The rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola that Congo is battling took locals by surprise after weeks of spreading unnoticed. Hundreds of cases were suspected when Congolese authorities announced the outbreak on May 15, but many dismissed the news as a “Western conspiracy.” At least 63 people have died from 397 confirmed cases, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Yet the outbreak has been challenged by skepticism, attacks on health workers and misinformation.
In tonight's programme: Efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak are hampered by mistrust and rumours. President William Ruto defends Kenya's preparedness measures, including a US-supported Ebola quarantine facility. Plus Africans themselves are driving the growth of tourism on the continent.
A court in Mali has sentenced a French intelligence agent with diplomatic status to 20 years in prison for “undermining state security”, judicial sources said Friday, in a ruling that further strains already fraught relations between the West African junta-led state and its former colonial ruler France.
Forty-nine people died of thirst in Niger when a truck broke down in a remote part of the Sahara desert, leaving its passengers stranded without water. Two survivors managed to walk 50 kilometres through the desert to a water source and then to the town of Assamaka, where they alerted authorities.
In tonight's edition, opposition figures in Somalia accuse security forces of attacking them during a meeting at the home of the former prime minister. Also, critics of an African family values conference say that, despite its stated aim of helping the continent define its own moral principles and priorities, the gathering in Ghana could roll back LGBT rights. And in Nigeria, the National Museum is attracting a new generation of visitors with a revamped gallery designed to offer a more interactive, hands-on experience.
In tonight's edition: many people in Kinshasa stay home in protest against the possibility of their leader seeking a third term. Also, hundreds of Malawians and other foreign nationals flee their homes in South Africa as groups of xenophobic residents reportedly go door to door in the Western Cape issuing threats. And Senegalese football fans fear they may miss out on the World Cup after visa applications have been systematically rejected since the end of last year.
French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, detained in Algeria since 2024 on terror charges, may be eligible for a possible presidential pardon, his lawyers said Wednesday. Algeria's Court de Cassation, the country's highest appeals court, rejected prosecutors' calls for a tougher sentence, and noted the withdrawal of the defendant's own appeal.
In Benin, creators are turning to digital games to help young people learn about their country's history and explore their cultural heritage in a new way - whether through video games or augmented reality.
Hundreds of protesters marched through Kenya's capital on June 1 against the high number of killings of women and children. At least 69 women have been killed since the beginning of the year, with official data also recording over 10,000 missing children over the past sixteen months.
In Kenya, the High Court has extended the suspension order against the implementation of a controversial agreement between Kenya and the United States that includes plans for an Ebola quarantine facility for Americans suspected of being infected with the virus. This comes amid protests over said centre, during which two people have died. The court has also prohibited the transfer of patients from third countries to Kenya. FRANCE 24's Bastien Renouil tells us more from Nairobi.
Hundreds of foreign nationals have been forced to flee their homes in South Africa after violent anti-migrant mobs began chasing them down. Weeks of violent protests have led to the deaths of at least five nationals of Mozambique, that country's government said, adding that roughly 300 had fled back over its border Saturday. Ghana and Nigeria have organised emergency repatriation flights.
François Picard is pleased to welcome Juliette Bour, historian and author of a forthcoming book in French entitled "Like Men: Women Politicians Complicit in the Rwandan Genocide". More than three decades after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, France continues to confront difficult questions about its political, military and diplomatic role during one of the most horrific atrocities of the 20th century. The inauguration of a memorial and monument in Paris, attended by President Emmanuel Macron, marks another step in a long and contentious process of historical reckoning.
François Picard is pleased to welcome Juliette Bour, Historian and Author of a forthcoming book in French, "Like Men, Women Politicians Complicit in Rwandan Genocide". More than three decades after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, France continues to confront difficult questions about its political, military and diplomatic role during one of the most horrific atrocities of the twentieth century. The inauguration of a memorial and monument in Paris, attended by President Emmanuel Macron, marks another step in a long and contentious process of historical reckoning. Juliette Bour's book examines the role of women involved in the genocide, reflects on how the debate has evolved. For Bour, the publication of the Duclert Commission report and the opening of French archives fundamentally transformed the conversation, helping to "set a truth about what happened in Rwanda and the role of France." Yet she argues that this recognition remains incomplete and contested. "There are still people that are denying the role of France," she observes, particularly among former political actors and those invested in defending decisions taken in 1994. Drawing on years of fieldwork and archival research, Bour highlights the growing body of evidence showing that warnings about escalating violence reached French officials before the genocide. She also contrasts France's slow acknowledgment of responsibility with Belgium's earlier efforts at self-examination, noting that "the main difference between the attitude of Belgium and France is that Belgium asked for forgiveness in the early 2000s." Our guest also turns to one of the most controversial unresolved questions: the case of Agathe Habyarimana, widow of former Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana, who has lived in France for decades. Bour argues that her presence in France remains emblematic of broader failures of accountability. More broadly, she contends that the decades-long delay in prosecuting genocide suspects residing in France was a reflection of French policy.
In tonight's edition: Two people reportedly die in Kenya during protests over a planned quarantine centre for US nationals. Also, Kenyans march under banners bearing the names of hundreds of murdered women. Plus Beninese creators are turning to digital games to help young people explore their cultural heritage in new ways.
Annette Young is pleased to welcome Phil Clark, Professor of International Politics at SOAS University of London. He specialises in conflict and post-conflict issues. As French President Emmanuel Macron and Rwandan President Paul Kagame inaugurate a new memorial in Paris dedicated to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, profound questions remain about France's historical role and the limits of reconciliation between Paris and Kigali. Beneath the symbolism of remembrance lies a deeply unresolved historical dispute. While describing the memorial as significant, Clark contends that "the French government has never fully come to terms with its involvement in the genocide," and suggests that for many survivors, "some of the great truths of the genocide and France's involvement in it have never really been fully acknowledged." France and Rwanda are seeking a mutually beneficial partnership driven by "a huge amount of political pragmatism."
Kenyans are protesting an #Ebola quarantine centre set to take in #US citizens suspected to have been exposed to the #virus. Questioning why their country should treat foreign patients, protesters are also concerned the project could help the disease spread to #Kenya.
In tonight's edition: Hundreds protest in Kenya over plans to build an Ebola quarantine centre for US citizens in the town of Nanyuki. Also, despite almost 300 suspected deaths from the outbreak, there have still been signs of progress in supplying rural Congolese health centres and millions are invested in speeding up vaccine research. Plus Ethiopia's leader is all but guaranteed a landslide victory in Monday's elections, amidst accusations of repression of opposition figures.
Senegal's Pastef political party will not participate in the country's new government, Ousmane Sonko, the recently ousted prime minister and party president, said on Monday, raising the prospect of further political turmoil amid a daunting debt crisis.
As Ethiopians head to the polls, François Picard is pleased to welcome Jervin Naidoo, Political Analyst at Oxford Economics Africa. While official narratives emphasise stability and democratic progress, significant portions of the country remain excluded from voting, raising concerns about representation, legitimacy and the consolidation of power. Naidoo argues that while voting has proceeded in much of the country, the exclusion of Tigray and dozens of constituencies elsewhere constitutes "a big problem" that "hurts the government's legitimacy."
Annette Young is pleased to welcome Dr. Douglas Yates, Africa Specialist and Political Science Professor at the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy. Amid ongoing conflict, will Ethiopia's elections be "free and fair"? While acknowledging that electoral procedures may function in parts of the country, he argues that conflict, exclusion, inflation, and uneven development remain the defining realities shaping Ethiopia's political landscape. Dr. Yates also revisits the dramatic shift in perceptions of PM Abiy Ahmed since he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. What was once celebrated as a moment of regional reconciliation has evolved into a far more complicated political reality shaped by internal rebellions and regional rivalries.
