In the News: Emmanuel Macron advocates a "fair relationship" between France and Africa
Audio 05:00
French President Emmanuel Macron.
© AFP / Olivier Hoslet
By: Norbert Navarro
10 mins
Publicity
In an interview posted online yesterday at midday by the Jeune Afrique site, the French president indeed pleads for the establishment of a "fair relationship" between France and Africa and denounces the "
strategy
" carried out by Russia and Turkey to fuel anti-French sentiment.
"
We must not be naive, says Emmanuel Macron, many of those who give voice, who make videos, who are present in the French-speaking media are stipulated by Russia or Turkey
",
said the president to Jeune Afrique
, without however giving examples, it being specified that “
stipendié
” means “
paid
” and “
corrupt
”.
In this interview, it is particularly - and at length - question of the recent
controversial re-elections of Ivorian presidents Alassane Ouattara, 78, and Guinean Alpha Condé, 82.
Being reminded that, in these two countries, officially, the outgoing presidents were re-elected for a third term strongly contested by their respective opponents, Emmanuel Macron declares that "
France does not have to give lessons
".
He shows understanding with Alassane Ouattara, who "
came forward out of duty
", says the Head of State, and that he calls "to
make gestures of openness
".
Conversely, he accuses Alpha Condé of having "
organized a referendum and a change in the Constitution only to be able to keep power
".
Reason why the French president has "
not yet sent him a letter of congratulations
", insists Emmanuel Macron in
Jeune Afrique
, describing
the situation in Guinea as
"
serious
".
For the French president, the situation in these two countries illustrates “
the relative failure of the renewal of generations
” in the political world in Africa, calling for inspiration from “
role models
” such as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, prize Nobel Peace Prize, which today arouses criticism for the military offensive launched in the dissident region of Tigray.
Note also that, in this interview, Emmanuel Macron announces that the next France-Africa summit will be held next year in Montpellier, in the south of France, a summit where “
the people who embody generational renewal
”
will be highlighted.
in Africa, the president told
Jeune Afrique
.
In Côte d'Ivoire, precisely, France is active behind the scenes in the post-electoral crisis to facilitate inter-Ivorian dialogue
This is what
Le Figaro
underlines
by evoking the “
mediation
” of Paris in the “
Ivorian crisis
”, which this newspaper describes as “
delicate
”.
According to this newspaper, “
French diplomacy
(…)
worked in the shadows to bring Alassane Ouattara closer to
(…)
ex-president Henri Konan Bédié
”, Paris continuing to plead for “
a wide opening
” of the future government.
"
The release of some of the opposition leaders currently arrested is also a necessary step
",
points
Le Figaro
, also underlining - and in particular - "
the diametrically opposed reactions having first followed the cold press release from France
" taking note "
of the re-election of Alassane Ouattara then, a week later, of the letter of congratulation from Emmanuel Macron
”, to illustrate the“ delicate ”characteristic of this mediation.
In France, the press worries about the government's plans on security
In a column published yesterday on the website of the newspaper
Le Monde
, the editorial boards of around thirty media have pledged not to accredit their journalists to cover demonstrations, in the name of freedom of the press.
In its editorial,
Le Monde
writes that "
no rewriting can any longer justify the indefensible article 24 (of the bill), the pure and simple deletion of which is now required
".
Finally, a minister also on the front page this morning, that of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, for a case that would have gone well, that of Avenir lycéen
This association, a kind of high school student union, was created "
from scratch at the end of 2018 to support the Ministry of National Education
", indeed points to A
Liberation
.
Testimonies from former students of Avenir high school in support, this daily shows "
how the idea of creating this high school organization germinated
(...)
in the close entourage of Jean-Michel Blanquer, to serve the communication of the Minister, and above all to end any dialogue with the high school unions
”.
Former students who today say they have been "
instrumentalised
".
This survey highlights the role played by Jean-Marc Huart, at the time director of the General Directorate of School Education.
“
Kind of right-hand man of the minister, this high official is implicated for having piloted an operation of manipulation of high school students.
Rectors have also been involved in the scheme.
In other words, it is the state apparatus
(at the Ministry of National Education)
or in the decentralized administrations, which has been put at the service of a partisan instrumentalisation
”,
accuses
Liberation
.
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