France - The African Mirror

Jul

2023

By LAYLI FOROUDI and CHARLOTTE VAN CAMPENHOUT

Murder of an African sparks riots in France

FRANCE'S interior minister said the coming hours would be decisive as he sent 45,000 police onto the streets following three nights of riots since an officer shot dead a teenager at a traffic stop in a working-class suburb of Paris. The violence, in which buildings and vehicles have been torched and stores looted, has plunged President Emmanuel Macron into the gravest crisis of his leadership since the Yellow Vest protests that started in 2018. Unrest has flared nationwide, including in cities such as Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Lille as well as Paris where Nahel M., a 17-year-old of Algerian and…

Jun

2023

By GEERT DE CLERCQ

French ‘backpack hero’ says his faith gave him strength to fight knifeman

WORLD

A modern-day pilgrim on a walking tour of France's cathedrals told journalists on Friday his Catholic faith gave him the strength to fight a man who stabbed four children in a park in Annecy. Dubbed "the backpack hero" - "le héros au sac a dos" - by media, the 24-year-old who only gave his name as Henri said he was near a playground when he saw the man attacking children in a stroller as their mother tried to shield them on Thursday. It was God's will that he was there and able to intervene, he suggested. "All I know is that I…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Macron ends Africa tour with wish for fair reset of ties

NEWS

ELIZABETH PINEAU EMMANUEL Macron shared his vision of a renewed partnership with Africa in which it stands equal with France, as he concluded a tour where he has sought to dispel France's image as an arrogant former colonial power whilst bidding for future influence. The French President held talks on Saturday with President Felix Tshisekedi in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which this week saw several small-scale protests - signs of rising anti-French sentiment in parts of Francophone Africa. At a joint press conference, Macron acknowledged France was among foreign powers jostling for influence in Africa but said he…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

France eyes Ivory Coast after Burkina Faso boots out French troops

NEWS

ANGE ABOA and THIAM NDIAGA FRANCE'S defence minister pledged to boost military support to Ivory Coast, as Paris adjusts its strategy in West Africa after neighbouring Burkina Faso ordered French troops to leave and vowed to curb a worsening Islamist insurgency solo. Burkina Faso said on Sunday that France's military operations on its soil had officially ended - marking the start of a new chapter in the Sahel region's battle with Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State. The two jihadist groups have taken over swathes of land and displaced millions of people in Burkina, Mali and Niger. It is…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

France to recall Burkina ambassador over tensions, foreign ministry says

NEWS

THE French foreign ministry said it was recalling its ambassador to Burkina Faso, citing "the context of recent developments", a day after Paris announced it would withdraw its troops from the African country. "We have decided to recall our ambassador in Paris, to conduct consultations on the state and perspectives of our bilateral cooperation", the ministry said in a statement. Protests by opponents of the French military presence have surged in Burkina, partly linked to perceptions that France has not done enough to tackle an Islamist insurgency that has spread in recent years from neighbouring Mali. France on Wednesday said it would…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

France-Burkina in diplomatic tiff

NEWS

JOHN IRISH and TASSILO HUMMEL FRANCE continues to back its envoy in Burkina Faso despite a request by the Burkinabe government to replace him amid growing anti-French sentiment likely fuelled by Russian mercenaries, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said. In December, the Ouagadougou government sent a letter requesting the departure of France's ambassador - a move the French government described as "not standard practice." "I would like to express my support and our support for our ambassador and for all the embassy staff, who are doing a remarkable job in conditions which, as you know, are difficult," Colonna told LCI TV, adding that…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

French hearts are broken but future looks bright

SPORT

JULIEN PRETOT FRANCE will be heartbroken after losing the World Cup final to Argentina in a penalty shootout but the genius of Kylian Mbappe and the depth of talent in the squad bode well for the future. France began the World Cup without Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, striker Christopher Nkunku, midfielders Ngolo Kante and Paul Pogba and lost left-back Lucas Hernandez in the first game and yet still reached the final, where they lost 4-2 on penalties after a spectacular 3-3 draw. Mbappe, who turns 24 on Tuesday, netted all three French goals, taking his tally from two World…

Nov

2022

By The African Mirror

Messi picks Brazil, France and England as WC favourites

SPORT

ARGENTINA'S Lionel Messi picks out Brazil, France and England as the biggest threats to his dream of finally adding a World Cup winner's medal to his bulging trophy cabinet. The 35-year-old Paris St Germain forward will again shoulder Argentina's hopes in Qatar as they bid to deliver the South American country's third world title and first since 1986. "Whenever we talk about candidates, we always talk about the same teams," Messi told South American Federation Conmebol. "If I have to put some above others I think Brazil, France and England are a little bit above the rest. But the World…

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

Messi names France and Brazil as favourites to win World Cup

SPORT

ARGENTINA captain Lionel Messi has said defending champions France and Brazil are the favourites to win the World Cup in Qatar as they have a core group of players who have played together for a long time. Messi said Brazil, Germany, France, England and Spain are always labelled favourites to win but the 35-year-old forward feels France and Brazil are the best two teams going into the November 20 - December 18 tournament. "We always say the same great teams ... but, if I have to choose, Brazil and France are the two great candidates to win the World Cup,"…

Jul

2022

By The African Mirror

Wildfires rage in France and Spain as heatwaves sear Europe

WORLD

LAYLI FOROUDI and SERGIO GONCALVES WILDFIRES raged in southwestern France and Spain, forcing thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes as blistering summer temperatures put authorities on alert in parts of Europe. More than 12,200 people had been evacuated from France's Gironde region by Saturday morning as more than 1,000 firefighters battled to bring the flames under control, regional authorities said in a statement. "We have a fire that will continue to spread as long as it is not stabilised," Vincent Ferrier, deputy prefect for Langon in Gironde, told a news conference. Wildfires have torn through France in…