West Africa's security woes no longer France's concern, minister says
Thani Mohamed-Soilihi was speaking to journalists in a phone briefing in South Africa, where he was attending the Group of 20 top economies' week of discussions on global development.
"I'm sorry to say, but it no longer concerns us," Mohamed-Soilihi said, in answer to a Reuters question about the risk of insecurity posed by France's military absence.
"That's a shame, because everyone can see the difference between (now and then)," he added. "But we are looking for other ways to maintain ties (that are) not necessarily military."
In the past three years, France has gradually dismantled its once-substantial military presence in its African ex-colonies, where for decades it had beaten back jihadist militants, arrested armed criminals, rescued several presidents from armed rebellions - and, in earlier times, backed coups itself.
Since 2022, France has pulled its soldiers out of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, after military coups brought in leaders hostile to the French presence. Chad - a linchpin of the West's war against jihadists in the Sahel - abruptly ended its security cooperation pact with its former colonial master in November.
More than a decade of insurgencies in the Sahel have displaced millions and engendered economic collapse, with violence pushing further south towards West Africa's coast. The last two months have seen a surge in jihadist attacks, making them one of the deadliest periods of the Sahel's history.
"We continue to deal with countries that so wish," Mohamed-Soilihi said. "But ... France won't be able to respond to the security problems of countries with which there is no longer a relationship."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Frustration, Gaza alarm drove Macron to go it alone on Palestine recognition
PARIS, July 26 (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that France would become the first Western member of the United Nations Security Council to recognise a Palestinian state in September has caused diplomatic ructions from the Middle East through Europe to Washington. But it did not come out of the blue. When Macron visited the Egyptian town of Al-Arish on the border with Gaza in April, he was struck by the mounting humanitarian crisis and made clear on his return home that Paris would soon opt for recognition. Working with Saudi Arabia, Macron came up with a plan to have France plus G7 allies Britain and Canada recognise Palestinian statehood, while pushing Arab states to adopt a softer stance towards Israel through a United Nations conference. But despite weeks of talks he failed to get others on board. Three diplomats said London did not want to face the wrath of the United States, and Ottawa took a similar stance, leaving Macron to go it alone. "It became increasingly apparent that we could not wait to get partners on board," said a French diplomat, adding France will work to get more states on board ahead of conference on a two-state solution in September. Domestically Macron was under rising pressure to do something amid widespread anger at the harrowing images coming out of Gaza. Although with both Europe's biggest Muslim and Jewish communities and a polarised political landscape, there was no obvious course of action that would satisfy all sides. Israel and its staunch supporter the United States have blasted France's move, branding it a reward for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which ran Gaza and whose attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 triggered the current war. Macron had discussed the matter extensively with both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in advance. Trump said on Friday that France's decision didn't "carry any weight" but added Macron was "a good guy". French officials previously considered an announcement at a conference scheduled for June at the United Nations, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, to sketch out a roadmap to a viable Palestinian state while also ensuring Israel's security. But the conference was postponed amid intense U.S. diplomatic pressure and after Israeli air strikes on Iran. Macron's announcement on Thursday is linked to a rescheduled and rejigged version of the U.N. conference, now planned to take place Monday and Tuesday. That meeting will be at ministerial level, but Paris decided it would hold a second event with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September, where Macron will announce formal recognition. Some analysts say Macron has used the carrot of recognition to extract concessions from Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority which is a moderate rival to Hamas, and other regional players. "Macron here is acting as a catalyst to get the Palestinians to deliver on the needed reforms, to get the Arabs to deliver on a stabilization force and the disarming of Hamas," said Rym Momtaz, editor-in-chief of the Strategic Europe blog run by the Carnegie Europe think tank. Others say while recognition has symbolic value, there will still be no functioning Palestinian state whenever the war in Gaza comes to an end. "Recognition by a European heavyweight like France is indicative of the rising frustration with Israel's intransigent policies," said Amjad Iraqi, senior analyst at International Crisis Group. "What's the point of recognising a state if they're doing little to stop it from turning into ruins?" French officials point to months of intense Israeli lobbying to try to prevent Macron's move - and Netanyahu's fierce criticism of it - as evidence that it matters a lot to Israeli leaders. Sources familiar with the matter say Israel's warnings to France had ranged from scaling back intelligence-sharing to complicating Paris' regional initiatives - even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. But French officials concluded that Netanyahu would do whatever he thought was in his interests in the West Bank anyway, regardless of what France did on recognition. Israel's parliament voted on Wednesday in favour of a non-binding declaration urging the government to apply Israeli law to the West Bank, widely seen as a de facto annexation of the territory. That added to the urgency in Paris. "If there is a moment in history to recognise a Palestinian state, even if it's just symbolic, then I would say that moment has probably come," said a senior French official.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Meet the Refusers: The Israeli teenagers risking jail, friendships and family to refuse conscription to the IDF
Six months in an Israeli military prison and branded a traitor by friends; it has been a tough year for Itamar Greenberg. The 19-year-old Israeli Jew made the rare decision to refuse conscription to the IDF last August as it waged its devastating war in Gaza. Instead, Itamar accepted half a year behind bars alongside military criminals. 'I have lost friends, sadly,' he tells The Independent. 'I have a lot of friends who are soldiers, some of them decided to cut our connection. They actually think I'm a traitor. I understand what they feel, but obviously I don't agree.' Since his release four months ago, Itamar has continued supporting fellow young refusers willing to risk ostracisation from Israeli society by defying the mandatory order for all Jewish, Druze or Circassian citizens of Israel to serve years with the IDF. Men must serve at least 32 months in the army while women must serve at least 24 months. Israeli Arabs, religious women, married individuals, and those deemed medically or mentally unfit are exempt from compulsory military service, the IDF says on its website. Last Tuesday, a group of young refusers burnt their army draft letters during a rally in Tel Aviv. Another protest also took place in Jerusalem on Tuesday this week, when ultra-orthodox Jews blocked a highway to protest military conscription - although their objection is centred around protecting their strong religious identity, as opposed to conscientious objections to the IDF's actions in Gaza. The refuser movement, activists say, is growing. But Itamar says they remain on the fringes, despised by some, disliked by many. The fear of being jailed, and of being shunned to the periphery of Israeli society after their release, drives many young adults who disagree with the IDF's actions to join the army nonetheless. 'I have friends that are afraid of going to prison and some of them are in the army,' Itamar explains. 'Some don't want to be in the army. They think it's immoral. They are joining it because they are afraid of Israeli society and the consequences on their social life.' Itamar recalls one of his good friends who came close to refusing service. When his family told him he would be kicked out of the house if he did not serve, the friend gave in - and is now with the IDF. Family life is complicated for Itamar too. The son of an army officer, he avoids engaging in debates around politics and activism while at home, choosing instead silence while his father discusses his work. 'He's proud of it, all of the family are proud of it,' Itamar says, explaining that bringing his activist views inside the family home would only damage their relationship to no avail. Last week's rally, which saw dozens take to the streets in support of a handful of young Israelis who set their drafts on fire, came at a time of increasing international pressure on Israel. Starvation has torn through the devastated enclave, killing dozens of children, Palestinian health officials say. In recent weeks, catastrophic levels of hunger have seen the first hunger-related deaths spiral - something experts and UN officials say is a result of Israel's blockade on aid entering Gaza has pushed the strip to the brink of famine. Israel says the hunger crisis is because of a 'man-made shortage' of food which is 'engineered by Hamas', Palestinian health officials say the IDF has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians since its bombardment began on 7 October 2023, soon after Hamas-led attacks killed around 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. For the few on the Israeli left who have refused service on ideological grounds, the ongoing destruction in Gaza has added an unique complexity to their daily lives. 'It's very complicated to live in a society, to walk in the street and you know that most people around you are war criminals, or taking part in genocide,' Itamar says. Most Israelis who want the war to end, he adds, don't care about the lives of Palestinians, but rather they 'want the soldiers back home; they're afraid for their lives'. Yona Roseman, 19, was among those to burn her draft letter last week. She expects to be jailed when her conscription date passes in 24 days. 'It's scary,' she says of a looming stint in prison. Yona's parents, while they have come to understand her choice, were initially not very supportive of her decision. 'But I don't have any second thoughts about it. It's very much what needs to be done.' Like Itamar, Yona says the decision has made her an 'outcast' in Israel. 'It's a decision which takes you out of mainstream society. I have friends from my class who cut ties with me over my decision. My social circle these days is made up of people who are with me in this sort of activism, so I have a community, but it's disconnected from the rest of society.' Yona and Itamar are tentative in their hopes for any significant change in public mood in Israel. They both note that interest in the refuser movement is growing, but Yona believes that almost everyone who could have refused would have done so by now already. 'I don't know what could change for them to stop showing up and fighting,' she says. Instead, the young activists hope that those who are already serving in the army will turn their backs on it. Itamar speaks of a friend who serves in the IDF and is 'not a leftist'. He says the friend recently messaged into a group chat: 'I don't know how to say it, but it's started to look like we're doing genocide.' Yona also has friends in the IDF who tell her that they lack the bravery to be a refuser. 'I feel for them, but really, they should just get out of that. It's not an easy process, but it's not a complicated decision.' But despite being part of an ostracised group in Israeli society, losing a number of friends and spending a six-month stint in prison, Itamar wishes he could do more. He says: 'I just feel that I don't do enough, even though almost all my life has been for stopping [occupation]. I just don't know how.'
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
Cabinet ministers and third of MPs call on Starmer to recognise state of Palestine
Keir Starmer is under intense pressure from his most senior cabinet ministers and more than a third of MPs to move faster on recognising a Palestinian state in response to Israel withholding aid to starving civilians in Gaza. Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, and Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, are understood to be among ministers who believe the government should take the lead on Palestinian statehood alongside France. The prime minister is facing a growing clamour to take action amid the international outcry over Israel's actions, with charities saying that cases of severe malnutrition among children under five in Gaza City have tripled in the last two weeks. The UK, France and Germany said on Friday afternoon that the Gaza 'humanitarian catastrophe must end now' and called on Israel to 'immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid'. 'Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,' they said in a joint statement. Starmer said after a call with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, that the 'continued captivity of hostages, the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel's disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible'. He said he was 'unequivocal' in his support of recognising a Palestinian state but said 'it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis. This is the way to ensure it is a tool of maximum utility to improve the lives of those who are suffering, which, of course, will always be our ultimate goal.' The statement came as Donald Trump flew into Scotland for a four-day visit, which includes a visit from Starmer on Monday. Macron upped the pressure on Starmer this week by announcing that France would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly in September. Trump on Friday dismissed Macron's move by saying it 'doesn't carry weight' and is 'not going to change anything'. The UK government's policy is that it will formally acknowledge Palestine as part of a peace process, but only in conjunction with other western countries and 'at the point of maximum impact'. Cooper and Rayner are among more than half a dozen cabinet ministers pressing for urgent action. The Guardian revealed this week that Wes Streeting, the health secretary, Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, and Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland secretary, have all pushed for recognition of Palestine at recent cabinet meetings. Ian Murray, the Scotland secretary, and Jo Stevens, the Wales secretary, have also raised the issue in cabinet, according to a cabinet source. Murray and Stevens declined to comment. Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, is also said to have called for action, and Lammy is said by colleagues to be pushing Downing Street to take a stronger stance. A government source said it was increasingly 'everybody v No 10'. 'Too many people in No 10 just see this as a 'left' issue and actually don't get how widespread public anger is,' a Labour source said. Rayner said last month that the west needed to avoid repeating past mistakes when it came to Gaza. Addressing a service at St Paul's Cathedral to mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, in which more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed by Serbian forces in 1995, she said: 'The west took too long to act in the 1990s and we should have acted sooner. Now we must learn the lessons of history and the consequences of inaction.' On Friday, 221 MPs from nine parties signed a letter to Lammy calling for British recognition of Palestine to be announced next week at a UN conference in New York. 'Whilst we appreciate the UK does not have it in its power to bring about a free and independent Palestine, UK recognition would have a significant impact due to our historic connections and our membership on the UN security council,' the MPs wrote. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion 'British recognition of Palestine would be particularly powerful given its role as the author of the Balfour Declaration and the former Mandatory Power in Palestine. Since 1980 we have backed a two-state solution. Such a recognition would give that position substance as well as living up to a historic responsibility we have to the people under that mandate.' The letter's signatories included several Labour select committee chairs, including Emily Thornberry, of foreign affairs, Sarah Champion, of international development, and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, of defence. Other signatories included the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, the Green party co-leaders, Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, the SNP's Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, and the Conservative MPs Kit Malthouse and Edward Leigh. The true number of backbench Labour MPs who support recognition is even higher. Several said they were in favour of the move but did not put their names to the letter. 'We need to do more. Israel is committing terrible war crimes,' one Labour MP said. Nearly 60 Labour MPs signed a similar letter to Lammy earlier this month. The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said that cases of severe malnutrition among children under five at its Gaza City clinic had tripled in the last two weeks and the UN World Food Programme said nearly a third of people in Gaza were not eating for days, with the hunger crisis having reached 'new and astonishing levels of desperation'. Israel said it would allow foreign countries to resume aid drops into Gaza from Friday. In an article for the Daily Mirror, Starmer said ministers were working with Jordanian authorities to get British aid on to planes and into Gaza. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, accused the international community of sticking its head in the sand as Palestinians starved in Gaza, lambasting what he called a 'lack of humanity'. 'This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience,' he said on Friday.
