Gaza’s powerful war narratives make their way to the Oscars

RFI

15/12/2024 -

As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, a collection of films titled From Ground Zero, created by Gaza-based filmmakers, has earned a place at the Oscars.

Rashid Masharawi and Laura Nikolov, producers of "From Ground Zero", in Paris on 7 November. © RFI/Melissa Chemam

The project, overseen by Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, includes 22 short films spanning documentary, animation, and drama.

The films aim to share the voices of people living through the conflict in Gaza, offering a glimpse into their fears, dreams and hopes.

"The idea for From Ground Zero came immediately, in the second month of this ongoing war, to try to pick up films and stories from Gaza," Masharawi told RFI.

He explained that the goal was to give filmmakers in Gaza the chance to make their own films.

As a recent report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) underlines the toll of the war on Palestinian journalists, RFI spoke with him and his team in Paris.

RSF says Israel responsible for one-third of journalist deaths in 2024

The shorts, ranging from three to six minutes, are "a mix between fiction, documentaries, video art and even experimental films," he said.

"We are filmmakers, we are dealing with cinema. Even if it's a catastrophe, it's very tough with all the massacres. But we were also trying to make cinema, to add life, to be optimistic and to add hope."

The 112-minute collection is presented as a feature film in two parts. Contributors include Reema Mahmoud, Muhammad Al Sharif, Tamer Nijim and Alaa Islam Ayou.

"From Ground Zero" was directed by Rashid Masharawi with 22 actors, directors, writers and collaborators from Gaza, over the past 12 months. © Ayloul Film Production
From film festivals to the Oscars

After premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in September, From Ground Zero toured film festivals across Europe, North Africa and South West Asia in November and December.

Screenings have taken place at the French Arab Film Festival near Paris, the Bristol Palestine Film Festival and in London. Additional showings are scheduled for Morocco and Egypt.

Earlier this year, Masharawi held an outdoor screening of the film during the Cannes Film Festival to protest its exclusion from the event.

Now, the collection has been selected to represent Palestine at the Oscars in March 2025, with hopes of a wider release in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

UN rapporteur says Israel's war in Gaza is 'emptying the land completely'

Emerging voices

The project was made possible by the Masharawi Fund for Gaza Filmmakers, launched in November 2023 to support creative talent from the territory.

Masharawi, who is from Gaza, is one of the first Palestinian filmmakers to have directed cinema projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.

His first film, Travel Document, was released in 1986, followed by The Shelter in 1989 and Long Days in Gaza in 1991.

The executive producer of the film, Laura Nikolov, who is French and based in France, is travelling with Masharawi to promote the film around the world.

"It's a very unique project," she told RFI. "We have now translated it into 10 different languages. We made this to allow the voices of the Gazan people [to be heard] and it's working. I think we've reached more than 60, perhaps 80 screenings and festivals."

With its selection for the Oscars, Nikolov is hopeful that the film will reach even wider audiences.

"This means it will be shown in cinemas in the United States," she said, adding that they hope to expand its reach across Europe and the Middle East.

A history of violence: Haiti's revolution, collapse and descent into anarchy

The recent collapse of law and order in Haiti follows two centuries of colonial misrule. RFI looks at the cycle of corruption, desperation and authoritarian rule that have shaped the history of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. 

Attack and take of the Crête-à-Pierrot, Haïti, March 1802. Original illustration by Auguste Raffet, engraving by Ernst Hébert. © wikimedia commons

By:David Coffey
24/12/2024 - 

At the core of Haiti's struggle lie predatory interventions by powerful nations, principally France and the United States.

Speaking recently to RFI, Haitian author, playwright and former politician Gary Victor said that the international community is making the same mistakes in 2024 as it has done in the past.

"I wonder how – after all the time spent in Haiti – the international community doesn't understand what's going on,” Victor said.

“When we talk about a foreign force for Haiti … first of all, there has to be political will within the country to resolve the security issues. That’s why [previous UN missions] totally failed in Haiti, because the force was co-opted by corruption and delinquency in Haiti."

The cost of revolution

Haiti's present turmoil traces its genesis back to the colony of Saint Domingue – ruled by France in the 17th and 18th centuries – where the exploitation of African slaves fuelled a trade in coffee and sugar.

The vast wealth created by slave labour on the plantations was matched by the brutality of their colonial owners, who kept their slaves in line using violence.

The struggle against colonial rule came to a head in 1791 with a slave rebellion that ultimately led to the creation of the Republic of Haiti in 1804. Slavery was officially abolished in Haiti on 1 January, 1804.

France, enraged by the loss of its colonial prize in the Caribbean, demanded exorbitant reparations from Haiti, pushing the newly formed nation into a cycle of debt that hindered the country's development.

The "Double Debt" scheme was a key part of the problem shackling Haiti to “independence debt” owed to Paris banks along with extortionate loan fees with repayments equivalent to an overwhelming percentage of its annual revenue.

"Revenge taken by the Black Army for the Cruelties practised on them by the French". Illustration by British soldier and self-admitted "admirer of Toussaint L'Ouverture" Marcus Rainsford from his 1805 book "An historical account of the black empire of Hayti". © wikimedia commons

US fears

As the first, liberated Black nation, the neighbouring United States saw Haiti’s independence as an existential threat to its own, slave-based economy, and bears much of the blame for the country's ills.

After French colonisers left Haiti, the United States worked to isolate the country diplomatically and strangle it economically.

American leaders feared a newly independent and free Haiti would inspire slave revolts back home and did not officially recognise Haiti until 1862 during the Civil War that abolished American slavery.

As Haiti grappled with the burdens of emancipation, the United States seized upon the turmoil in the era of “gunboat diplomacy”, orchestrating a military occupation from 1915 to 1934 under the guise of safeguarding American interests.

US President Woodrow Wilson sent an expeditionary force that would occupy the country for two decades to collect unpaid debts to foreign powers – a period marred by coerced labour and economic subjugation.

US Marines and guide in search of 'bandits'. Haiti, circa 1919. © wikimedia commonsUN launches emergency appeal for Haiti as Benin mulls joining multinational security mission

The Duvalier dictatorships

The subsequent decades of the 20th Century witnessed Haiti's descent into an abyss of political instability, natural catastrophes, and the relentless spectre of foreign debt.

Estimates suggest that the legacy of coerced payments to France – that Paris has repeatedly downplayed – ensnared Haiti in an economic quagmire, depriving it of resources crucial for development, ushering in an era of gang violence coupled with brutal dictatorships.

François "Papa Doc" Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" employed the ruthless militia dubbed the “Tontons Macoutes” to crush opposition during their rule between 1957 and 1986.

While subsequent leaders also forged alliances with armed groups, the gangs have now risen above the politicians that empowered them.

Armed gangs now control large parts of the capital Port-au-Prince, where they kidnap people off the street for ransom and spread fear by sharing gruesome pictures and videos on social media of people being tortured, raped or killed.

Haitian president François Duvalier (a.k.a. Papa Doc) at his coronation as president for life, Port-au-Prince, Haiti 1963. © wikimedia commons
Impunity and ‘persistent’ human rights violations

According to Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International, this crisis is the result of decades of political instability, extreme poverty, natural disasters, weakened state structures and a lack of strong commitments from the international community, all of which have exposed the population to violence.

“Military solutions or external interventions have failed to address the causes of the crisis and – far from promoting lasting stability – have left in their wake persistent human rights violations and impunity,” she said.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Haiti has been plunged into another humanitarian, political, and security crisis, with the emergence of powerful criminal gangs who have seized control over vast swathes of territory, including critical infrastructure like ports and airports.

In early March of this year, one such gang orchestrated the escape of more than 3,600 prisoners, instigating widespread terror across Haiti and prompting Prime Minister Ariel Henry's resignation.

"The images of violence that this crisis has given us are terrifying. The criminal gangs that are currently sowing terror must know that the seriousness of their actions makes them accountable and that they can be prosecuted for crimes under international law and serious human rights violations. The suffering of so many people cannot go unpunished," according to Amnesty International

Anarchy or order?

Prime Minister Henry was last seen in Puerto Rico, negotiating his return to a homeland gripped by extreme violence while a UN-backed security force is still waiting to be deployed to challenge the heavily armed gangsters.

With his fate in the air and the situation in Haiti deteriorating by the day, the world has been left to wonder whether the country will descend into anarchy or whether some semblance of order will be restored.

"We don't have the impression that the international community is our friend," author Gary Victor told RFI.

This story was first published on 29 April 2024 and appears as part of our review of the year.

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France rescues over 100 migrants from Channel, capping deadly year for crossings

French authorities rescued over a hundred migrants trying to cross the English Channel on Wednesday, Christmas day, taking advantage of improved weather at the end of what has been the deadliest year on record for Channel crossings.

A boat carrying migrants is escorted by French authorities in the English Channel, 4 September 2024. © Nicolas Garriga/AP

By: RFI

26/12/2024 - 


French rescuers launched twelve operations throughout the day along the coast of northern France that picked up 107 migrants, the Channel and North Sea maritime prefecture said in a statement.

In the morning, 30 people were rescued from a boat near Dunkirk, while the others onboard, who wished to continue onwards, were left to be taken into British custody once they reached British waters.

Another 51 people were rescued from a boat experiencing engine damage near Dunkirk, and 26 people were taken off a boat experiencing difficulty near Calais.

The Channel is "a particularly dangerous area, especially at the height of winter for precarious and overloaded boats," the statement said.

Storms and strong winds have made crossing attempts impossible for a week, but the weather improved on Tuesday, resulting in dozens of boats attempting the crossing.

Authorities in the Dover harbour said over a hundred people arrived in the early morning. The British Home Office has yet to publish its daily arrivals count.

2024 has been the deadliest year on record for Channel crossings, according to the Pas-de-Calais authorities, which have recorded 73 migrant deaths.

Tens of thousands have managed to reach Britain, where the government has vowed to crack down on people-smuggling gangs.

In November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for greater international cooperation against the gangs, which he described as a "global security threat similar to terrorism."

(with AFP)

THE LAST COLONY  VIVA INDEPENDENCE

Ravaged forest threatens Mayotte's biodiversity, economy and food security

In the wake of Cyclone Chido, the worst natural disaster to hit the Indian Ocean archipelago in 90 years, Mayotte's forests have been devastated – and with them the island's biodiversity, food security and local economy.

This photo provided by the French Ministry of the Interior shows the devastation of the tropical forests of Mayotte, as seen on 17 December, 2024. AP

By: RFI
25/12/2024 


The cyclone destroyed homes and infrastructure, and the death toll is expected to reach the hundreds, if not thousands.

The impact on Mayotte's natural habitat too has been severe, with its tropical forests almost entirely destroyed – which will have serious economic consequences, as in Mayotte the majority of the population make their living farming in the forest. The island, which constitutes France's poorest department, has 15,000 farmers.

'Risk of famine'

Between its large trees, families cultivate small plots and beneath the mango and coconut trees, banana trees grow, and below them, cassava.

These agro-forestry systems are known as the “gardens of Mayotte” and “occupy 90 percent of the island's useful agricultural area, supplying the island with fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers to meet 80 per cent of the population's needs,” according to the French agricultural research centre CIRAD.

After the cyclone, “cassava, bananas, breadfruit, lychees ... everything that makes up the Mayotte garden has disappeared,” said Ali Ambodi, president of the Mayotte livestock farmers' union.

“It's the total destruction of our farms, as well as the tracks and roads. We can't even get to our farms. And this disappearance of our natural environment makes us unhappy, because we are bound together [with it].”

This situation will not improve anytime soon, according to the farmer, who explained that the destruction of these plants means that not only will the islanders struggle to harvest food, they won't be able to collect seeds for replanting either. It will take months or even years for the plants to grow back, he said. “My deepest concern is the risk of famine.”

Ambodi has little faith in the aid promised by the French state. He said the procedures for this are cumbersome, and there are real administrative barriers.

Farmers will have to prove that they own their land, but the majority do not have the right documents. “We're going to be asked for one piece of paper, then another, then another, and in the end farmers won't have access to this aid.”

Impact on biodiversity

In addition to the local economy and food security, the biodiversity of the island has been left in ruins. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): “Mayotte's forests are a treasure trove of vulnerable and little-known biodiversity.” More than 6,150 marine and terrestrial species have been recorded there.

Some are unique to the island, and more than 380 are protected – for example the maki, or Mayotte lemur, which lives off the fruit, flowers and buds it finds in the forest.

The forest is also a veritable water tower, enriching soil and roots, preventing erosion and landslides and retaining water, thus limiting flooding.

Tropical forests are important carbon sinks, and home to animals that are essential to the balance of life on the island. “The island's dry forest is home to the Mayotte souïmanga, which is the main pollinator of the Mayotte aloe, a plant endemic to the island and classified as in danger of extinction,” says the IUCN.

Mayotte cyclone lays bare the fragility of France’s 'forgotten' territory

The organisation adds that the forest is a focal point for local tradition and culture. “In Mahoran society, the Patrosi and the Mugala, spirits from elsewhere, are the most familiar jinn. They relate to nature and come from the forest.”

The fragile environment of Mayotte's forests was already suffering the consequences of pollution and deforestation. The full extent of the further damage wreaked by Cyclone Chido remains to be seen.

This article has been adapted from the French version by Jeanne Richard.

The sound of struggle: South Africa's lasting legacy of cultural resistance

Johannesburg, South Africa – Thirty years after the end of apartheid in South Africa, the cultural resistance artists waged against white minority rule continues to inspire new generations of creators.

South African artist Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse performs at Africa Day celebrations in Johannesburg on 26 May 2018. © GULSHAN KHAN / AFP

By: Melissa Chemam| RFI
Video by: Melissa Chemam
 16/06/2024 -

"Nelson Mandela himself always said that the struggle against apartheid was a collective effort," Tshepo Moloi, history lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, told RFI.

"People who were not in leadership had a great role too: the labourers, the workers and the cultural activists – people who sang, poets, painters, sculptors," said Moloi, a specialist on the liberation struggle.

"They played an important role for the international community to know what was happening in South Africa."

Thirty years after the long fight led South Africans to freedom, that cultural resistance has become part of the country's essence, inspiring new generations of artists.

Johannesburg, a hotbed of resistance

"Some people would easily understand the speeches by leaders like Oliver Tambo, who went around the world informing about the brutal system of apartheid, but some people would sympathise through music or poetry with what was happening inside the country," Moloi says.

The African National Congress, the liberation movement that has since become South Africa's ruling party, even had its own performing group, he says. Named the Amandla Cultural Ensemble after a local word for "power", it toured the world promoting the anti-apartheid cause.

But back in segregated South Africa, just making music as a black artist could be an act of defiance in itself.

"Music was segregated. Apartheid affected every life in South Africa, even work," says Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, a jazz musician who played with some of South Africa's finest.

"We were not allowed to perform at some of the best venues in town."

Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse in his home in Soweto, Johannesburg, in South Africa, on 16 May 2024. © RFI/Melissa Chemam

Born under apartheid in 1951, Mabuse grew up in Soweto, the Johannesburg township that became an epicentre of black resistance.

A singer-songwriter who plays everything from drums to saxophone, he started out in the 1970s in the afro-soul group The Beaters – a reference to the famous British band – who later changed their name to Harari.

Mabuse also recorded with South African legends Miriam Makeba, Hugo Masekela, Ray Phiri and Sibongile Khumalo.

Harari's music was rooted in pan-African politics, inspired by the Black Panther Movement and black consciousness in general.

Despite their passion and support from black fans, Mabuse says their life was made "very difficult" by apartheid.Podcast: Jo'burg's new musical generation

A tribute to jazz pioneer and activist Hugh Masekela

Beyond apartheid

The musicians got a glimpse of a different way when tours took them outside South Africa.

"When we started going into other countries, especially when we got to Botswana, we suddenly realised that people of all races mixed. There was no issue, it made no difference to those people dancing to our music," Mabuse told RFI.

In neighbouring Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland (now Eswatini), musicians like him could tour freely and play in all venues, to all audiences.

For him and his bandmates, that ignited their political consciousness and led them to question why things remained different back at home.

"That made us self-conscious," Mabuse recalled. "And we started pursuing a different approach to music, which we felt we could use as a vehicle to express our political alliance."

Meanwhile international artists expressed solidarity by joining in a cultural boycott, as well as writing music that highlighted the fight for freedom.

Today, South Africa's musical activism isn't just the subject of history books and museum displays, but lives on in the contemporary arts scene.

At 70, Mabuse is still performing and touring – sharing the legacy of South African musicians' fight for freedom, which continues to resonate worldwide.

05:16

Ethiopia’s broken crown: The fall of Haile Selassie, 50 years on

Fifty years ago the Marxist-Leninist military junta known as the Derg took control of Ethiopia, toppling Emperor Haile Selassie and ending a monarchy that had governed the country for 700 years. RFI looks back at the revolution that reshaped Ethiopia and the brutal regime that followed.

It's been 50 years since a Marxist-Leninist military junta known as the Derg seized power in Ethiopia. Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown, ending a monarchy that had ruled Ethiopia for 700 years. AFP

By: David Coffey with RFI

13/09/2024 

On 12 September 1974, Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie I was quietly deposed by the Armed Forces Coordinating Committee – the Derg – after several months of nationwide demonstrations and strikes.

A severe drought in the winter of 1973 had devastated the northern regions of Wollo and Tigray, causing widespread famine.

Dramatic images of the victims added to the growing economic difficulties and the stalemate in a society still bound by feudal structures. This fuelled discontent against the Ethiopian emperor, who had been in power for 44 years.

First crowned as regent in 1916 – alongside his aunt Empress Zaouditou – Ras Tafari took the throne of Abyssinia in 1930 under the name of Haile Selassie I.

As the 225th descendant of the dynasty of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Negus of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie held great privilage and prestige for decades.

Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia addresses the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, to seek help against Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia, 30 June, 1936. AP

Faced with Mussolini

Haile Selassie was a symbol of Ethiopia’s independence, particularly during the invasion by Italian forces under dictator Benito Mussolini in 1935.

When he went into exile in Europe, Selassie gave a keynote speech at the League of Nations on 28 June, 1936, that left a lasting impression on the world stage.

On 5 May 1941 – after returning via Sudan – he triumphantly entered the capital, Addis Ababa, which had been liberated by Anglo-Indian brigades with the support of the Free French Forces.

Emperor of a country that had never been colonised, Haile Selassie symbolised the desire for independence throughout Africa.

Respected internationally, Haile Selassie was seen as a reformer in his early days, especially for his role in abolishing slavery.

He advocated for African unity and helped establish the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, securing its headquarters in Addis Ababa.

Despite these efforts, he met strong opposition from landowners and the clergy in a largely Christian country.

With no free press or political parties to provide outlets for dissent, frustrations grew, especially as the Eritrean Liberation Front began its calls for independence in 1961.

A state of emergency was declared in Eritrea in 1970, but it only deepened repression.

Ethiopians pictured in front of an image of Italy's Fascist Dictator Benito Mussolini in Meke'le, Northern Ethiopia, 1935. © wikimedia commons

Revolt of young intellectuals

While living in splendour, Haile Selassie amassed a colossal fortune and lost touch with the growing unrest, particularly among Ethiopia’s young intellectuals.

The famine and its thousands of victims intensified anger at the regime. By February 1974, mass demonstrations were taking place across the country, followed by a wave of strikes.

Marxist-Leninist ideas spreading through universities strengthened the revolution, which claimed to be democratic, modern and in support of women’s rights.

However, the Derg deposed the emperor by 12 September of that year.

In a bid to avoid chaos, the military had Crown Prince Asfa Wossen proclaimed king – though he was abroad for medical treatment and never exercised power.30 years young: Eritrea reaches a milestone but struggles with legacy of its past

The abolished monarchy and Selassie's death

Writing for the French weekly L'Express in September 1974, journalist Christian d'Épenoux summed up Haile Selassie's downfall.

"A champion of the non-aligned, he had managed somehow to preserve the unity of his kingdom ... against the greed of his neighbours to the south and north, Sudan and Somalia, who were breathing down his neck," he wrote.

"But his prudence, once praised, had become a blemish. Old age and attrition had overcome the spirit of reform. Isolated, ill-advised, turning a blind eye to privilege and injustice, having amassed an incredible fortune of his own, the old Negus could no longer see his country crack.

"Drought, famine and the atrocious deaths of 100,000 of his subjects while he fed his molosses triggered the revolt that was to sweep him off his feet".

The Ethiopian monarchy was finally abolished in March 1975, when Haile Selassie was imprisoned in the basement of the imperial palace.

The world learned of his death on 27 August that same year – probably assassinated on the orders of the country's new strongman, Mengistu Haile Mariam.

Derg soldiers raid a civilian's house during Ethiopia's 'Red Terror', circa 1977 - 1978 

© wikimedia commons

Ethiopia conflict at a 'national scale' according to UN investigators
The rise of Mengistu and the 'Red Terror'

The revolution, initially led by left-wing students, was soon taken over by the army.

The Derg established the Provisional Military Administrative Council on 15 September 1974, which brought clashes with the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party.

These struggles paved the way for Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, who took over the junta in 1977.

Mengistu’s rise to power triggered a wave of repression known as the "Red Terror".

Tens of thousands were killed, though the full scale of the Derg’s crimes remains unknown. The regime ruled with brutal force until its overthrow in 1991.

To this day, 87-year-old Mengistu lives quietly in Zimbabwe despite being convicted of genocide and sentenced to death in absentia in 2008.

Zimbabwe continues to refuse his extradition, and in 2011, many Derg leaders saw their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

Former Ethiopian president Mengistu Haile Mariam, pictured during a ceremony in Addis Ababa in 1990. AP - ARIS SARIS

The legacy of authoritarian rule

The dictatorial violence of the Derg's communist rule – along with constant warfare against separatist movements in Eritrea and Tigray – led to the collapse of food and cash crop production in the country by the late 1970s and early 1980s.

A National Revolutionary Development Campaign, launched in 1984, aimed to transform Ethiopia's economy within 10 years. It failed.

The situation came to the world’s attention during the 1984-1985 famine in Tigray, which inspired the Live Aid charity concerts in 1985.

Since the fall of the Derg in 1991, many Ethiopians lament the failure of the country to reconcile with its past.

There has been no Truth and Reconciliation Commission, nor any real effort from Ethiopian leaders to help victims heal or receive financial reparation.

Fifty years after the revolution, the country still feels the effects of the Derg’s brutal rule as it continues to grapple with civil war and deep ethnic divisions.

Guinea opposition groups challenge military rule after missed deadline

Guinea's opposition and civil society groups say they will no longer recognise the country's transitional authorities after 31 December, when a promised return to constitutional rule was meant to take place.

Special forces commander Mamady Doumbouya, who ousted President Alpha Conde, leaves a meeting with Ecowas officials in Conakry in September 2021. 

REUTERS - Saliou Samb

By: RFI
26/12/2024 - 

The deadline was agreed with the West African regional bloc Ecowas, but government officials confirmed two weeks ago they would not meet the target date.

Instead, authorities announced a second phase called "refoundation of the state" without providing further details.

In a statement, Forces Vives – which unites opposition parties and civil society groups – called for the establishment of a civilian-led transition, accusing the current authorities of failing to deliver on their promises.

Abdoul Sacko, coordinator of the Forum of Social Forces of Guinea, one of the signatory organisations, expressed frustration at the lack of progress.

"We are talking about a celebratory situation because this mandate – what we call the transition timeline – which the transitional authorities granted themselves and which was accepted by the people of Guinea and the international community, is coming to an end," Sacko said.

Guinea’s political parties face survival test as junta orders mass cull
Public frustration

Sacko criticised the lack of progress towards democratic rule, saying there is "no relevant, visible and perfectible approach to returning to constitutional order".

He added: "Responsibility would require us to commit to working, informing and mobilising the people towards a civilian transition, respecting and giving substance to this commitment. So, once again, we are facing a situation where there is frustration at all levels."

The missed deadline raises fresh concerns about the military's grip on power in Guinea, where authorities have not specified a new timeline for elections or return to civilian rule.

The announcement comes amid growing regional pressure on military-led governments in West Africa to honour their commitments to restore democracy.

How France is preparing for Mediterranean and Atlantic tsunamis

As UNESCO predicts that a tsunami will hit the Mediterranean within the next 30 to 50 years, French scientists are putting in place warning systems – hoping to avoid a death toll like the one seen in 2004 in the Indian Ocean, when a tsunami killed up to 230,000 people.

The beach in Nice, southeastern France, where a tsuanmi hit in 1979 and killed 11 people. © Lionel Cironneau/AP

By :RFI

26/12/2024 - 

The Boxing Day tsunami of 26 December was "a wake-up call for humanity to do more, to better understand disaster risks," said Kamal Kishore, UN special representative for Disaster Risk Reduction.

French scientists have been doing just that, focusing on the risk of a tsunami occurring around its Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts and installing early warning systems.

2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: what to know 20 years on

Unesco has said there is a 100 percent chance of a tsunami of at least 1 metre in height occurring in the Mediterranean in the next 30 to 50 years.

Monitoring activity

In 2012, France established the National Centre for Tsunami Alert (Cenalt), with seismometers working 24 hours a day to monitor earthquake activity around the country – with an eye towards predicting tsunamis on the coast.

“We do not expect tsunamis to go over 2 or 3 metres high, compared to the Pacific or Indian Oceans where there have been waves as high as 30 metres,” Cenalt director Pascal Roudil told France Info.

However, even smaller waves can cause damage. In October 1979 an underwater landslide caused a tsunami in Nice. A 3-metre high wave hit the coast, killing 11 people and sending water 150 metres inland.

Tears and prayers as Asia mourns tsunami dead 20 years on

Since 2012, around 100 seismological events have been noted by Cenalt and some have triggered warnings, but they are yet to record a real tsunami risk.
Risk on the Riviera

Cities along the French Rivera have organised drills to raise awareness of the risks, and teach people what to do in the event of a tsunami being detected. In some cases, people would have as little as 15 minutes to move to higher ground.

The coast of south-eastern France, between the sea and the Alps, is an active seismic zone, and earthquakes are recorded regularly. In mid December a 3.7 magnitude quake was recorded off the coast of Nice.

In January, Cannes became the first French city to be recognised by Unesco as “Tsunami Ready”, thanks to its alert system, evacuation plans and the drills it has organised.

'Dangerous new era': climate change spurs disaster in 2024

Paris (AFP) – From tiny and impoverished Mayotte to oil-rich behemoth Saudi Arabia, prosperous European cities to overcrowded slums in Africa, nowhere was spared the devastating impact of supercharged climate disasters in 2024.

Many countries were hit by record-breaking floods, cyclones and other climate-related disasters in 2024.© Villamor VISAYA / AFP

By:RFI

 27/12/2024 - 

This year is the hottest in history, with record-breaking temperatures in the atmosphere and oceans acting like fuel for extreme weather around the world.

World Weather Attribution, experts on how global warming influences extreme events, said nearly every disaster they analysed over the past 12 months was intensified by climate change.

"The impacts of fossil fuel warming have never been clearer or more devastating than in 2024. We are living in a dangerous new era," said climate scientist Friederike Otto, who leads the WWA network.

Heat

That was tragically evident in June when more than 1,300 people died during the Muslim hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia where temperatures hit 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit).

Extreme heat – sometimes dubbed the 'silent killer' – also proved deadly in Thailand, India, and United States.

Conditions were so intense in Mexico that howler monkeys dropped dead from the trees, while Pakistan kept millions of children at home as the mercury inched above 50C.

Greece recorded its earliest ever heatwave, forcing the closure of its famed Acropolis and fanning terrible wildfires, at the outset of Europe's hottest summer yet.

Ravaged forest threatens Mayotte's biodiversity, economy and food security
Floods

Climate change isn't just sizzling temperatures -- warmer oceans mean higher evaporation, and warmer air absorbs more moisture, a volatile recipe for heavy rainfall.

In April, the United Arab Emirates received two years worth of rain in a single day, turning parts of the desert-state into a sea, and hobbling Dubai's international airport.

Kenya was barely out of a once-in-a-generation drought when the worst floods in decades delivered back-to-back disasters for the East African nation.

Four million people needed aid after historic flooding killed more than 1,500 people across West and Central Africa. Europe – most notably Spain – also suffered tremendous downpours that caused deadly flash flooding.

Afghanistan, Russia, Brazil, China, Nepal, Uganda, India, Somalia, Pakistan, Burundi and the United States were among other countries that witnessed flooding in 2024.
Cyclones

Warmer ocean surfaces feed energy into tropical cyclones as they barrel toward land, whipping up fierce winds and their destructive potential.

Major hurricanes pummelled the United States and Caribbean, most notably Milton, Beryl and Helene, in a 2024 season of above-average storm activity.

The Philippines endured six major storms in November alone, just two months after suffering Typhoon Yagi as it tore through Southeast Asia.

In December, scientists said global warming had helped intensify Cyclone Chino to a Category 4 storm as it collided head-on with Mayotte, devastating France's poorest overseas territory.

TotalEnergies accused of abuses linked to €10bn East African oil pipeline
Droughts and wildfires

Some regions may be wetter as climate change shifts rainfall patterns, but others are becoming drier and more vulnerable to drought.

The Americas suffered severe drought in 2024 and wildfires torched millions of hectares in the western United States, Canada, and the Amazon basin – usually one of Earth's wettest places.

Between January and September, more than 400,000 fires were recorded across South America, shrouding the continent in choking smoke.

The World Food Programme in December said 26 million people across southern Africa were at risk of hunger as a months-long drought parched the impoverished region.
Economic toll

Extreme weather cost thousands of lives in 2024 and left countless more in desperate poverty. The lasting toll of such disasters is impossible to quantify.

In terms of economic losses, Zurich-based reinsurance giant Swiss Re estimated the global damage bill at $310 billion, a statement issued early December.

Flooding in Europe – particularly in the Spanish province of Valencia, where over 200 people died in October – and hurricanes Helene and Milton drove up the cost, the company said.

As of November 1, the United States had suffered 24 weather disasters in 2024 with losses exceeding $1 billion each, government figures showed.

Drought in Brazil cost its farming sector $2.7 billion between June and August, while "climatic challenges" drove global wine production to its lowest level since 1961, an industry body said.

Bosnia’s EU membership hopes hinge on overcoming deep political rift

Bosnia's path to European Union membership hangs in the balance as the country faces its deepest political crisis since the 1990s war. Western powers are weighing their response after Bosnian Serb lawmakers this week moved to paralyse state institutions, threatening reforms crucial for the country's EU integration.

Bosnian Serb political leader Milorad Dodik attends a press conference in Screbrenica in May 2024. AP - Armin Durgut

By:RFI

Issued on: 27/12/2024 - 

Jan van der Made

France, Britain, Germany, Italy the European Union and the United States issued a joint statement condemning the Serb parliament's actions as "a serious threat to the country's constitutional order".

The statement warned: "At a time when formal opening of EU accession negotiations has never been so close, a return to political blockades would have negative consequences for all citizens ... a majority of whom support EU accession."

On Wednesday Republika Srpska’s (RS) regional parliament ordered Serb representatives in state institutions to obstruct decision-making and reforms required for EU integration.

The move follows an ongoing trial of RS leader Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russian nationalist leader of RS, who faces prosecution for defying decisions by High Representative Christian Schmidt – the international official tasked with overseeing Bosnia’s post-war recovery.

Dayton agreement

Lawmakers described Dodik’s trial as politically motivated and argued they were established by the peace envoy rather than through the Dayton Peace Agreement.

The 1995 Dayton accords ended years of bloody conflict that killed tens of thousands. They split Bosnia into two autonomous regions – the Serb Republic and a Federation shared by Croats and Bosniaks – under weak central government oversight.

Map of the former Yugoslavia, 2008. © International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

Republika Srpska lawmakers have increasingly resisted this arrangement, with Dodik leading efforts to assert greater independence.

Among their resolutions, lawmakers requested that Dodik, who recently had surgery in Serbia, avoid court appearances until medically cleared.

The moves by RS lawmakers has heightened ongoing tensions between Bosnia's two regions.

• Brussels recommends opening EU membership talks with Bosnia
• Srebrenica remembers victims following Mladic arrest

Ongoing sanctions

The political crisis has been deepened by increased pressure on Dodik's circle by the United States. On 18 December, Washington sanctioned four people and four entities from RS, including Bosnia's Foreign Trade Minister Stasa Kosarac, for allegedly helping Dodik's family dodge earlier restrictions.

These sanctions are part of broader efforts to address what Washington views as destabilising actions in the region.

The crisis has added to the Balkans’ volatile dynamics. Earlier this month, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti visited Sarajevo, meeting with Bosnian officials despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between the two nations.

The visit drew criticism from Bosnia’s Serb leaders, further straining relations.

Map of the administrative division of Bosnia-Herzegovina according to the 1995 Dayton Agreements. © Wikimedia Commons

EU accession?

The European Council opened accession talks with Bosnia-Herzegovina in March after authorities met key requirements set by the European Commission.

But tensions between Bosnia's regions remain high, echoing divisions that date to the 1990s war when Bosnian Serb forces, led by Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic – both later convicted of war crimes – orchestrated the killing of some 8,000 Bosnians.

The Washington-based Carnegie Endowment has warned that “progress on the EU track is no remedy for the chronic crisis besetting Bosnian politics”, describing Dodik as “a thorn in the side of the West”.

As Sarajevo works to address these challenges, the focus remains on whether the country’s leaders can bridge the political divide and keep Bosnia on the path to European integration.