to move into the last eight 4-1 on aggregate and Inter Milan’s 2-1 success at the San Siro over Feyenoord enabled them to progress to the quarter-finals where they will play Bayern.

French President Emmanuel Macron has reaffirmed France’s unwavering support for Moldova in the face of increasing Russian attempts to destabilise the Eastern European country.

During a visit by Moldovan President Maia Sandu to Paris on Monday, both leaders signed agreements to strengthen cooperation, particularly in countering disinformation and improving Moldova’s energy resilience.

Macron condemned what he described as “increasingly uninhibited Russian attempts at destabilisation,” highlighting the pressures Moldova has faced since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sandu, who was sworn in for a second term in December, has been vocal about Russian interference in Moldovan elections, warning that Moscow seeks to undermine Moldova’s sovereignty and use it as a tool against Ukraine.

France says it will support Moldova amid fears of Russian destabilisation

Strengthening bilateral ties against disinformation

A key outcome of Sandu’s visit was the signing of an agreement between Moldova and France to enhance cooperation in detecting and combating digital disinformation.

The partnership involves collaboration between the French government agency Viginum and Moldova’s Strategic Communication Centre to protect Moldova’s electoral processes from foreign interference.

Both leaders emphasised the critical role of truth in safeguarding democracy.

Sandu underscored that in today’s geopolitical landscape, “truth is as vital as security,” highlighting the strategic importance of countering Russian propaganda.

The move comes in response to multiple reports of Russian-backed efforts to manipulate Moldova’s 2024 elections, including cyberattacks, vote buying, and misinformation campaigns.

European leaders meet in Moldova in show of unity against Russia

Energy resilience and economic cooperation

Another significant development from Sandu’s visit was the signing of a €30 million agreement with the French Development Agency to improve Moldova’s energy efficiency.

With Moldova striving to reduce its reliance on Russian energy, the deal will help lower costs and reinforce the country’s energy independence.

Moldova has accused Russia of engineering an artificial energy crisis to destabilise the nation ahead of the recent elections.

The suspension of gas exports to Moldova’s separatist Transnistria region by Gazprom has further intensified tensions.

France’s investment in improving Moldova’s energy infrastructure is a key step towards mitigating the economic and political leverage Russia holds over the country.

EU members look to support Moldova, send muntions to Ukraine to offset Russian expansionism

Moldova’s diplomatic position

Diplomatic relations between Moldova and Russia remain tense, with the Kremlin recently accusing Chisinau of violating diplomatic conventions by refusing to formally accept the credentials of Russia’s ambassador.

Moldova’s Foreign Ministry rejected Moscow’s claims, asserting that its decision aligns with international norms under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.

Sandu justified the decision, pointing to Moscow’s repeated disrespect towards Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Kremlin had summoned Moldova’s ambassador to protest the move, but Chisinau has remained firm in its stance, arguing that Russia’s actions – including its military presence in Transnistria and interference in Moldova’s internal affairs – justify Moldova’s cautious approach to diplomatic engagement.

As Moldova pushes forward with its EU membership ambitions, Sandu reiterated the need for strong support from European allies.

She warned that Moscow’s strategy is to exploit Moldova’s vulnerabilities and subvert its democracy.

Given Moldova’s proximity to the war in neighbouring Ukraine and its history of Russian influence, the country remains a key geopolitical battleground.

(With newswires)

The findings by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) coincide with an announcement by European Union states that they intend to strengthen the continent’s defence capabilities.

This comes after US President Donald Trump said Europe should become less dependent on the US. 

The report published on Monday found that the United States strengthened its position as the world’s top weapons exporter with some 43 percent of global exports and France confirmed a distant second place with 9.6 percent.

“France has now cemented its place as the second largest exporter vis-a-vis Russia, which was at that position some time ago,” Mathew George, director of Sipri’s Arms Transfer Programme told RFI.

France is also “making those inroads into different areas with exports to Asia and the Middle East,” he says. “So it’s really growing.”

Arms embargoes 

According to Sipri’s report which covers 2020 – 2024, Ukraine became the world’s largest arms importer with a growth of “9.627 percent more than the previous period”, which is “mind-boggling,” George says.

Russia accounted for only 0.5 percent of global arms imports between 2020 and 2024, but mainly “because Russia has mostly relied on domestic arms production to meet its demand,” George explains.

In that period, Russia did import missiles with a range of 100 kilometres or more and one-way attack drones from Iran and artillery and missiles with a range of 450 kilometres from North Korea.

But figures are hard to come by due to arms embargoes on the three countries, George explains.

“We make conservative estimates. Unfortunately we don’t have that much transparency in those transfers.”

Warring states’ exports down

Exports coming from Russia and Ukraine went substantially down over the 2020-2024 period, Sipri’s report shows.

Ukraine became the 20th largest exporter down from the 12th, with a a reduction of 72 percent less exports, while Russian exports declined by 64 percent. 

George points out that this decline already started before the 2022 invasion, “most likely related to Russia’s decision to prioritise the production of its major arms for its own armed forces over those for export”.

This was aggravated by further effects caused by multilateral trade sanctions imposed on Russia and increased pressure from the US and its allies on other states not to buy Russian arms.

Russian arms exports remained at around the same levels of 2023, which was some 47 percent lower than 2022.

Arms imports by European NATO members more than doubled their arms imports in comparison to the period 2015-2020, which preceded the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

According to Sipri’s database, 64 percent of Europe’s arms imports come from the US, followed by France, South Korea, Germany and Israel.

Last week, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the union’s spending on weapon procurement will be increased to €800 billion.

Windfall for European arms makers as Brussels ramps up defence spending

George isn’t sure how this will impact current weapon transfers in the long term.

“We’ll have to see what and where that is translated into. There has to be a lot of mobilisation in what the industry will need to do to support the requirements of Europe.” 

“We’ll have to wait and see where that 800 billion gets invested into, whether that means that countries will again focus on their own industry to buy more European.

“Some of these decisions are not so much about what’s available for us, but also to improve relationships and long-term relationships for a shared strategic objective.” George says. 

During the Paris Olympic Games and the rest of the year, 2024 was marked by a “large number of destabilisation attacks”, noted Anssi in its report entitled Panorama de la cybermenace (Panorama of Cyberthreats), published on Tuesday.

Anssi‘s director Vincent Strubel, told France Inter radio that for example, a pro-Russian group “threatened to attack sewage treatment plants, to pollute the Seine during the Olympic Games”.

He said that these actions were mainly carried out by pro-Russian and pro-Palestinian hacktivist groups, some of which may be affiliated with States,” he said.

Anssi refers to “hacktivist groups with a low level of technicality” but “a strong capacity to publicise their activities.”

In the report Anssi names operators like Cyber ​​Army of Russia Reborn (CARR) and Lulzsec Muslims, who “managed to access management interfaces exposed on the Internet.”

Hackers target Grand Palais Olympics venue and other Paris museums

Strubel says the actions put in place by French authorities to deter the wave of attacks was a success and “no computer attack disrupted the smooth running” of Olympic sporting events.

Anssi says that 4,386 security incidents were reported in 2024, representing 15 percent more than in 2023. 

Of the total, 3,004 concerned abnormal or unexpected behavior on computer systems and 1,361 were labelled as security events where Anssi confirmed that a cyberattack had been detected.

Make an impression

Although a peak was reached in July, the incidents did not all concern the Olympics.

With regards to the other attacks carried out throughout the year, their aim was “to disrupt the functioning of different infrastructures, to make an impression,” Strubel told French news agency AFP.

According to Anssi, these attacks targeted renewable energy production sites, the State Interministerial Network (RIE) and telecom infrastructures.

In its analysis, Anssi noted an increase in attacks targeting IT security tools such as firewalls or VPNs.

France deploys crisis cell to deal with fallout of major cyberattack

“When these devices have vulnerabilities, it’s pretty quickly catastrophic,” Strubel says. “It’s a little troubling to think that we’re buying security equipment that ends up being the gateway for attackers, but beyond that, the reality of the threat and the ability of attackers to seize it is something that concerns us.”

At the same time, ransomware attacks, capable of blocking access to a computer system in exchange for the payment of a ransom, have continued to flourish.

Small and medium-sized companies continue to be the preferred targets: in 2024, they represented 37 percent of ransomware victims, compared to 34 percent the previous year.

Universities and higher education institutions represent 12 percent of these types of ransomware attacks, Anssi reported.

Over the past few years, French President Emmanuel Macron has addressed the issue of cyber security and promised to inject significant funds into readying the country to tackle new threats.

(with newswires)

Hospitals were quickly overwhelmed, unprecedented lockdowns were introduced around the world and the global economy suffered its worst crisis in more than a century. In 2023, the maximum alert level was lifted, but while the virus is now far less deadly, it has not disappeared.

Covid-19 monitoring is far less rigorous now, making it difficult to obtain figures that reflect the reality of the reach of the virus today. However, 11,000 cases of Covid-19 in a single week were recently reported to the WHO by around 50 countries, along with 500 deaths per week.

In France, where precise monitoring is now only carried out in winter, 5,600 deaths associated with the virus were recorded for the 2023-2024 season.

Covid-19 is still killing people, but in far smaller numbers. This is because a huge proportion of the world’s population is now immune, protected from severe forms of the disease by vaccination and/or previous infections.

Five years on, WHO repeats call for China to share Covid data

The variant that has been circulating since the end of 2021, Omicron, and its sub-lineages, may also be less virulent than previous variants, according to some experts. But Covid-19 remains a dangerous illness for the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

The vaccine gap

Reflecting this, vaccination is still strongly recommended for vulnerable people – those over 65, people with chronic illnesses and those with immunodeficiency. In France, these groups are still encouraged to take up a booster vaccine every year.

Probe into French government’s handling of Covid ends with no indictments

Such campaigns, previously aimed at the entire population, changed the course of the pandemic. Highly effective vaccines were developed in record time, including those using innovative technology based on messenger RNA. According to one study by Imperial College London, 20 million lives were saved in 2021 thanks to vaccines.

But this figure would have been higher had access to vaccines in low-income countries not been delayed and limited. As such, the pandemic threw a harsh light on global health inequality.

The threat of misinformation

The pandemic also gave rise to a flood of fake news and scientific misinformation – a phenomenon that would represent a danger to public health in the event of another pandemic.

“For me, the most important thing is that a certain number of people were talking nonsense, for example saying that it was a flu, that there wouldn’t be a second wave… These people are criminals. We still haven’t completely solved the problem.

“Not enough people have been prosecuted for this. Because we have to realise that these people are responsible for some of the deaths from Covid-19,” said Stéphane Gaudry, professor of intensive care medicine at Avicenne Hospital, north of Paris, and vice-dean of the faculty of medicine at Sorbonne Paris Nord University.

RFK Jr, vaccine critic turned US health secretary, hints at overhaul

He continued: “When we see on social networks that this is persisting and that it is likely to grow – because in the United States now, with the new American minister of health, untruths are considered to be truths – I think that’s what’s most worrying. We all know very well that quackery and conspiracy theories could get us into trouble if they come back.”

This article was adapted from the original version in French.

France co-founded the United Nations International Labour Organisation in 1919, championing “equal pay for equal work”, and in 1972, the agency wrote the principle of pay equality into its labour code.

In 1983, France’s Roudy law mandated equal opportunities in the workplace, requiring companies to publish annual reports comparing the situation of its male and female employees and introducing a tool to help human resources managers identify and measure pay differences.

In 2018, the country launched an index to monitor the performance of large companies in the field of gender equality.

But this battery of legal measures has still not enabled France to close its gender pay gap.

Data published this week by the French National Statistics Institute (Insee) showed that in 2023 women’s average annual salary was €21,340 net compared to €27,430 for men – a difference of more than 22 percent.

While there has been progress, the pace is slow, with the gap narrowing at a rate of 1 percent per year over the last five years.

The primary reasons behind the gender pay gap are hours worked and type of jobs held. Women work on average 9 percent less than men and they’re also more likely to work part-time. But even when working hours are identical, their average salary is 14.2 percent lower than men’s, Insee found.

What’s more, working part-time is not necessarily a life choice says Anne Eydoux, an economist specialising in employment and gender issues.

“It’s a choice made under constraint, and some of the constraints refer to the gender divide of family roles where women take [more] parental responsibility,” she tells RFI. “But it’s also the result of occupational segregation.” Women are over-represented in for example supermarket and cleaning jobs, where split shifts are common.

Sexism and workplace inequality is rife in most areas of French life, research shows

Gendered occupations

Women are also far more likely to work in low-paying sectors such as health, care and education.

According to Insee, more than 95 percent of secretaries are women, with an average full-time net salary of €2,044 per month.

Meanwhile, only a quarter of engineers and IT executives – professions in which average monthly net salaries are close to €4,000 – are women.

“Women are over-represented in the care sector, where their skills are under-recognised,” Eydoux said. “And this is a fact for many female-dominated occupations, as the Covid crisis showed.”

Women also have less access to the highest-paying jobs. In 2023, they accounted for 42 percent of full-time equivalent positions in the private sector, and yet just 24 percent of the top 1 percent of high-paying jobs. The glass ceiling is still there, as Eydoux noted.

France works towards gender equality in top jobs while UK women are still struggling

Cultural attitudes

Working less and in lower-paid sectors does not, however, fully explain the 22 percent wage gap. Women doing the same job as men in the same company are still paid 3.8 percent less.

There are historical and cultural reasons for this according to Marie Donzel, an expert in social innovation and author of  “Justified inequalities: how to pay women less with a clear conscience”.

Until 1945, France had a “female wage”. Based on the assumption that a woman’s pay was intended merely to supplement her husband’s income, “women could be paid 10 to 15 percent less just because of their gender,” Donzel told RFI. 

This has helped foster gendered attitudes towards salaries. “Women tend to see [their pay] in terms of how much they need to live, and men see it in terms of ‘how much my job is worth’,” she said.

Donzel also points to a cultural prevailing negative image of women who take an interest in money. “We have a gendered socialisation in France that teaches us to be modest. When we talk about money, there’s still the spectre of venality.”

Gender pay gap means French women are ‘working for free’ until end of year

‘I thought negotiating was vulgar’

Women themselves are not always aware that they’re being discriminated against. It took Nathalie, a regional director for a multinational company, 15 years to find out.

“While chatting with my male counterparts, I realised that I was earning about €1,000 less per month than they were,” she told Franceinfo. “I’d lost €150,000 over 15 years.”

After comparing pay slips with colleagues, she realised that “every time, the women had significantly more experience in the role, more qualifications, we checked all the boxes. And yet, we were paid less. And the higher you climb in the hierarchy, the bigger the gap becomes”.

Nathalie took her case to court and won, securing a raise for herself and her colleagues. She questions whether women “negotiate their salaries enough”.

The question of negotiating pay “is as taboo as sex,” says lawyer Insaff El Hassini.

She set up a training and coaching company called Ma Juste Valeur – meaning “My True Worth” – to help women overcome that barrier and negotiate their pay, after facing gender discrimination in the workplace herself.

“I found out my male colleague earned €5,000 a year more than me,” she told RFI.  “When I voiced my concerns I was told, ‘Well you’re already well paid, you should have negotiated your starting salary when you joined’. No one had told me you had to negotiate. I thought it was vulgar.”

Gender gap at work far wider than expected, women’s pay remains static, UN says

Closing the gap

This year France will implement the EU’s 2023 Pay Transparency Directive, obliging companies to provide employees with pay scales for equivalent posts. Both Eydoux and Donzel welcome this transparency measure.

Eydoux also points to economic measures such as increasing both the minimum wage and income tax on very high wages, which together would narrow the pay gap. But the French government, which is trying to reduce the country’s huge deficit and keep high-earners and businesses on board, is not currently in favour of either.

Donzel insists that salaries in the female-dominated education and care sectors must be raised, given the contribution they make to society. “Whether it’s taking care of children, the elderly or in caring professions, this is obviously what’s most valuable, yet the economy has reversed the value system and that’s what we pay the least for.”

Eydoux would also like to see France’s gender quota policy, which has proven “very efficient” in breaking the glass ceiling by imposing gender-balance on executive boards, extended to other sectors.

Growing ‘masculinist’ culture in France slows down fight against sexism

For the moment, however, she says there aren’t many signs of improvement: “I don’t see much political will to focus on the gender pay gap and reduce it.”

Resistance to gender equality is nothing new, she added, and while younger women in particular are “more conscious of the gender pay gap and more willing to improve the situation”, they are now facing new forms of resistance.  

“More and more young men are defending masculinist positions and ideologies,” she said, with some claiming the 22 percent gender pay gap is “fake news”.

The massacre at Thiaroye took place on 1 December, 1944, when French colonial troops opened fire on West African soldiers who had just returned from Europe, where they had been fighting for France. 

The tirailleurs sénégalais (Senegalese riflemen), as they were known, had been promised the same pay and pensions as their French counterparts. 

When they assembled peacefully to demand their rightful compensation, they were met with gunfire. The exact death toll remains disputed: official French accounts initially claimed only 35 casualties, while other estimates suggest more than 300 were killed. 

Before turning his lens on Thiaroye, Monteil had examined policing methods in France. He observed parallels between contemporary law enforcement tactics and the operations once carried out in Africa. 

“During my research, I made the connection between modern law enforcement and its colonial heritage,” he told RFI. 

Documenting Thiaroye through images became the natural next step for the photographer, in tribute to the Senegalese soldiers whose story has been largely forgotten. 

France honours WWII colonial troops shot dead by French army in Senegal

Recreating the past

The result is the book Fecci Worma, which means “High Treason” in the Wolof language.  

Over three years, Monteil travelled between France and Senegal, retracing the events. He visited Morlaix, on the Brittany coast, where the discharged Senegalese soldiers had boarded a ship home, and Thiaroye, where they were killed. 

Monteil timed his photographs to recreate the past – shooting in the early morning in Morlaix to mirror the soft light when the soldiers departed. 

He also shot portraits of descendants of the soldiers, as well as the historians and artists who have studied the massacre, and the caretaker of Thiaroye’s military cemetery. 

Alongside his photographs, Monteil has used infographics and maps to bring complex historical data to life. Using French military archives, he also reconstructed the layout of the Thiaroye transit camp, which served as a temporary home to demobilised soldiers following their service.  

By overlaying contemporary aerial images on historical maps, he revealed a geography that had been buried by time.  

“A black circle surrounded the site of the massacre, on military reports from that time,” he explained. His maps highlight where the soldiers’ barracks stood and where the French army entered the camp. 

Senegal mourns Thiaroye war heroes slain by French troops 80 years ago

These visual reconstructions could prove useful for archaeologists. In February, the Senegalese government announced plans for excavations, in order to determine the true number of soldiers killed.  

A hidden history

In a single, striking image, one of Monteil’s infographics lays bare the conflicting figures reported over the past 60 years. 

His research draws on diverse sources: French public archives, newspaper clippings, the work of Senegalese filmmaker Mansour Kébé from the 1980s, as well as testimonies from military personnel, historians and the children of the soldiers. 

French historian Armelle Mabon, a specialist in the Thiaroye massacre, provided access to her own archives, which expose contradictions and omissions in the French state’s version of events.

“She is a historian, a detective, a researcher. She brings a different sensitivity and vision of things – a book was missing,” Monteil says of Mabon. 

For both the photographer and the historian, uncovering the truth about Thiaroye remains an unfinished mission – and a crucial one because the official record still contains significant gaps, 80 years on.

“There are still obstructions from the French state and we clearly show them in this book,” Monteil says.  

Among the grey areas is the list of repatriated soldiers, the exact mapping of where the soldiers are buried and archives that appear deliberately truncated. 

Monteil notes with frustration that a French parliamentary commission, established to investigate the massacre, ultimately produced no findings. 

For his book project, he bypassed traditional publishing houses in favour of crowdfunding, a choice he says ensured complete editorial independence. “The Thiaroye massacre would not have interested many publishers.”

This story has been adapted from the original version in French by Juliette Dubois

Shea butter is widely used in the cosmetics industry, as well as by chocolatiers as a substitute for cocoa butter.

Diongoma was founded by Mariama Sylla in 2007. Located in Salemata, in the southeast of the country, its product has been certified “organic” by the Ecocert organisation since 2016.

This certification was hard-won, as according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the marketing of organic products in Senegal faces a number of constraints, including the high cost of certification processes.

From harvest to production, Sylla currently works with 3,000 women. She has enabled more favourable valuation of shea, which is a source of income for up to a third of households in Senegal.

RFI went to the Paris Agricultural Show to meet Diongoma to find out more.

Sylviane Boyer founded Pot en Ciel Kreol in 2023, in Cambaie in the north of Réunion, a French department in the Indian Ocean. She had taken over her family farm, which grew numerous vegetables native to the island.

“On Réunion Island, we have exotic vegetables, which have lots of antioxidants. We’re protected here on this little volcanic island, in terms of all the produce we have,” Boyer told RFI. “There are vegetables that can’t be found in mainland France… papaya, chayote, watercress that grow in our mountains. And chillies.”

Over the years, Boyer began to notice a rise in cases of diabetes, Crohn’s disease and high cholesterol. It was at this point that she became interested in micronutrition – the practice of optimising the diet to include vitamins and minerals the body needs – and discovered lacto-fermentation.

“We have lots of health problems because we eat too much fat and sugar. This led me to study lacto-fermentation a bit and I found that, scientifically speaking, a lot has been proven about it, which brought me back to it.”

Why do France’s overseas territories have a diabetes problem?

This technique is very common in several Africa countries, where access to electricity can be limited, making food preservation a challenge.

“In Africa, babies’ first meals are made using lacto-fermentation. It’s a natural process to follow,” says Boyer.

This ancient food preservation technique involves immersing food in salted water to encourage the growth of lactic acid bacteria.

“We use large vats where we put local fruits and vegetables from Réunion, along with water and natural, unrefined salt from Saint Leu. This process helps us pre-digest the food and release its full bioavailability,” explains Mégane Mardemoutou, sales manager at Pot en Ciel Kreol.

“This process develops probiotics and prebiotics, multiplies vitamin C, vitamin K – which is very important for the heart – and various B vitamins like B2 and B6.”

One local vegetable the company works with is bitter melon. “It’s a fruit that grows on vines, somewhat like cucumbers. It’s an old local vegetable with a thousand benefits because it aids detoxification, improves heart circulation and provides all the essential vitamins we need,” says Mardemoutou.

Over half of all adults will be overweight or obese by 2050, study shows

The company is now working with hospitals, the Regional Health Agency and local organisations to spread awareness of the health benefits of lacto-fermentation.

Impoverished South Sudan has long been plagued by political instability and insecurity, but concerns have risen sharply in the past week after clashes between forces allied to the country’s leaders in the northeast.

“As of 2 days ago, our Special Forces units entered Juba to secure it,” Ugandan army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba said on X.

“We shall protect the entire territory of South Sudan like it was our own,” the son of Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni and infamous for his incendiary X posts, added.

Ugandan army spokesman Felix Kulayigye confirmed that troops had been deployed in the capital “to protect the government”.

“We had instructions to deploy and we deployed the troops there,” he told French news agency AFP.

Fragile power-sharing deal

Uganda sent troops to South Sudan in 2013 at the onset of a five-year civil war to support now President Salva Kiir, before officially withdrawing at the end of 2015.

A fragile power-sharing agreement between Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar ended that conflict in 2018, but the deal has been threatened by the recent clashes in Upper Nile State.

Tensions flared last Friday after a UN helicopter was attacked during a failed rescue mission.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said its team was attempting to extract members of the South Sudanese army from the area when their helicopter came under fire.

A South Sudanese army general and other officers were killed, UNMISS said in a statement, saying the incident may constitute a war crime.

Alarming regression

Kiir urged citizens to remain calm, stating: “I have said it time and again that our country will not go back to war. Let no one take law into their hands.”

“The government which I lead will handle this crisis. We will remain steadfast in the path of peace,” he added.

Kiir’s allies have accused Machar’s forces of fomenting unrest in the region, in league with the so-called White Army, a loose band of armed youths from the same ethnic Nuer community as the vice-president.

Late Friday local media reported a statement from Machar’s office which condemned the helicopter attack as “barbaric”.

Efforts to “restore peace in the region remain a top priority,” the statement added, with Machar “continuing to engage all stakeholders to prevent further violence.”

UN Security Council extends South Sudan arms embargo

The rising unrest has sparked international concern, with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warning the country was seeing an “alarming regression” that threatened to undo years of progress.

The International Crisis Group think tank has warned that “South Sudan is slipping rapidly toward full-blown war”.

Its Horn of Africa director Alan Boswell urged the UN to prepare peacekeepers to save civilian lives, adding: “We fear large scale ethnic massacres if the situation is not soon contained.”

(with AFP)

PSG outplayed Liverpool at the Parc des Princes on 5 March but lost 1-0.

They face the daunting task of overturning the deficit at one of the most iconic stadiums in world football.

“We all know that Anfield is a legendary stadium with a huge history behind it,” said Enrique on the eve of the clash.

“We are fully motivated as individuals and as a team to put in a good performance against a very good Liverpool side at their stadium.”

Enrique admitted his experience as a coach could help his players to believe that a comeback is possible.

When he was steering Barcelona in 2017, he oversaw the 6-1 victory at the Camp Nou which eliminated PSG in the last-16 of the Champions League. And in last season’s quarter-finals in the Champions League, Enrique was at the helm of the PSG team which came from from 4-2 down to beat Barcelona 6-4 on aggregate.

“Back in 2017, It would have been better if PSG had not beaten Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg,” Enrique quipped.

“In my career, even when tings go badly, I have believed that there will be situations that can be managed. There is no problem for me facing these challenges directly.”

Preparation

PSG prepared for the tie at Anfield with a 4-1 win on Saturday afternoon at Rennes, which sent them 16 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 following the loss of second-placed Marseille on Saturday night.

Liverpool too are virtually assured of their domestic top flight crown. They beat Southampton 3-1 on Saturday and sit 15 points ahead of Arsenal who have played one game less.

“We haven’t changed the way we prepare for a game,” Enrique added. “What is true is that as things stand we’re going out. So we have only one option and that is to go out to win which is exactly what we would have done even if we had got a different result in the first leg.”

Immediately after last week’s game, the Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted the better side had lost.

Just before the second leg, he warned his players that they would have to operate at a higher level.

“Before we played the game in Paris, I watched many PSG games and I was really impressed with the intensity they play at, the team cohesion, the rotations in midfield,” said Slot.

“They are such a complete team, such a well-managed team. Some people said we played poorly. I don’t agree. I think PSG played tremendously well. I don’t think we’ve faced this season a team that combined that much quality with that much intensity.

“But I do think we can do better. I am not saying we played poorly or not well at all, but we are a better team than we were last week and that’s something we have to prove.”

France’s handover of its sole base in Côte d’Ivoire and a pullout in January from Chad are part of a broader reduction of the French army’s presence across the region.

“What we are living in now is a transformational age,” international relations expert Federico Donelli of Trieste University told RFI.

“Many traditional players like France, for example, in that region of Africa are downgrading their own engagement in this area. Not because they have some economic or political constraint but because the local states want them to leave the region.”

Donelli believes the door is now open to new players, such as Turkey.

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invested heavily in Africa, quadrupling Turkey’s embassy presence across Africa in the past two decades. Erdogan, a devout Muslim, also plays the Muslim card and reminds his African audiences of France’s colonial past,” he says.

Insurgent threats

However, Elem Tepecikoglu of Ankara’s Social Sciences University believes the breakthrough for Turkey came with the French military failing to deal with insurgent threats in the Sahel and broader West Africa.

“The image of France is in tatters because the regional countries criticise French missions for failing to help them fight with terrorist groups and for bringing more harm than good,” explains Tepecikoglu.

Tepecikoglu claims Erdogan’s Africa policy caught the regional zeitgeist.

“Together with rising anti-French sentiments, this brings opportunities for other countries to step in, and Turkey has several defense or mutual cooperation agreements with Sahelian countries. And according to some sources, Turkey has deployed military advisers and drones at the Abéché base in Chad,” adds Tepecikoglu.

Macron’s Africa ‘reset’ stumbles as leaders call out colonial overtones

Deepening Senegalese and Turkish military ties was on the agenda at an Istanbul meeting in October. Shortly after the high-profile gathering, Senegal called for the removal of French forces.

Turkey’s vibrant arms industry selling battle-proven weapons invariably cheaper than its Western competitors, as well as having few, if any, restrictions on use, is complementing Ankara’s traditional diplomatic tools in its bid to broaden its influence.

“Turkish defense products are now very popular in African markets. So this also applies to Sahelian countries,” explains Tepecikoglu, “For example, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad acquired Turkish drones. While other Sahelian countries acquired other Turkish military equipment.”

Overstretch

Turkey remains a relatively small player against the giants of Russia, China, and the United States in the battle to secure economic and diplomatic influence. 

But the growing competition between Western and Eastern powers could be to Turkey’s advantage, says Donelli.

 “So, for an African state, establishing a security agreement with Turkey is less costly in political terms in comparison with relations with Russia because that doesn’t mean ‘I break with the West, but I’m doing something with a NATO member’. This is really important,” adds Donelli.

Turkey and Italy consider teaming up to seek new influence in Africa

But Turkey’s rapid expansion into Africa does not come cheap what with diplomatic representations across the continent, growing military presence, such as army and naval bases in Libya and Africa.

“Turkey is expanding too much. This is called overstretch in diplomatic language,” warns International relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara Middle East Technical University.

“So, Turkey’s military and economic capabilities are actually limited. The more you expand, the more you have to pay,” he says, adding that such a strategy would not be sustainable.

With the Turkish economy mired in crisis and Erdogan looking to improve ties with Europe, including France, analysts say Turkey could be ready for cooperation rather than rivalry in Africa.

This initiative seeks to regulate offshore oil exploration, preventing unauthorised activities in the high seas of both nations, while mitigating potential future territorial disputes.

The collaboration also aims to protect marine resources and safeguard the economic interests of both countries.

The ITLOS Ruling

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivered a landmark ruling on 23rd September 2017, settling the maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

The Special Chamber of ITLOS in Hamburg, Germany, adjudicated the case, which concerned competing claims over offshore areas rich in oil and gas within the Gulf of Guinea.

Desperate journeys: Ghanian youth risk death for a future in Europe

Ghana had been actively exploring and developing oil fields in the contested region, including the Jubilee Field. Côte d’Ivoire asserted that Ghana had violated its maritime rights.

However, ITLOS dismissed this claim and ruled that the maritime boundary should follow the equidistance method, aligning with Ghana’s position. Both nations accepted the ruling peacefully, preserving their strong bilateral relations.

Joint maritime inspections

The Ghana Boundary Commission and the Côte d’Ivoire Boundary Commission (CNFCI), with support from the German Development Agency (GIZ), the African Union Border Programme (AUBP), and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), convened a meeting in Accra.

This gathering, attended by 36 selected participants from both countries, established a framework for implementing the ITLOS ruling on their international boundary dispute.

Key discussions focused on establishing a joint border patrol to ensure the integrity of the maritime boundary and formulating strategies to complete the boundary reaffirmation exercise by 2025. The Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC) and CNFCI will facilitate the joint maritime inspection exercise.

At the conclusion of the discussions in Accra, Major General Emmanuel Kotia, the Director-General of GhBC, confirmed that regular joint inspections would be conducted along the international maritime boundary.

Traders reeling as fire destroys Ghana’s largest clothes market

Previously, Ghana carried out inspections independently, but Côte d’Ivoire has now agreed to collaborate. Both nations’ navies will work together, with facilitation from their respective boundary commissions.

Major General Kotia further stated that both parties had committed to continuing the reaffirmation exercise along their land boundary.

“Once we have validated this framework agreement, which will be signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, we can collaborate strategically and operationally regarding both land and maritime borders,” he explained.

Konate Diakalidia, the Executive Secretary of CNFCI, reaffirmed Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to working with Ghana to safeguard their respective territories.

Ghana’s illegal mining crisis: environmental destruction, clashes, and calls for action

“This meeting has successfully expedited the reaffirmation exercise and enabled us to devise strategies for the full implementation of the ITLOS ruling, ensuring that neither country trespasses,” he stated.

Both parties agreed that the heads of their respective boundary commissions would lead delegations to submit official maps, reflecting the ITLOS ruling on the international maritime boundary line, to the United Nations (UN) Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) on 27th April 2025.

France is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine worth almost €200 million from the interest earned on frozen Russian assets, the defence minister said in an interview published on Sunday.

In the interview with the Tribune Dimanche newspaper, Sebastien Lecornu described the suspension of US weapons deliveries to Ukraine as a “heavy blow” to Kyiv’s fight against the Russian invasion.

“This year we will mobilise, thanks to the interests of frozen Russian assets, a new package of 195 million euros” for Ukraine, Lecornu said.

This will enable the delivery of 155-millimetre shells as well as AASM air to surface weapons that arm the French Mirage 2000 fighter jets that Paris has delivered to Ukraine for the war.

Posting on social media platform X, Lecornu said: “We are not at war; we want to guarantee peace on our continent. Without naivety or excitement. We must re-establish our defence effort to face the period of disruption we are going through”.

EU chief unveils €800bn plan to ‘rearm’ Europe and support Ukraine

Russia targeting democracy, economy

Lecornu did not make any comment on whether France would consider using the frozen Russian assets themselves to help Kyiv, a potentially far more significant move supported by its ally the UK but over which Paris as so far been wary.

But he warned that away from the battlefield, the “Russians are reinventing war, that is their great strength” by targeting “our democracy and our economy”.

France’s 2027 presidential elections “could be the subject of massive manipulation, as was the case in Romania” where the first round was topped by a far-right outsider, only for the results to be annulled by the constitutional court, he said.

Lecornu also sought to play down any rupture in transatlantic relations after Donald Trump won the US presidency and changed Washington’s policy on Ukraine, saying: “For my part, I still consider them as allies, despite their great unpredictability”.

Windfall for European arms makers as Brussels ramps up defence spending

Turning to the “heavy blow” of the US suspension of weapons deliveries to Ukraine, he said: “They [Ukraine] can hold out for a while, but this suspension must not last”.

Lecornu said that French intelligence had no indication that Russia was planning to attack a NATO member in the next five years but did say there is a “temptation to destabilise Moldova” through its breakaway region of Transnistria.

With President Emmanuel Macron and others urging EU states to ramp up defence spending as the US wavers, Lecornu pointed to ammunition and electronic warfare as the most urgent issues for France’s military in the years to come. 

“Second priority, is the drone-isation and robot-isation of armies,” he added, also noting the roles of artificial intelligence and space.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (known as MBS) brings into focus Riyadh’s growing influence as a diplomatic player.

Once seen as a regional powerhouse focused on oil and security, Saudi Arabia is carving out a role as a mediator in international conflicts, leveraging its unique global ties, despite its controversial human rights record.

The monarchy – under the defacto rule of Bin Salman – has previously demonstrated its capacity to facilitate negotiations, for example in its brokering of prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine.

In September 2022, Saudi Arabia played a key role in securing the release of 10 foreign prisoners captured in Ukraine, including nationals of the United States and the United Kingdom.

The move reinforced Riyadh’s diplomatic reach, and its status as an effective intermediary in high-stakes international disputes. Its strategic relationships with Moscow, Kyiv, Washington and Beijing allow it to bridge gaps where others would struggle.

As the world’s top oil producer, the Kingdom is also deeply invested in global stability, recognising that prolonged conflict and sanctions disrupt energy markets.

Ukraine’s Zelensky takes campaign against Russia to Arab summit, G7

Broader diplomatic strategy

By positioning itself as a power broker, Saudi Arabia is actively reshaping its global image, and its ambitions go beyond the Ukraine conflict.

The Kingdom has extended its mediation efforts to other global flashpoints, brokering deals in Sudan, Iran, and Syria.

Riyadh has emphasised engagement and dialogue, seeking diplomatic solutions over punitive measures, in alignment with its broader goal of being seen as a champion of peace and stability on the world stage.

For Washington, keeping Saudi Arabia engaged in diplomatic initiatives is also essential for advancing the US-brokered Abraham Accords, which seek to normalise relations between Israel and Arab states.

Aryeh Lightstone, a former senior adviser to the US ambassador to Israel, has championed the importance of the Abraham Accords, saying: “Israel has gone from a state isolated in its region to a state that plays a role with some of the most important countries in the region.”

Riyadh’s influence in the Middle East makes it a crucial player in expanding the accords, and its willingness to engage in diplomacy with adversaries – including Iran – demonstrates its growing leverage.

By maintaining strong ties with Saudi diplomacy, the US can in turn push forward its broader Middle East strategy while ensuring the Kingdom remains aligned with Western-led peace efforts.

Saudi Arabia to give Ukraine over €400million in humanitarian aid

History of repression

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has faced intense international scrutiny, particularly following the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Khashoggi was brutally murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by Saudi agents, in an operation allegedly ordered by the Crown Prince – an allegation Riyadh denies.

Despite its growing diplomatic weight, the Saudi regime remains infamous for its restrictive policies on women’s rights and ongoing human rights abuses, including crackdowns on dissent.

Salma al-Shehab – a Saudi women’s rights activist and PhD student – was sentenced to 34 years in prison in 2022 for tweets advocating for women’s rights and political reforms. Her sentence was later reduced to four, followed by a travel ban.

Other controversies include the country’s high execution rate and mass executions. In 2022, 81 people were put to death in a single day, with many convicted in secret trials under the Kingdom’s broad terrorism laws. 

Riyadh is now working to rehabilitate its image by stepping into the role of a global dealmaker, spearheading diplomatic efforts – such as the Russia-Ukraine prisoner swaps and high-profile summits.

It hosted a meeting of US and Russian officials on Ukraine in February. However, the absence of both the EU and Ukraine sparked controversy, with critics arguing it sidelined key stakeholders in the conflict.

Presented by Ecological Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the plan follows two years of preparatory work and a public consultation that gathered nearly 6,000 contributions. 

“There is a very strong expectation from local elected officials, particularly in coastal, mountain or forest communities, but also from healthcare professionals and nursing home residents, who are already experiencing the effects of global warming,” Pannier-Runacher told French daily Le Monde. 

The plan establishes a reference trajectory for climate adaptation (TRACC) based on scientific projections from the national weather agency Météo-France, preparing the country for temperature increases of 2C by 2030, 2.7C by 2050, and 4C by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels. 

Adapting all sectors

To distribute resources effectively, it targets five main areas: protecting people, ensuring resilience of territories and essential services, adapting human activities, protecting natural and cultural heritage, and mobilising national resources.

Specific measures include creating a national map of exposure to natural risks, maintaining affordable insurance offerings even in high-risk areas, and improving housing to remain comfortable despite rising temperatures.

“Adapting is not giving up,” Pannier-Runacher added.

“The idea is not to abandon efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but to accept facing reality and actively prepare for a rise in global warming whose impacts are increasingly felt in France.”

France has already warmed by 1.8C above pre-industrial levels, and some scientists consider the government’s projections to be optimistic given the weakness of international commitments to reduce emissions. 

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Major investments 

Nearly €600 million will be allocated to adaptation measures, the government has said, including €300 million from the Barnier Fund – set up for the prevention of major natural hazards – €30 million for clay soil shrinkage-swelling prevention, and €260 million from the Green Fund for local authorities. 

An additional €1 billion from water agencies’ budgets will be directed toward this issue between 2025 and 2030, “with nearly 40 percent for nature-based solution interventions”, according to the plan’s presentation document. 

However, these amounts fall significantly short of what experts have said is necessary.

France Assureurs, the country’s insurance industry association, has already deemed the Barnier Fund allocation insufficient.

According to the Institute for Climate Economics, between €1 billion and €2.5 billion should be invested annually just in new buildings, €4.4 billion for housing renovation, and at least €1.5 billion per year for agriculture.

Implementation worries

While environmental advocates welcome the plan, they express doubts about its implementation.  

Nicolas Richard, vice-president of France Nature Environnement, told French news agency AFP the plan presents “a certain number of good intentions” but faces uncertainty about “whether they are funded and how they are managed”. 

The High Council for Climate previously judged the country’s efforts inadequate, calling for a “change of scale in adaptation”.  

Natural disaster prevention fund takes centre stage in French budget debate

The Court of Auditors had also urged public authorities to “become aware” of the urgency of tackling this project, which it says requires a “wall of investments”. 

To ensure the plan’s implementation, Pannier-Runacher said she would work on specific roadmaps for four priority areas: forests, coastal erosion, mountains and agriculture.  

The National Council for Ecological Transition will be responsible for monitoring indicators across sectors and providing annual progress reports. 

“It is now necessary to implement and territorialise it, in full consultation with local elected officials,” a ministry spokesperson said. 

Following a further interrogation at the offices of the criminal investigation department on Saturday, journalist Olivier Monodji’s custody has been extended until at least this Monday, when he will be brought before the public prosecutor of N’djamena.

Monodji, a correspondent for Radio France Internationale and publication director of the newspaper Le Pays, has been detained in the Chadian capital, since Wednesday, 5 March.

His lawyer, Allatha Amos, has slammed the arrest as baseless, stating: “The criminal investigation police were unable to tell us what offence my client is accused of. We are therefore waiting impatiently for Monday to find out. It is really absurd that journalists are still being arrested in the 21st century: it is truly from another age!”

Alongside Monodji, Mahamat Saleh Alhissein, a journalist with the national television station Tele Chad, was also arrested.

Russian translation

The exact reasons for Monodji’s detention remain unclear, but sources indicated to French news agency AFP that it may be linked to an article he wrote in September 2023 about the inauguration of the Russian House in N’Djamena.

Alhissein, on the other hand, is accused of translating documents containing information on Russia’s proxy forces and the Sahel’s economic situation, according to Tele Chad.

The Union of Chadian Journalists (UJT) has denounced the detentions as arbitrary, labelling them a “serious attack on the freedom of the press” and calling for the unconditional release of both journalists as well as the return of Monodji’s work equipment.

Ruling party wins majority in Chad’s legislative election as opposition boycott polls

‘Broader crackdown’

Monodji was reportedly interrogated for four hours on Saturday, by three criminal investigation officers, after which his custody was extended.

His lawyer has criticised this extension, emphasising that Monodji presents sufficient guarantees of representation.

“From now on, [the public prosecutor] alone can explain why he is being held at the premises of the criminal investigation department,” Amos stated.

The recent arrests of journalists in Chad have sparked widespread condemnation from press freedom advocates, who say they fit into a broader crackdown on opposition figures in Chad, as military leader Mahamat Idriss Deby tightens his grip on power.

France launches embezzlement inquiry into Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby

Since August 2024, at least three journalists have been arbitrarily detained, according to the Chad Online Media Association.

In September 2024, the World Organisation Against Torture condemned the Chadian intelligence service for increasingly using arrests and detentions without due process.

Deby, who took power after his father’s death three years ago, has distanced Chad from its former colonial ruler, France, and fostered stronger ties with Russia.

Moscow has expanded its influence in Africa through mercenary groups like Wagner, which operate in neighbouring Mali and the Central African Republic.

Mandated by the government – the Observatory group known as Miprof – collated the results of several studies carried out over the last ten years.

They highlight an alarming increase in the number of cases of sexist and sexual violence occuring on trains, metros and other modes of public transport across France.

The number of victims rose to 3,374 in 2024, 6 percent more than in 2023, and 9 percent more than in 2022, the government panel found.

Among them, 44 percent were victims in the Île-de-France region, which includes Paris and its suburbs.

Women remain the main targets representing 91 percent of victims, with two thirds of them under 30, and 36 percent are minors.

France struggles to shake off everyday sexism, particularly among young men

99 percent of perpetrators are men

“Although most violence against women is committed by members of their close circle, the fact remains that public spaces, and particularly public transport networks, remain places where women are exposed to sexist and sexual violence as soon as they enter them,” Miprof Secretary General Roxana Maracineanu said.

Miprof included figures from a June 2022 survey conducted by the Enov Institute for the RATP transport network, which found that seven out of 10 women have already been victims of this type of violence in Île-de-France transport during their life. 

That figure that rises to 90 percent for women aged 19 to 25, the survey found.

The nature of the violence suffered ranges vastly; from sexist and sexual insults to sexual harassment and indecent exposure.

15 percent reported having been victims of sexual assault and 6 percent of rape or attempted rape.

France targets public transport in campaign to stamp out violence against women

More than half of the women surveyed said they do not feel reassured in the spaces of the Île-de-France rail network and 80 percent admit to remaining on alert.

This fear of being attacked has lead to women changing their behaviour to adapt to certain situations: 68 percent said they dress differently on public transport, 83 percent place their backs to doors or walls when travelling standing up, and 93 percent try to sit next to a woman, a couple or a family rather than a single man.

Only 7 percent of victims recorded by the Enov study filed a complaint with a gendarmerie or the police.

According to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, of all victims of sexual violence recorded in 2024, 3 percent were on public transport, a proportion that has remained stable since 2016, according to the National Observatory.

Changing behaviour

Manon Marguerit, urban planning researcher at the Gustave-Eiffel University, who was quoted in the report says different forms of sexual violence can stem from the fact that people find themselves in crowded confined spaces. 

“The aggressors we always think of are exhibitionists and ‘frotteurs’ who rub up against people. It is true that the characteristics linked to the transport space – confinement, saturation of bodies, impossibility of escaping from the vehicle – can generate these forms of specific sexual violence”, she notes.

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However, the researcher also mentions other forms of violence such as “stares – whether insistent, intrusive, threatening, voyeuristic – sexist insults, touching. Too often considered trivial, they can cause trauma to the person who suffers them”, she emphasises.

In the space of ten years, the study found that the reaction of witnesses has evolved with 23 percent of victims say they were helped by a third party, compared to 10 percent in 2016.

Given the scale of the phenomenon, some operators have implemented measures to improve the safety of women on their network, such as on-demand drop-offs on buses.

The measures deployed – such as assistance numbers (3117 and 31177) and call points on platforms – are known to the majority of users of the Paris region network but remain little used – only 12 percent say they have ever used them.

(with AFP)

France were leading 5-0 when Dupont was injured in the 29th minute following a ruck on the field at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Maxime Lucu replaced Dupont and the 32-year-old proceeded to orchestrate a 42-27 victory over the defending champions to take France into top place in the 2025 championships.

They will secure their first title since 2022 with a win over Scotland at the Stade de France on Saturday night.

Dupont, the 2021 world player of the year, will miss the Test after he confirmed on social media the cruciate ligaments in his right knee had been torn.

“It’s the start of a new challenge, I’ll see you in a few months on the pitch,” said the 28-year-old

Dupont accompanied his post with a flexed bicep emoji, adding: “The heart hurts even more than the knee when you have to leave your mates before the last hurdle.”

Referring to Saturday’s game in Ireland and the impending clash against Scotland, he added: “I am proud of what we accomplished and am with you with all my strength, you will do it.”

Anger

France rugby chiefs were furious in the aftermath of Saturday’s game. They called for Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter to be disciplined for their roles in Dupont ‘s injury.

They also wanted Calvin Nash to be reprimanded for the tackle in the 45th minute that led to Pierre-Louis Barassi going off with concussion. Though Nash left the field for 10 minutes due to a yellow card, he was able to play on.

However, by the time the 27-year-old returned, France had exploited his absence.

They scored 17 unanswered points to lead 25-13. And even with the winger on the field, Galthié’s men added another 17 points to lead 42-13. Two late converted tries for the hosts lent an air of respectability to the scoreline. 

Since losing in the dying seconds against England at Twickenham on 8 February, France have annihilated Italy 73-24 and shrugged off the loss of their captain to register a record win in Dublin.

“We have reacted well since Twickenham,” said Galthé. “The team has reacted really well. We’ve got something going though it’s not finished yet.”

Galthié drafted in Baptiste Serin and the 19-year-old rising star Fabien Brau-Boirie on Sunday to cover for Dupont and Barassi respectively. The team to play Scotland will be announced on Thursday.

Despite the defeat, Ireland can retain the title if they beat Italy and Scotland win or draw in Paris. England can also claim the crown.

After beating Italy and getting a bonus point for scoring four tries, England need to beat Wales in the same manner and hope Scotland upset France.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Saturday reported that about 745 civilians were killed in “massacres” targeting Alawites on Friday and Saturday.

About 125 members of the Islamist-led government security forces and 148 fighters supporting toppled Syrian leader Bachar al-Assad have also been killed, according to the British-based war monitor, bringing the total number killed in the latest clashes to more than 1,000.

“We have to preserve national unity and civil peace as much as possible and God willing, we will be able to live together,” Sharaa said from a mosque in Damascus on Sunday.

“What is currently happening in Syria is within the expected challenges,” following the fall of the Assad regime, he said in a video message.

EU to ease some sanctions against Syria following Assad’s fall

Call for independent investigations

France has expressed its deep concern over the “serious violence” which broke out on Thursday in the coastal provinces of Tartous, Lattaquié and Homs – a heartland of Assad, who belongs to the Alawite minority.

“France condemns in the strongest possible terms the atrocities committed against civilians on a sectarian basis and against prisoners,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. 

It called on Syria’s new authorities “to ensure that independent investigations can shed light on these crimes, and that the perpetrators are sentenced”.

France had pledged to support the new authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), but as part of a more “inclusive” Syria that respected minority rights.

Macron calls Syrian leader to discuss transition, terrorism, sanctions

Alawites are an offshoot of Shia Islam, and make up around 10 percent of Syria‘s population, which is majority Sunni Muslim.

The authorities have blamed summary executions of dozens of youths and deadly raids on homes in villages and towns inhabited by Syria’s once-ruling minority on unruly armed militias who came to help the security forces and have long blamed Assad’s supporters for past crimes.

A security source told Reuters news agency that clashes continued overnight in several towns where armed groups fired on security forces and ambushed cars on highways leading to main towns in the coastal area.

Reuters also reported crowds were seeking refuge at a Russian military base at Hmeimim in Latakia, chanting “people want Russian protection”.

Ousted president Bashar Assad found asylum in Russia, the regime’s historic ally, after Islamist-led rebels took control of the capital Damascus on 8 December, ending nearly six decades of dynastic rule by the Ba’aath party and a 13-year civil war. 

(with newswires)

“It’s finally taking root in reality, after a lot of theories, a lot of things written on paper, back and forth, but nothing concrete,” the centre’s director Liz Gomis told French news agency AFP earlier this week.

MansA’s new home, at least for the first two years, will be in a former fashion workshop in the 10^th arrondissement of Paris, with the exact address yet to be revealed. 

Its first guests are due to visit in June, with the official opening set for September.

Gomis is convinced that MansA “will change things” by giving more visibility to African creativity.

“It is essential to have a place in Paris to talk about African worlds in the broad sense, particularly via the diasporas, and to counter the blind spot that currently exists in France on contemporary African [creativity], which abounds everywhere else in the world,” she said.

Giving France ‘another chance’

President Macron announced the centre’s creation in October 2021, during the France-Africa summit held in Montpellier.

This “House of African Worlds” was one of 13 recommendations made by Cameroonian academic Achille Mbembe, in a report commissioned by Macron entitled “New relations between Africa and France: Meeting tomorrow’s challenges together”.

He told AFP that the idea behind MansA was to give France “another chance, at a time when it is being tossed around in Africa and paying for the mistakes of successive governments”.

In 2022, Macron set up an online public consultation to explore what the public wanted from MansA.

African youth speak their truth directly to France’s Macron at the France summit

But the project stalled due to battles over its budget, which was ultimately revised downwards, and its location.

The Ministry of Culture, which is overseeing the project with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, originally advocated for MansA to be hosted at the Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris), an institution created in the 9th century which now includes a museum and exhibition halls.

However, this proposal sparked a storm of protest from the employees of the Mint, who were concerned about the future of their museum – which had reopened in 2017 after €80 million of self-financed restoration work.

Staff said that the venue could be deprived of the use of rooms that it rents out, the income from which allows it to operate without state aid.

Rodolphe Krempp, a union representative at the Mint, told AFP: “There is no synergy between the two institutions”. He said that the proposal was launched without consultation, adding: “We wonder who had this idea and why.”

History of Olympic gold, silver and bronze glitters in Paris museum

Political debate

The proposal to use the Mint also made waves in political circles. Communist MPs said such a fusion of projects would “profoundly call into question the coherence of the cultural, industrial and commercial activities” of the historic site.

Meanwhile far-right National Rally MPs accused the government of giving in to “the sirens of repentance” with regard to the legacy of France’s colonial past on the African continent.

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

The Ministry of Culture had planned to allocate €2.1 million to MansA in 2025, according to the draft finance law, with €5 million to come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, this has been thrown into doubt with the adoption of a disputed budget in February which saw the French government impose €32 billion of savings across different sectors.

In the face of uncertainty, Gomis remains cautiously optimistic. While the current 800m² space is a temporary installation, she says it is a “first step to begin rolling out our programming” and “a milestone while we wait for a definitive location”.

“I have to continue my little battle. Because deep down, it’s still a battle,” she said. “It’s great to be able to anchor ourselves in reality and start to come together, but there are now a lot of things to come into play.”

The collective organising the rallies, Greve feministe (Feminist Strike), said 250,000 people had taken to the streets across France at some 150 demonstrations, with 120,000 people in Paris alone.

Police put turnout in the capital at 47,000 people.

Some demonstrators took aim at US President Donald Trump including women from the Femen activist group. They marched topless with either the US or the Russian national flag, marked with a swastika, painted on their chests.

Why do women in France still earn less than men?

Dozens of women have alleged the Republican sexually abused them, and his administration has been accused of pushing through anti-women policies.

“This is a battle, it’s not over,” said 49-year-old Sabine, who was marching with her seven-year-old son.

“We’re going in the right direction: Trump, the masculinists, they make lots of noise but they’re not as strong as we are,” she told AFP.

Growing ‘masculinist’ culture in France slows down fight against sexism

The French capital’s Eiffel Tower is due to be lit up with a message of solidarity with Afghan women, whose freedoms have been curtailed since the Taliban returned to power. The message will be displayed in French, English, Farsi and Arabic.

Sylviane Boyer founded Pot en Ciel Kreol in 2023, in Cambaie in the north of Réunion, a French department in the Indian Ocean. She had taken over her family farm, which grew numerous vegetables native to the island.

“On Réunion Island, we have exotic vegetables, which have lots of antioxidants. We’re protected here on this little volcanic island, in terms of all the produce we have,” Boyer told RFI. “There are vegetables that can’t be found in mainland France… papaya, chayote, watercress that grow in our mountains. And chillies.”

Over the years, Boyer began to notice a rise in cases of diabetes, Crohn’s disease and high cholesterol. It was at this point that she became interested in micronutrition – the practice of optimising the diet to include vitamins and minerals the body needs – and discovered lacto-fermentation.

“We have lots of health problems because we eat too much fat and sugar. This led me to study lacto-fermentation a bit and I found that, scientifically speaking, a lot has been proven about it, which brought me back to it.”

Why do France’s overseas territories have a diabetes problem?

This technique is very common in several Africa countries, where access to electricity can be limited, making food preservation a challenge.

“In Africa, babies’ first meals are made using lacto-fermentation. It’s a natural process to follow,” says Boyer.

This ancient food preservation technique involves immersing food in salted water to encourage the growth of lactic acid bacteria.

“We use large vats where we put local fruits and vegetables from Réunion, along with water and natural, unrefined salt from Saint Leu. This process helps us pre-digest the food and release its full bioavailability,” explains Mégane Mardemoutou, sales manager at Pot en Ciel Kreol.

“This process develops probiotics and prebiotics, multiplies vitamin C, vitamin K – which is very important for the heart – and various B vitamins like B2 and B6.”

One local vegetable the company works with is bitter melon. “It’s a fruit that grows on vines, somewhat like cucumbers. It’s an old local vegetable with a thousand benefits because it aids detoxification, improves heart circulation and provides all the essential vitamins we need,” says Mardemoutou.

Over half of all adults will be overweight or obese by 2050, study shows

The company is now working with hospitals, the Regional Health Agency and local organisations to spread awareness of the health benefits of lacto-fermentation.

France’s handover of its sole base in Côte d’Ivoire and a pullout in January from Chad are part of a broader reduction of the French army’s presence across the region.

“What we are living in now is a transformational age,” international relations expert Federico Donelli of Trieste University told RFI.

“Many traditional players like France, for example, in that region of Africa are downgrading their own engagement in this area. Not because they have some economic or political constraint but because the local states want them to leave the region.”

Donelli believes the door is now open to new players, such as Turkey.

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invested heavily in Africa, quadrupling Turkey’s embassy presence across Africa in the past two decades. Erdogan, a devout Muslim, also plays the Muslim card and reminds his African audiences of France’s colonial past,” he says.

Insurgent threats

However, Elem Tepecikoglu of Ankara’s Social Sciences University believes the breakthrough for Turkey came with the French military failing to deal with insurgent threats in the Sahel and broader West Africa.

“The image of France is in tatters because the regional countries criticise French missions for failing to help them fight with terrorist groups and for bringing more harm than good,” explains Tepecikoglu.

Tepecikoglu claims Erdogan’s Africa policy caught the regional zeitgeist.

“Together with rising anti-French sentiments, this brings opportunities for other countries to step in, and Turkey has several defense or mutual cooperation agreements with Sahelian countries. And according to some sources, Turkey has deployed military advisers and drones at the Abéché base in Chad,” adds Tepecikoglu.

Macron’s Africa ‘reset’ stumbles as leaders call out colonial overtones

Deepening Senegalese and Turkish military ties was on the agenda at an Istanbul meeting in October. Shortly after the high-profile gathering, Senegal called for the removal of French forces.

Turkey’s vibrant arms industry selling battle-proven weapons invariably cheaper than its Western competitors, as well as having few, if any, restrictions on use, is complementing Ankara’s traditional diplomatic tools in its bid to broaden its influence.

“Turkish defense products are now very popular in African markets. So this also applies to Sahelian countries,” explains Tepecikoglu, “For example, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad acquired Turkish drones. While other Sahelian countries acquired other Turkish military equipment.”

Overstretch

Turkey remains a relatively small player against the giants of Russia, China, and the United States in the battle to secure economic and diplomatic influence. 

But the growing competition between Western and Eastern powers could be to Turkey’s advantage, says Donelli.

 “So, for an African state, establishing a security agreement with Turkey is less costly in political terms in comparison with relations with Russia because that doesn’t mean ‘I break with the West, but I’m doing something with a NATO member’. This is really important,” adds Donelli.

Turkey and Italy consider teaming up to seek new influence in Africa

But Turkey’s rapid expansion into Africa does not come cheap what with diplomatic representations across the continent, growing military presence, such as army and naval bases in Libya and Africa.

“Turkey is expanding too much. This is called overstretch in diplomatic language,” warns International relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara Middle East Technical University.

“So, Turkey’s military and economic capabilities are actually limited. The more you expand, the more you have to pay,” he says, adding that such a strategy would not be sustainable.

With the Turkish economy mired in crisis and Erdogan looking to improve ties with Europe, including France, analysts say Turkey could be ready for cooperation rather than rivalry in Africa.

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.

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 8 February, I asked you a question about our article “French PM pushes through budget, faces second no-confidence vote”. That’s because French Prime Minister François Bayrou used Article 49.3 – a special executive power – to push the budget through. The Parliament does not take kindly to Article 49.3, because the executive branch can use it to bypass their votes.

After it went through, a no-confidence motion was immediately brought forward by the hard-left France Unbowed party. At that time, it was not thought the no-confidence motion would pass, because the Socialists said they would vote against it. My question to you was: Why did France’s Socialist party say they would vote against the no-confidence motion brought by the France Unbowed party? 

The answer is, to quote our article: “The Socialist Party said in a press release that it did not want to see France in an extended period of financial limbo and would therefore, ‘in a spirit of responsibility’, not back the no-confidence vote.”

They held to their word: The Socialist party did not back the no-confidence vote – France has a budget now, and the same prime minister, François Bayrou. 

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Is the favorite child the worst child?”

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

The winners are: RFI English Listeners Club member Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria. Nasyr is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Nasyr, on your double win !

Also on the winner’s list this week are: Reepa Bain, the secretary of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh, India; Mukta Banu, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh; RFI English Listeners Club member Dipita Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India, and last but not least, RFI English listener Murshida Parvin Lata, the vice – president of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “One Woman” by Beth Blatt, Graham Lyle, and Fahan Hassan, performed by the United Nation Women Singers; “Toy Symphony” by Leopold Mozart; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Nubian Lady” by Kenny Barron, performed by Bobbi Humphrey and her orchestra.  

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, take another listen to the first story on Alison Hird and Sarah Elzas’ Spotlight on France podcast number 124, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 31 March to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 5 April 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.   

The sharp decline in US-Ukraine relations has raised doubts about American support for Europe, as the continent assesses its ability to defend itself against a threat from Russia.

Donald Trump’s decision to cut military aid to Ukraine this week signals a  shift in US foreign policy and raises questions about America’s commitment to Europe’s security.

From shortages in the number of tanks and the availablity of artillery, to the debate over a unified European army, leaders must decide whether to bolster national forces or embrace deeper military cooperation.

As France and the UK guard their nuclear arsenals and Russia tests Europe’s resolve, can the EU build a credible deterrent, or will it continue to rely on America?

The Director for Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa at the Institute for Economics and Peace, Serge Stroobants, explained to RFI that Europe lacks the capacity to react quickly to security threats, with defence procurement bogged down by fragmentation and slow production timelines.

As early as 2016, Germany’s defence industry acknowledged that no major projects would reach completion for at least six to eight years. Today the projections are even worse.

“If you want to invest quickly in the military – into defence, into new equipment and weapon systems – these need to be bought off the shelf outside of Europe,” with the US, Turkey, and South Korea as key suppliers, he says.

Defence neglected

Beyond military upgrades, Europe faces a broader challenge as its entire economic and state system must adapt to meet modern security demands.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent pledge to cut red tape for defence procurement is a step in the right direction, Stroobants says, but it comes too late and under pressure from events rather than forward planning.

“The problem is – as is so often with the EU – we are doing this under the pressure of the events. We’re not doing this in advance. We’re not planning. We don’t have a strategy.”

Despite being a continent of 500 million people – and the world’s third-largest economic and military power – Europe remains unable to ensure its own security due to a longstanding lack of strategic foresight and neglect of defence spending.

As it stands, a unified EU defence force remains a challenge due to Europe’s struggle to coordinate military policy alongside foreign diplomacy and development.

Stroobants explains that peace and security are based on three pillars – diplomacy, development and defence. “When you look at the EU, this has been done for almost 75 years, but if you are not able to integrate foreign policy and foreign development…and have common influence outside of European borders? Well, it doesn’t really help to only unify just one of those three pillars,” he said.

While the EU has made progress in development and soft power, true strategic influence for the bloc requires the full integration of defence and diplomacy to establish an undivided foreign policy and a stronger global presence.

‘Europe must do the heavy lifting’ in Ukraine, needs ‘US backing’: UK’s Starmer

Reshaping Europe

“For 30 to 35 years now, we have been divesting from defence, but it’s much more than defence. It’s the entire society that has lived with the idea that we would live eternally in peace,” Stroobants says.

He argues that to independently deter Russian aggression, European nations must go beyond bolstering their military capabilities – they need to rethink their entire strategic approach.

“If you want to be ready, you need to invest in defence…but you also need to reshape your society and your infrastructure,” he adds.

He also points out that with France and the UK as Europe’s only nuclear powers, their cooperation on a nuclear umbrella remains uncertain. France insists its deterrent will stay national but may engage allies without losing autonomy. Both nations favour a “coalition of the willing” over an EU or NATO-led approach, prioritising national security.

‘Deterrance and power’

While Moscow takes America’s military threat seriously and views European states as weak, Stroobants added,  Europe must take concrete steps to change this perception and restore credible deterrence.

European security hinges on two key concepts: deterrence and power. Deterrence relies not just on military capability but on the will to use it – because, as Stroobants puts it, “you can have 20,000 nuclear warheads, but if you have nobody who is strong enough to use them, they are not going to be a deterrent.

“And that’s exactly what’s happening with the EU at the moment”.

True power – accroding to Stroobants – is essentially a combination of military, economic, and diplomatic strength,comboined with a clear strategy and the political will to act.

Britain holds back as France pushes for truce between Russia and Ukraine

While Europe possesses significant resources, it lacks a unified vision on how to confront Putin’s Russia and define its role in an increasingly aggressive global order – leaving it strategically adrift and unable to deter adversaries effectively.

The absence of key nations – including the Baltic states – from a recent high-level security meeting in London only underscores the challenge of consolidating a unified European deterrent.

“After having lived in the military for 30 years, in Europe and under the NATO umbrella, not incorporating all the allies or member states [at high level meetings] is really strange,” he said.

For Stroobants, Europe now is facing the disintegration of alliances that have taken over seven decades to build.

Officially recognised by the United Nations in 1977, International Women’s Day (IWD) originated from the labour movements of the early twentieth century.

On 8 March, women around the world – and throughout the month in some countries – are celebrated and recognised for their social, cultural, economic and political achievements.

The day also serves as a call to action to accelerate progress towards gender parity.

In 2025, the United Nations will mark International Women’s Day under the theme: “For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”

While the situation for women in parts of Africa is undeniably influenced by conflicts, disasters, and insecurity, this episode focuses on progress and empowerment.

Empowering

Spotlight on Africa’s first guest is Magalie Lebreton Traoré, an expert in digital transitions across the African continent at the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

As Unesco leads training for women in AI across Africa’s five regions, Magalie joins us to discuss how women are taking the lead in shaping high-tech industries, particularly artificial intelligence. This technological leap presents significant opportunities for women’s leadership and innovation.

Moreover, a study published in Nature revealed that 79 percent of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be improved or achieved through AI.

To tackle gender and geographical inequalities in AI, Unesco has made these issues a priority in its Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence – the first global standard-setting framework in this field, unanimously adopted by Unesco Member States in November 2021.

Celebrating

And to broaden the conversation, we also talk to a curator and two artists from Johannesburg in South Africa, who are organising a special exhibition to highlight the work of artist-mothers and women artists caring for families.

Lara Koseff is a curator at INCCA, the Independent Network for Contemporary Culture & Art in Johannesburg. She has established the second edition of ‘Art After Baby‘, with the support of the National Arts Council South Africa.

These female artists and mothers have been selected to receive support and mentorship in order to complete and exhibit a body of work in solo exhibitions at Victoria Yards in Johannesburg until the end of March.

Lara Koseff, Siviwe James and Phumelele Kunene join us on the line from South Africa.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale’s English language service.

In a packed conference hall in an Istanbul hotel, Ahmet Turk, a leading member of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Dem Party, read a statement by Ocalan calling for the organization, which he founded, to disarm and dissolve itself, declaring an end to the decades-long conflict.

 The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, has been fighting for autonomy and Kurdish minority rights in Turkey since the 1980s.

Ocalan, imprisoned in a Turkish jail since 1999, made his disarmament call after the PKK suffered significant military setbacks in recent years.

 “The PKK is almost finished within the borders of Turkey,” explained Mesut Yegen, a political scientist at the Istanbul-based Reform Institute.

However, Yegen claims with the PKK now primarily based in northern Iraq on Turkey’s frontier, while its affiliate in Syria, the SDF, controls a large swathe of territory bordering Turkey all sides still have an interest in peace.

“We know that the Turkish state needs a peace process because it’s worried about the future development in the region in Syria and Iraq,” added Yegen.

Turkey looks for regional help in its battle against Kurdish rebels in Iraq

Cautious response

The Turkish government gave a cautious response to Ocalan’s statement, saying it’s waiting for the PKK to disarm. The PKK leadership based in Iraq, ahead of Ocalan’s statement, declared it is looking for gestures from the government before any disarmament.

“The peace process in Turkey will largely depend on what emerges, what kind of a deal emerges inside Syria,” Asli Aydintasbas, a visiting senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington, said.

“So we’re also seeing Turkey be more cautious. That doesn’t mean, you know, Turkey won’t reverse course if it feels there’s no room to go with Syrian Kurds or inside the peace process in Turkey.”

Turkish armed forces are massed on the Syrian border with Ankara, demanding the SDF merge with the Syrian army under the control of Syria’s new rulers, with whom the Turkish government has close ties.

For now, the SDF leader Mazloum Abdi declared his force is not bound by Ocalan’s disarmament call while demanding Ankara end its ongoing attacks on its troops.

Turkey’s Saturday Mothers keep up vigil for lost relatives

Scepticism

Analyst Mesut Yegen adds that ending the PKK conflict will come at a price for Ankara.  “They’re (PKK) expecting that in return for that, the state promises that at least a kind of autonomy or status for Syrian Kurds is going to be recognised by the Syrian regime, the new regime, and that the Turkish state also supports this kind of solution.

“In addition to this, of course, the expectation is that some reforms will be implemented in Turkey with regards to the Kurdish question.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has distanced himself from the current efforts to end the conflict, other than saying a historic opportunity exists for Kurds and Turks to live in peace but offering no concessions.

For months, a crackdown on Turkey’s legal Kurdish movement continues, with the removal of elected mayors and arrests of journalists and human rights activists. 

Trial of alleged PKK figures accused of financing terror begins in France

Turkish commentator on Turkey’s Politikyol news portal, Sezin Oney, warns unless the causes of the conflict are addressed, there’s little hope of a permanent peace.

 “Probably, any disarmament or any disbanding of PKK would be a gimmick,” warns Oney.

“It wouldn’t be a real actual disbanding, and it might just appear in a year under a different name. Because they would still have the pretext to argue that armed struggle is necessary because the Kurds in Turkey don’t have their democratic rights.”

With previous peace efforts failing, opinion polls indicate that the public remains sceptical of this latest effort. But for 75-year-old Ocalan, analysts warn it may be his last chance of any hope of freedom.

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.

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 1 February, I asked you a question about our article “African nations set to light up the homes of 300 million people by 2030”.

Nearly 600 million Africans live without access to electricity, which is higher than any other continent. The World Bank and the African Development Bank have a plan: Dubbed “Mission 300”, it’s meant to connect half of those homes to power by 2030.

You were to send in the names of four African countries that have committed to reform their electricity utility companies, push renewable energy integration, and raise targets to improve access to national electricity. The World Bank grant will only be available to countries once these reforms have been carried out.

The answer is, to quote our article: “In Nigeria, an estimated 90 million people, 40 percent of the population, don’t have access to electricity. The country, along with Senegal, Zambia and Tanzania is one of a dozen that committed as part of the Mission 300 Plan.”

The other countries are Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, DRC, Niger, Liberia, Madagascar, and Malawi. 

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What item have you held on to as a remembrance of something?”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State, India. Radhakrishna is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Radhakrishna, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ahsan Ejaz, a member of the RFI Fans Club in Sheikhupura, Pakistan, and Sharmin Sultana, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Rounding out the list are two RFI English listeners: Subhas Paul, a member of the RFI Students Radio Club in West Bengal, India, and Christian Ghibaudo from Tende, France.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The “Vivace” from Serenade for Small Orchestra by Jean Françaix, performed by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Louis Lane; “Djourou”, performed by Ballaké Sissoko and Sona Jobarteh; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Baul Song” by Lalan, performed by Torap Ali Shah.

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 our article “French president Macron set to brief EU leaders over details of Trump talks”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 24 March to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 29 March 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.   

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.