Musings From Abroad

President Macron fights claims he’s dating a bodyguard

French President Emmanuel Macron has broken his silence to say he alone will take the blame for his violent bodyguard, but he also launched a Trump-like attack on the media for its coverage of the scandal

Published

6 years ago

July 27, 2018

Africa News Watch

He also sought to jokingly dispel rumours that his 26-year-old former bodyguard Alexandre Benalla was his lover or had been given the codes to France’s nuclear arsenal.

“If they are looking for the person responsible, the only one responsible is me and me alone,” Mr Macron told MPs from his majority Republic on the Move (LREM) party late on Tuesday.

The scandal over Mr Benalla, who was sacked last Friday after videos emerged of him beating a young protester and manhandling another during a May Day protest in Paris, has sent the president’s poll ratings to record lows.

Opposition MPs have accused the government of a cover-up and have paralysed parliamentary debate while also launching ongoing investigative committees that have questioned the interior minister, the Paris police chief, and a host of other top Elysée and security officials.

“What happened on May 1 is terrible, serious, and for me it was a disappointment and a betrayal,” Mr Macron said in his 30-minute speech to his MPs, who he told he was “shocked” by the behaviour of Mr Benalla, whom he had mistakenly trusted.

The Élysée Palace knew of the assault in May, but Mr Benalla was only sacked and taken into police custody last week, two days after the scandal became public knowledge when Le Monde newspaper published the video, more than two months after the incident. In May, Mr Benalla was suspended for two weeks and demoted.

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Musings From Abroad

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Published

19 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan that will include the construction of six new plants in the African nation.

Three of the plants would deal in poultry, two in beef, and one in pork, according to a statement from JBS.

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding, JBS stated that it would develop a five-year investment plan in Nigeria, which would include budget estimates, feasibility studies, and an action plan for the development of the local supply chain.

The Nigerian government would then guarantee the sanitary, regulatory, and economic conditions required for the project’s viability, JBS continued.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Published

19 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday.

According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan welcomed Xi in Casablanca. The visit demonstrated the close ties of camaraderie, collaboration, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, it said.

China’s official broadcaster, CCTV, said that Xi and Hassan had a “cordial conversation” at the airport after being received by the Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

After attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi paid the visit.

In recent years, China has increased its investments in Morocco’s rail and infrastructure. Morocco is desirable for Chinese electric car battery manufacturers because of its proximity to Europe, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and an established automotive sector.

Morocco was chosen by Chinese EV battery company Gotion High Tech in June to establish Africa’s first gigafactory, which will cost $1.3 billion in total.