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Former Ivorian ‘cleaner’ elected into French parliament

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A former Ivory Coast immigrant who made a living as a ‘cleaning lady’ in France has been elected into the French parliament on Sunday.

48-year-old Rachel Kéké thus breaks another glass ceiling when she was elected a member of the French parliament on the platform of the new left-wing alliance, NUPES.

Kéké who describes herself as a voice to the voiceless, promised meet with all the young people in her constituency and provide a voice for them.

“I am the voice of the voiceless. I am a maid, I am a cleaner, security guard, care assistant, home helper, I am all these invisible jobs. And at the National Assembly, these jobs will become visible,” the newly-elected MP said shortly after she was sworn in.

The Ivorian former ‘cleaner’ replaces President Emmanuel Macron’s former Sports Minister, Roxana Maracineanu, in a seat to represent a Paris southeastern suburb.

Sylvie Kimissa, a cleaning lady and former colleague of Rachel Kéké said of her victory:

“We are in joy so we have no words to say… We believed in it, we are there, we are going to the Assembly, we have a representative in the Assembly.”

Kéké has been a vocal advocate of lowly placed workers and was one of a group of cleaning ladies who took their employer to court over pay and working conditions and won.

“I will meet all the young people in my constituency, because these young people who no longer believe in life, these young people who are desperate, these young people who say to themselves: ‘No, France is not good, France is bad, I say no’.

“We are going to work together to offer young people a France with a new face”, the new MP said.

The left-wing alliance, NUPES, has emerged as one of the dominant political forces following Sunday’s legislative elections that resulted in the Macron losing the majority in parliament.

Musings From Abroad

Explain dire consequences of Rafah operation to Israel, Egypt urges UN, US

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Following Washington’s objection to a military incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah on its border with Egypt, Egypt’s foreign minister argued on Monday that the United States ought to explain to Israel the consequences of doing so.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said this while speaking with United Nations chief for Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, in Cairo.

He said, “It is not enough for rhetoric, it is not enough to state opposition, it is also important to indicate what if that position is circumvented, what if that position is not respected.

“It is also up to the international community and the United States, who have indicated their refusal to such an eventuality, to make clear what are the consequences if their appeals are not heeded,” Shoukry added in English-language remarks.

After more than five months of fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated during a cabinet meeting on Sunday that Israeli forces would advance into Rafah, the last mostly safe area in the small, densely populated Gaza Strip, despite international demands for Israel to prevent civilian losses.

Netanyahu is under intense pressure from Israel’s allies not to assault Rafah without a strategy to safeguard civilians, as over a million displaced Palestinians from other areas of the destroyed enclave have taken refuge there.

More than a million Palestinians have fled into Rafah as part of an offensive that has destroyed the majority of the Gaza Strip since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7. Israel has declared that it will carry out its ground offensive into Rafah.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take all reasonable measures to prevent its troops from committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza last month in response to a lawsuit filed by South Africa.

He also warned that the humanitarian consequences and the loss of lives that would result from an Israeli ground assault on Rafah would be “catastrophic”.

Egypt, which controls the Rafah gate, the hub of operations to get humanitarian aid into Gaza and for the expulsion of injured individuals and holders of foreign passports, has already issued warnings about the “dire consequences” of a possible Israeli military assault close to its border.

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Musings From Abroad

US/Africa plan suffers further blow as Niger ends military ties with Washington 

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Niger Republic, one of the West African countries burdened with terrorist operations in the Sahel, has announced an end to military ties with the United States, dealing a blow to Washington’s recent push for a renewed global influence in Africa.

 

Niger’s ruling military spokesman, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, announced that the West African country had suspended its military agreement with the US “with immediate effect.”

 

Speaking on local television, Abdramane claimed that the US delegation had broken diplomatic protocol by not informing Niger about the delegation’s makeup, arrival date, or agenda.

 

The decision was made on Saturday following a visit to the West African nation earlier this week by top US officials to discuss democratic transition. Among them were US Africa Command head, General Michael Langley, and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee.

 

“Niger regrets the intention of the American delegation to deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and types of partnerships capable of truly helping them fight against terrorism,” Abdramane said.

 

“The American presence on Niger’s territory is illegal and violates all constitutional and democratic rules,” Abdramane said, adding that the citizens of Niger must be consulted before having a foreign army on their territory.

 

According to the US military, there are more than a thousand American soldiers stationed in Niger. Additionally, the US has a drone base in the northern part of the nation, which is essential for tracking extremist organisations in the Sahel region— a region of Africa that lies just below the Sahara desert.

 

The hub of US operations in west and north Africa is Niger, particularly at Air Base 201, one of the most costly building projects the US government has ever undertaken outside it soil. Although it is there to support counterterrorism efforts, it is widely believed that the project represents strategic positioning against US global rivals, China and Russia, both of which African countries have tilted towards in recent years for economic and military relations.

 

Niger has been at the receiving end of regional and international sanctions following a coup in which president Mohamed Bazoum was ousted. The US essentially stopped providing military support to Niger, and the base’s operations were restricted to surveillance to keep an eye on US forces.

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