French journalists rally in solidarity for colleagues killed in Gaza

Hundreds of journalists joined demonstrations in Paris and Marseille on Wednesday to show solidarity with nearly 200 colleagues killed in Gaza since October 2023.


Issued on: 17/04/2025 - RFI

Journalists hold a banner reading "Gaza, stop the massacre of journalists, solidarity with our colleagues" during a demonstration in support of their Palestinian colleagues in front of the Opera Bastille in Paris, on April 16, 2025. AFP - STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

More than 200 journalists, including prominent members of the French press, staged a symbolic "die-in" in Paris, laying down on the steps of the Bastille Opera as the names of the nearly 200 victims were read out loud.

Many wore red-stained press vests and fake flak jackets and carried photos of journalists killed in Gaza while trying to report on the war launched by Israel following the 7 October attack by Hamas.

"Gaza has faces, not just numbers", read posters showing the photographs of their fallen Palestinian colleagues whose names were read out loud.

Youssef Habash, leader of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate in Europe, condemned what he called a "genocide" and demanded an end to the Israeli blockade on the enclave.

"There have never been so many casualties in our profession. The right of citizens worldwide to be informed is compromised," said Pablo Aiquel, Secretary General of SNJ-CGT, speaking on behalf of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Thibaut Bruttin, Director General of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said: "This gathering comes late, perhaps too late... I've never seen a conflict where when a journalist dies, they're called a terrorist."

Among the crowds, people waved Palestinian flags, some chanting “We will not be silent,” and “Free Palestine”.

In Marseille, about 160 people gathered at the Old Port. Names of journalists killed in Gaza were read before a minute of silence in their honour.

People hold photos of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza at a rally on the steps of Bastille Opera, Paris, 16 April 2025. © RFI/Alison Hird

International investigation reveals 'attack on press freedom' in Gaza conflict

'Media blackout'

Since Israel launched the war on Gaza, foreign journalists have been prevented from reporting in the enclave, other than a few visits by international teams embedded with the Israeli army.

In a statement published Monday in Le Monde and on RFI, several media organisations including journalists' unions SNJ, CGT and CFDT, RSF, IFJ, and about forty journalists' societies or editorial teams including AFP news agency, denounced "carnage of unprecedented magnitude".

“The Israeli army is imposing a media blackout on Gaza to silence, as much as possible, the witnesses of the war crimes committed by its troops,” it read. “This intention to obstruct information is also reflected in the Israeli government's refusal to allow foreign press access to the Gaza Strip.”

The Gaza war began following Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October, 2023, which resulted in 1,218 deaths on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official figures. Of the 251 people initially abducted, 58 remain held in Gaza, including 34 who are dead, according to the army.

Data collected by Hamas' health ministry puts the death toll in Gaza since the start of Israel's military response at 51,025 – data the UN considers reliable.

THE LAST COLONY, VIVE INDEPENDENCE!

Protest ban lifted in New Caledonia nearly a year after deadly riots

People in New Caledonia can now protest again – nearly a year after violent riots – following a French court decision to suspend bans that had remained in place in parts of the archipelago.


Issued on: 18/04/2025 - RFI

Protesters wave flags of the Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) during a demonstration against changing voter rules in Noumea on 13 April 2024

. © AFP - THEO ROUBY

The administrative court of New Caledonia on Thursday ruled against a decree that still banned public gatherings in several municipalities.

The bans were introduced on 15 May 2024, when a state of emergency was declared in response to unrest over proposed voting reforms.

Although the state of emergency ended on 28 May last year, restrictions in some towns continued. These included a night-time curfew and limits on gatherings, transport, and the sale of alcohol and weapons.

The League of Human Rights (LDH) challenged the decree earlier this week. The case targeted a ban covering the capital Nouméa, as well as Dumbéa, Paita and Mont-Dore, which was due to remain in place until 30 April.

The court said the ban should be lifted while it considers whether to cancel it entirely.

"It has now been 11 months that the residents, associations, and unions of New Caledonia have been prevented from exercising an essential right – the right to protest – for reasons that are no longer justified by the local situation," Marion Ogier, a lawyer with LDH, told the AFP news agency.

"The decision is reassuring because it reminds us of one essential thing: New Caledonia is not a territory outside the rule of law."

Ogier said the move was necessary "because respect for freedoms and democratic principles is a prerequisite for restoring trust in a calm and constructive dialogue".

The High Commissioner's office declined to comment but said it would not appeal the verdict.

Key dates in New Caledonia’s history

Pockets of unrest remain

The local branch of LDH, however, did not agree with challenging the decree so soon.

"We consider there is no reason to hurry given there are still pockets in the agglomeration where every evening stones are thrown at police vehicles or sometimes more serious events are taking place," Gérard Sarda, head of LDH New Caledonia, told local public media.

Violence erupted in May last year after the National Assembly approved a constitutional reform that would increase the number of people eligible to participate in provincial elections.

Pro-independence leaders, including many indigenous Kanaks, feared it would dilute the Kanak vote and bury hopes for winning full independence from France.

The reform was suspended in the wake of snap legislative polls last summer and axed by France's former Barnier government last October.

The unrest wreaked havoc on the archipelago. At least 13 people died in the violence and the destruction, looting and fires caused over €2 billion in damage, according to local government figures.

Almost one worker in five has been left totally or partially unemployed.

Book alleges Vatican knew of French priest's sexual abuse as early as 1955

The French church is to question the Vatican over revelations published Thursday that it knew about sexual abuse allegations against French charity icon Abbé Pierre as early as the 1950s.


Issued on: 17/04/2025

RFI

 

A book published on 16 April claims the Vatican knew about French priest Abbe Pierre's deviant sexual behaviour as early as 1955. AP - LAURENT GILLIERON

The Catholic priest was widely praised for his work with the poor and homeless when he died in 2007 aged 94.

But since September last year, 33 people have alleged he committed sexual abuse against them between 1950 and 2000. Some were children at the time of the alleged acts.

The news rocked both the public and French church, which agreed to open its archives that same month.

But in February, prosecutors dropped the criminal investigation because the statute of limitations had expired in all cases.

In a book published Thursday, Abbé Pierre, the Making of a Saint, journalists Marie-France Etchegoin and Laetitia Cherel allege the Vatican knew about some of the accusations for decades.

"As early as autumn 1955, not only did top French clergy know about the dark side and danger in Abbé Pierre, but so did the Holy See," they wrote.

They report that the Vatican requested the bishop of Versailles launch "a judicial procedure", but it didn't happen.

The journalists had gained access to Vatican archives, declassified in 2020, showing that a priest had written to the Holy See in October 1955 to say Abbé Pierre had done "immoral things" while visiting the United States.

"The elements uncovered are serious and deserve to be investigated," the Conference of French Bishops (CEF) said Thursday, announcing plans to work with the Vatican to understand "what happened and what the behavior of the French bishops in positions of responsibility was at the time".

  

This photograph shows detail of the famous Lyonnais fresco by CiteCreation depicting Abbé Pierre with his face crossed out in red, in Lyon, central-eastern France, on 30 September 2024. AFP - JEFF PACHOUD

French charity turns its back on founding father accused of sexual abuse
'Problematic' behaviour

The archives also included the minutes of a 1957 meeting about Abbé Pierre, born Henri Groues in 1912.

The 10-page document noted that two US and Canadian cardinals had alerted the Vatican in 1955, and detailed allegations against him from 1955 to 1957, the journalists said.

The Vatican asked its ambassador to France at the time to keep an eye on Abbé Pierre, also suspecting him of having ties to Communism, it showed.

Archives of the French Catholic church, consulted after the scandal first broke last September, show French religious leaders remained quiet about what they termed Abbé Pierre's "problematic" behaviour.

French church unlocks archives early on priest accused of sexual abuse

Pope Francis said in September that the Vatican had known about the accusations against the French charity figure at least since his death in 2007.

The Conference of Bishops of France at the time asked the Vatican to examine its archives to see what was known before then, but there has been no follow-up so far.

The 1939-1958 Vatican archives that the journalists consulted were declassified in 2020 to allow historians to examine the Holy See's attitude to Nazi Germany, the book's authors said.

It contained a blue file titled Abbé Pierre, which one of them said the Vatican possibly did not realise was included.

Véronique Margron, president of the Conference of Religious Men and Women of France, said she was shocked by the book's revelations.

"The church must be held accountable," she told FranceInfo. "Someone obviously owes these children and women answers. [They] should never have become victims."

She called on all archives on Abbé Pierre to be opened to researchers, describing any resistance as "immoral".

(with AFP)

EXILE

First US 'refugee scientists' to arrive in France in weeks, university says

Marseille (AFP) – The first researchers fleeing US spending cuts imposed by President Donald Trump are to start work at a French university in June.

Issued on: 18/04/2025 

RFI

Aix-Marseille University said it had received 298 applications in the span of a month for its "Safe Place for Science" scheme. 

AFP - CHRISTOPHE SIMON

Aix Marseille University said its "Safe Place for Science" scheme received a flood of applicants after announcing in March it would open its doors to US scientists threatened by cuts.

Of 298 applications, 242 were deemed eligible and "are being studied" for some 20 available posts, the university said in a statement.

It added that 135 of the applicants were US citizens, and 45 were dual citizens.

University president Eric Berton said he wanted to see a new status of "refugee scientist" be created, and for more US researchers to be welcomed in France and Europe.

French university opens doors to US scientists fleeing Trump’s research cuts

A bill establishing such a status was presented in the French parliament on Monday by former president Francois Hollande, now a deputy.

Aix Marseille University has previously brought in 25 scientists from Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories under another programme for researchers under threat.

The university has set aside a budget so that each researcher taken in receives between 600,000 and 800,000 euros ($680,00-$910,000) over three years to continue their work.

It said the applicants from a variety of US institutions, including Johns Hopkins, NASA, Yale, Stanford, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania.

A selection panel will meet next Wednesday, followed by remote interviews before the first scientists arrive in early June.

Perrier could lose 'natural mineral water' label after contamination found

Perrier may lose its “natural mineral water” label after harmful bacteria was found in bottles at its main bottling site in southern France – which was not reported to health authorities until 10 days after it was discovered.


Issued on: 18/04/2025 - RFI

French health authorities want Perrier to lose the right to label its products "natural mineral water". Getty Images via AFP - ARTURO HOLMES

Intestinal bacteria was detected in 75-centilitre bottles at the Nestlé-owned factory in Vergèze, Gard, according to documents seen by the investigative unit of Radio France, which revealed that the contamination was first identified on 11 March.

The company has since shut down a production line and blocked 369 pallets – amounting to around 300,000 bottles.

Hundreds of thousands of 50cl bottles have also been held back after tests showed high levels of revivable germs, which can point to bacterial contamination.

Nestlé Waters said the incident followed a “technical intervention on the production line” and claimed there had been “no deviation from the borehole”.

Troubled waters: French government under pressure over Nestlé revelations

In comments to business newspaper Les Echos, the company said these events were “linked to the normal operation of a factory”.

“All products placed on the market are safe,” it added.
Delayed reporting

French law requires companies to notify health authorities immediately when contamination is detected.

But the Occitanie regional health agency was not told about the presence of bacteria until 21 March – 10 days after it was first discovered.

A second issue, involving the smaller bottles, was flagged on 22 March but not reported until 4 April.

“The notification delay was a bit too long,” Nestlé Waters told Les Echos. “But this has no impact on the quality of our products, since all isolation measures and production line shutdowns were taken immediately.”

The company had already destroyed 3 million bottles in April 2024, after an earlier contamination with faecal bacteria.
Label under threat

The regional health agency has recommended that the prefect of Gard withdraw Perrier’s right to market its water as “natural mineral water”. This would apply to all boreholes at the Vergèze site.

“Complete destruction [of the affected bottles] could be considered,” the agency said.

Hydrologists approved by the French health ministry have concluded that all Perrier boreholes have lost their “original purity” – a condition required for mineral water status.

Nestlé and Sources Alma face inquiry over methods used for French mineral water

Their report, cited by multiple various French media outlets, issued “an unfavourable health opinion” and noted major differences between Nestlé’s test results and those provided by health authorities on indicators of faecal contamination.

Nestlé Waters said it was “not at all” aware of the health authority’s recommendation.
Legal referral

The French consumer fraud agency has referred the case to prosecutors under article 40 of the criminal code, which obliges civil servants to report suspected offences.

Scientists have also raised concerns about the factory’s use of 0.2 micron filters, which they say were installed to treat polluted water but are not enough to purify it. These filters cannot block all viruses and may let some bacteria through.

In 2022, the inspectorate for social affairs warned the economy minister that continuing to rely on these filters – while removing more effective ones like UV and charcoal systems – would pose a viral risk.

In early 2023, France’s top health official at the time, Jérôme Salomon, said it would be “unacceptable” to let Nestlé use microfiltration alone.

Despite these warnings, the government of Elisabeth Borne granted the company a special exemption, with approval from the Elysée. That exemption remains in effect.

Nestlé admits to treating bottled mineral water in breach of French regulations
Future uncertain

Jérôme Bonet, the prefect of Gard, is expected to decide in the coming days whether the brand can continue to be labelled as natural mineral water.

Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe told the French Senate on 9 April that the company had launched an internal investigation.

At the firm’s annual meeting, the Swiss-based Ethos Foundation – which represents pension funds – urged Nestlé to publish the findings, or at least “a summary”, so that shareholders could assess the risks.

DR Congo conflict coltan entering EU via Rwandan smuggling routes, report finds

Coltan linked to conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has likely entered the European Union market through international commodities trader Traxys, a Global Witness investigation has revealed.

 18/04/2025 - RFI

3

Tantalum, a metal derived from coltan, is used in manufacturing electronics. © Phil Moore / Global Witness

By: Melissa Chemam

The report found that Traxys, a multibillion-dollar company based in Luxembourg, bought at least 280 tonnes of coltan from Rwanda in 2024, with evidence suggesting a significant proportion is connected to the war in eastern DRC.

The report is based on customs data and testimony from two smugglers and sources in government, civil society and the mining sector.

The main mines exploiting coltan in the Great Lakes region of central Africa are found in the Rubaya area of eastern DRC.

In February, Rwandan-backed armed group M23 conquered the region, occupying Goma in North Kivu, the largest city in eastern DRC, and Bukavu, a city of more than 1 million and the capital of South Kivu province, just weeks later.

Illegal trade

“Our investigation strongly suggests that conflict coltan from the DRC smuggled to Rwanda has entered the EU," Alex Kopp, senior campaigner at Global Witness, said in a statement shared with RFI.

"It seems that the EU has not been able to put effective safeguards in place and should immediately rescind its raw materials partnership with Rwanda," he added.

The report shows that Traxys was almost the only buyer of coltan sold by Rwandan minerals exporter African Panther Resources Limited, according to customs data seen by Global Witness.

Two traders who illegally bring coltan from Rubaya in the DRC over the border to Rwanda told Global Witness that African Panther has bought smuggled coltan from Rwanda. One trader also said M23 demanded a tax of 15 percent of the selling price.

Paris prosecutor dismisses case against Apple over DRC conflict minerals

The report confirms that Traxys indeed increased its purchase of coltan from Rwanda in 2023, and became one of the biggest buyers of the mineral from Rwanda in 2024.

“As major donors, the EU and its member states have considerable clout over Rwanda," Kopp added. "The EU’s values and principles command it to freeze development assistance to Rwanda until Rwanda withdraws its troops from DRC and stops all support to M23.”
Coltan connected to conflict

A metal derived from coltan known as tantalum is used in manufacturing electronic devices such as mobile phones, personal computers and automotive parts, including those for electric vehicles key to the energy transition. One mobile phone contains 40 milligrams of tantalum on average.

UN reports have already shown that the M23 rebel group is to a significant degree financed by the exploitation and export of coltan in the Rubaya area, which is smuggled to Rwanda in large volumes.

Global Witness reports show that M23 has continued to profit from coltan mined in Rubaya by controlling a major transport route and by taking control of the area’s mines, which produce around 15 percent of the world’s tantalum.

Rebels tighten grip on Congo mineral wealth as UN warns of long-term control

According to UN experts, at the end of 2023 it was clear that conflict coltan from the Masisi area was also regularly smuggled to Rwanda and laundered into supply chains. They say the ore trade has provided M23 a revenue of an estimated $800,000 per month.

At the end of 2023, European Commission President Uusula von der Leyen discussed critical raw materials with Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, leading to a strategic partnership signed in February 2024.

This partnership was intended to allow the EU better access to raw materials from Rwanda, including coltan and tantalum, which the EU defines as critical raw materials.

This latest Global Witness investigation indicates, however, that the EU has not developed sufficient safeguards to stop conflict minerals from entering its territory.

In response to the investigation, Traxys has denied that its coltan originates from Rubaya and helps fund M23, citing a number of due diligence measures including mine visits, plausibility checks and the use of traceability systems.

African Panther has also denied the presence of smuggled coltan from Rubaya in its supply chain.

FASCISM BY ANY OTHER NAME

Uganda plans law to bring back military trials for civilians

Uganda’s government says it is planning to reintroduce military trials for civilians through a new law, despite a Supreme Court ruling in January that banned the practice.

RFI

18/04/2025 - 15:03

Protesters at an anti-corruption demonstration in Kampala on 10 February 2025.

 AFP - BADRU KATUMBA

The draft law is awaiting cabinet approval before being presented to parliament, Justice Minister Nobert Mao told lawmakers on Thursday.

He said the bill would define “exceptional circumstances under which a civilian may be subject to military law”.

The move has caused outcry in Uganda, with human rights activists calling the decision "insane" on social media.

NGOs and opposition politicians have long accused the government of President Yoweri Museveni of using military courts to prosecute opposition leaders and supporters on politically motivated charges – accusations the government denies.

Uganda police surround opposition leader's party HQ ahead of protests

Opponents detained

Museveni, 80, has been president of the Republic of Uganda since 1986. Under his regime, opponents have suffered repression for decades, including the former presidential candidates Kizza Besigye, 68, and Bobi Wine, 43.

Wine – whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, but who is known by his stage name – is an activist, singer and former MP. He has been arrested several times after campaigning for the presidency, first in 2021 then in 2023 and 2024.

Besigye, a veteran political rival of Museveni, has been in detention for nearly five months on what his lawyers say are politically motivated charges.

Ugandan writer Rukirabashaija tortured over Museveni & son criticism: lawyer

He was detained in neighbouring Kenya in November and subsequently transferred to Uganda, where he was charged in a military court martial with illegal possession of firearms among other offences.

On 11 April, he was denied bail by another Ugandan court, with the judge citing the heavy charges he faces and the ongoing investigation.

Supreme court ruling

In January, Uganda's Supreme Court delivered a ruling banning military prosecutions of civilians, forcing the government to transfer the trial of Besigye to civilian courts.

This ruling had been prompted by several protests at delayed judgment in the ongoing trials of numerous opposition politicians and activists in Uganda’s General Court Martial.

This court is directly controlled by the Ugandan army and the president—a situation that undermines the concept of impartiality, according to the International Society for Human Rights.

Uganda: the quiet power in the eastern DRC conflict

"It is essential for the public and all advocates for democracy and the rule of law to join the court in urging the Ugandan government to implement the Supreme Court’s decision, drop all charges against individuals formerly charged by military courts, and release all prisoners still detained under the orders of these illegal military courts," the NGO wrote in early February.

If enacted, the new law could allow the government to take Besigye back to a military court martial, as well as other opponents.

(with Reuters)

Roma push France to recognise Holocaust-era genocide

Young Roma in France have launched a campaign calling on the state to officially recognise the genocide of Roma and Sinti people during World War II. At the centre of their message are wartime letters written by their ancestors from internment camps – unanswered pleas for help sent to the French authorities.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is among those laying flowers at the memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of the Holocaust in Berlin, 24 October, 2022. 

AP - Markus Schreiber

By: RFI

Issued on: 12/04/2025

Between 250,000 and 500,000 Roma were killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Holocaust. Victims were subjected to internment, forced labour, sterilisation, deportation and mass execution.

The exact number is unknown, as many families never reported their losses and records of the killings were destroyed by those who carried them out.

The campaign is being led by the Zor Collective, which brings together young Roma, Travellers and Sinti from across France. They are using the hashtag #NosViesdeGitansComptent – Gypsy Lives Matter – to draw attention to their demand.


'Asking for dignity'

"We are mobilising for the recognition of genocide. Our campaign begins on social networks with the broadcasting of 14 videos in which we directly address members of the French Assembly," Roma activist and lawyer Anina Ciuciu told RFI.

In the videos, young Roma people read letters that were sent during the war by their ancestors who were interned, asking the French authorities for help – to which they received no reply.

"They sent them to the authorities, which had the power to change their situation, but, unfortunately, they've received no reply to this day," Ciuciu said.

"Today, the response that we expect from the French government is recognition of the genocide. We are asking for dignity."

WWII Roma genocide remembered in French former internment camp
Roma genocide

Known as the Porrajmos ("the Devouring") to Roma people, the genocide has been recognised by the European Union and Germany.

In 2012, a monument to the victims was unveiled in the centre of Berlin.

And in 2015, the European Parliament established 2 August as Sinti and Roma Genocide Remembrance Day, with the date commemorating the liquidation of the Roma camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau on 2 August 1944, which saw the murder of some 4,300 men, women and children.

France has not officially recognised the genocide. At least 7,000 Roma were interned in France from 1939 to 1946. Many were deported to Nazi-occupied territories, then on to concentration camps such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, Sobibor and Treblinka.

In 2016, then-president François Hollande acknowledged France's role in these internments.

On a visit to the largest of the French internment camps for Roma, in Montreuil-Bellay, central France, he said: "The republic acknowledges the suffering of travelling people who were interned and admits that it bears broad responsibility."

A motion calling for a resolution to recognise the genocide, and for 2 August to be declared a national day of commemoration, was tabled on 10 February by 52 left-wing members of the National Assembly.

Roma inclusion in Europe 'too slow': study

Far-right gains

Ciuciu believes the campaign is especially urgent given the current political climate in France, where Roma people still face marginalisation and discrimination.

"The [far-right] National Rally party has a lot of power, and is still gaining power day by day. For us, this is very dangerous for fundamental rights and fundamental freedoms and we feel we are in danger," she said.

"I think that, by gaining this recognition of the genocide, we will remind ourselves of the true face of this far-right fascist party. It is a danger not just for us of Roma origin, but for the values of the French republic," she warned.

She believes the rise of the far right is one reason the genocide has never been recognised.

"Its ideas have unfortunately won over the authorities and the current government. The laws that have been voted on for several years in France are very much inspired, shall we say, by the proposals of the far right. Aside from that, there is in fact no serious historical, legal or juridical obstacle to this genocide not being recognised."

Roma migrants in France: life on the move

Ciuciu said that recognition by the French state would be a first step towards repairing historical wrongs and making Roma history part of the national narrative.

"The immediate next step will be compensation. The suffering experienced must be compensated," she said.

"Thousands and thousands of our elderly people, children, men and women were killed during this war or were deprived of their freedom for several years and subjected to treatment that is not dignified, without anyone today remembering them and recognising that what they went through was not normal."

This article was adapted from the original Romanian version and has been edited and condensed for clarity.

African cotton producers rally against climate shocks and low prices

Cotton is a lifeline for Africa – bringing in foreign currency and providing jobs for millions of people. But 20 years after the African Cotton Producers’ Association was founded, growers say the industry is under threat and needs urgent change.

Cotton production in Africa is under pressure from climate change and global pricing challenges. © Wikimedia Commons

By: RFI
Issued on: 12/04/2025 


Across the African continent, around 20 million people grow cotton, producing 3 million tonnes each year, often using simple tools and methods.

African cotton is considered high quality, partly because it is handpicked. But despite this, African farmers have little power in the global market.

“African cotton producers have to accept international prices,” said Koussouwè Kourouféi, a farmer from Togo who is president of the Association of African Cotton Producers (AProCA).

“The big producers are the ones who set the prices and Africa, as a minority player, is forced to accept what they offer. Despite the quality of our cotton, harvested by hand, we have no choice but to accept it.

Many fear that without change, the industry may struggle to survive.

Children’s tale takes root in West Africa’s fight to regrow its forests
'Rainfall is working against us'

In Togo, cotton farmers are also struggling with smaller harvests and a lack of cultivated land. Pests are attacking crops and rainfall is becoming more unpredictable.

"Rainfall is working against us at planting time,” said Padibalaki Péguédou, coordinator of the National Federation of Cotton Producers in Togo.

“When the planting season starts, the rain just isn’t there. But farmers are used to adapting, and that’s why we’re seeing a big drop in the area under cultivation.”

Last year, cotton was expected to be planted on 75,000 hectares in Togo. But because of poor rainfall, that area was cut. This year, Péguédou said they may not even reach 65,000 hectares.

It is a trend affecting all 15 African countries that produce what is often called “white gold”.

How the Tunisian sun is turning red algae into food industry gold

Turning to irrigation

As rainfall becomes less reliable, AProCA's president says the cotton sector needs to adapt.

“Climate change is affecting production, and we believe the solution is to move towards irrigation and grow cotton in the off season,” said Kourouféi.

He added that relying on rain-fed agriculture is no longer sustainable, and irrigation could help farmers boost yields by allowing them to plant outside the traditional growing season.

Despite reforms and support from international partners, many cotton producers say there’s still a lot of work to be done. That includes finding ways to improve working conditions and raise production, without putting more pressure on farmers.

To mark its 20th anniversary later this month, AProCA will hold an advocacy event in Garoua, Cameroon. There, members will draw up a new strategic plan to guide the organisation in the years ahead.

Kourouféi believes African cotton farmers must “change strategy in the face of difficulties” if they want to survive and grow. That means adapting to the climate, gaining more control over prices and finding smarter ways to farm.

This story was adapted from the original version in French by Togo correspondent Peter Dogbe.

Birds in France still ingesting toxic lead pellets 20 years after ban

Waterbirds in France’s largest wetland are still being poisoned by toxic lead pellets almost two decades after the ammunition was banned, a study has warned this week.

Issued on: 19/04/2025 - 

A shotgun shell with lead pellets found at in the Camargue in February 2025. Hunting with lead shells has been banned in French wetlands since 2006. AFP - SYLVAIN THOMAS

By: RFI


The research, published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, shows that one in eight birds studied in the Camargue – a vast wetland in the Rhône delta in southern France – had ingested lead pellets.

For some species, such as mallards and pintails, that figure rises to one in four.

Scientists from the Tour du Valat research institute examined 2,187 gizzards (part of the stomach) from 13 species of waterbirds hunted in the region between 1998 and 2017.

They found no significant drop in lead exposure since a 2006 ban on lead ammunition in and around French wetlands.

“During the 20-year study period, before and after the ban, the gizzards of harvested water birds showed an average prevalence of lead shot of 12 percent across the 13 species, with no significant reduction over time,” the study said.

Although the fieldwork ended in 2017, the findings were only made public in 2024 as a preprint, before being formally published on Tuesday following peer review.

French lake still riddled with bombs 80 years after World War II
Lead pellets still used

The researchers also collected spent shotgun cartridges along public tracks in the Camargue between 2008 and 2019.

In 2008, 90 percent of the casings they found were from lead-based ammunition. By 2019, the figure had only dropped to 50 percent.

“This cartridge has no business being here,” Anthony Olivier, a research engineer and nature reserve warden at Tour du Valat, told the French news agency AFP.

“Each cartridge releases between 200 and 400 tiny lead pellets into the environment.”

Ducks and other waterbirds regularly swallow small stones, known as grit, to help them digest food. They often mistake lead pellets left in the landscape for these stones.

“The ducks ingest the lead pellets thinking they’re pebbles,” said Arnaud Béchet, research director at Tour du Valat.

“They poison themselves, die, and are then consumed by scavenger birds which are poisoned in turn. Lead poisoning affects the whole food chain.”

Common crane birds fly over the Camargue marshes at Sambuc, near Arles, southern France, on 27 February 2025. AFP - SYLVAIN THOMAS

Nations agree hard-fought plan to finance nature protection
Human health risks

That contamination doesn’t stop with birds – humans are also at risk.

The European Chemicals Agency warns that lead can damage fertility and cause lasting harm to the brain and nervous system, especially in young children.

It also increases the risk of cardiovascular, kidney and neurological disease in adults.

According to the agency, around 13.8 million people in the European Union – including 1.1 million children aged seven or younger – may be exposed to lead through the consumption of game meat.

Since 2006, the use of lead shot has been banned in or within 30 metres of wetlands in France. That zone was expanded to 100 metres in 2023. But some hunters say the rules are hard to follow on the ground.

“It’s enough for the ground to be dry and you’re not sure whether it counts as a wetland or not,” Jean-Marie Coste, a 74-year-old hunter in the Camargue, told AFP.

France’s National Federation of Hunters argues that lead-free alternatives are less effective and that modifying older firearms is nearly impossible.

It estimates the cost of replacing or adapting weapons nationally at between €650 million and €975 million.

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Lead breaks down very slowly and once it sinks into wetland sediment can remain near the surface and accessible to birds for decades.

The European Commission has warned that without further action, around 876,000 tonnes of lead could be released into the environment over the next 20 years – enough to put 135 million birds at risk of poisoning.

The commission is considering new restrictions that would limit the use and sale of lead in all hunting and fishing gear, including a proposed cap of 1 percent lead content.

In Denmark, where lead shot was banned entirely in 1996, the situation has improved.

“Research has shown that today most of the hunting shot ingested by ducks is no longer lead,” said Debbie Pain, a toxicologist affiliated with the University of Cambridge.

“In England, lead is banned for waterfowl hunting but still allowed for all other game. Because of this partial law, more than 70 percent of waterfowl are still being shot with lead.”

The Camargue researchers say a full ban across all types of hunting would make the rules easier to enforce – and more likely to protect both birds and people.