Metro

Mali accuses France of espionage, duplicitous acts

Published

2 years ago

October 19, 2022

West African country, Mali, has accused its former colonial masters, France of espionage and carrying out “duplicitous acts of aggression aimed at destabilizing the troubled country,” according to the Malian Foreign Ministry at a United Nations Security Council meeting held on Tuesday at The Hague.

Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, who made the accusation against the country’s former colonial power, reiterated earlier allegations by the military transitional government in August where it said French aircraft had invaded its airspace, and claimed that France was providing material to “criminal groups that was destabilizing the civilian population.”

Diop called for a special Security Council meeting his country to “bring to light evidence regarding duplicitous acts, acts of espionage and acts of destabilization waged by France against Mali.”

“Mali reserves the right to exercise its right to self-defense. France continues to undermine the sovereignty of our country and to undermine its territorial integrity and its national security.”

But France’s UN Ambassador, Nicolas De Riviere, immediately dismissed the accusations, describing them as “mendacious” and “defamatory.”

De Riviere said France had never violated Malian airspace at anytime. He added that he wanted “to re-establish the truth after the mendacious accusations and defamatory accusations from the Malian transitional government.”

“Despite Mali’s grave, unfounded allegations and its unilateral, unjustified denunciation in May of the 2013 agreement that brought French troops to the country, France will remain engaged in the Sahel, the Gulf of Guinea and the Lake Chad region alongside all reasonable states who have taken the choice to counter terrorism and to respect stability and peaceful coexistence among communities,” De Riviere said.

The once chummy relationship between Mali and France broke down since a militart coup in August 2020 when Col. Asimi Goita overthrew former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

The acrimony between the two countries continued leading to departure of thousands of French forces in August 2022 after being in the country since 2013 on the invitation of the Malian government to help fight Islamic extremists.

Related Topics:Accusation Espionage Featured France Mali

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Metro

‘Cyber Act fails to protect the vulnerable,’ Student demands media inclusivity for persons with disabilities

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Peter Libila, a student at Icof University’s Chipata campus, highlights the lack of awareness among individuals with disabilities and those residing in rural areas about their digital rights, resulting in limited access to media platforms for free expression.

Libila underscored the marginalization of people with disabilities in discussions on community development, leading to their exclusion from voicing their perspectives.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor in Eastern Province, Libila discussed the discrimination and stigma faced by individuals with disabilities in the media landscape.

Read More: Differently-abled person speaks on challenges impacting freedom of expression in rural areas

“Persons with disabilities are often overlooked when it comes to community developments,” he emphasized.

Moreover, as someone with a physical disability, Libala pointed out shortcomings in the Cybersecurity Act which failed to adequately address online barriers to freedom of expression.

“The act fails to ensure online safety for all; it only offers protection to certain groups while neglecting others,” he asserted.

He stressed the importance of bridging these gaps to foster inclusivity within the media.

“There’s a lack of sign language interpreters in most media outlets, which poses challenges for the deaf community,” he observed.

Libila also emphasized the necessity of providing braille reading materials and writing tools for individuals who are blind.

“Even basic resources like braille books are often unavailable for the blind,” he lamented.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

All my tough policy decisions are in Nigerians’ interest— Tinubu

Published

7 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has insisted that all his tough policy decisions and reforms have been taken with the interest of Nigerians at heart.

Tinubu, who made the assertion in Hague, The Netherlands, during the business session of the bilateral meeting with the Dutch team led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, insisted that though some of the policies had brought hardship on Nigerian masses, he was not afraid to implement more of such policies as they would yield positive results in the end.

“I am a determined leader of my people. I am ever ready to take tough decisions in the best interest of the people, even if with initial pains,” Tinubu said.

“I have and will continue to take the difficult decisions that will benefit our people, even if there is short-term pain.

“We have gone through the worst of the storms. I am unafraid of the consequences once I know that my actions are in the best long-term interests of all Nigerians.

“The Nigerian naira is one of the world’s best-performing currencies today.

“We took the necessary risk, and all resilient Nigerians kept faith with us.

“They will be rewarded, and the reward will only be greater as we partner effectively with you on new opportunities for development.

“As leaders, we must make decisions for the benefit of our nations, and we cannot shy away from that.”

The President also noted that symbiotic economic ties remain the best long-term path to sustainable and mutual prosperity rather than one-sided relationships in which bilateral trade is skewed too much in one direction.