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BARKHANE – France and its allies to withdraw from Mali

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France, its European partners and Canada have confirmed Mali’s withdrawal from the anti-jihadist military operations Barkhane and Takuba. The announcement was made on Thursday 17 February by French President Emmanuel Macron during a press conference at the Élysée. This imminent departure is justified by the deterioration of relations with the military in power in this country of West Africa. 

It is official, it is the end of the antidjihadist military operations Barkhane and Takuba in Mali. That is what France and its European partners and Canada decided. It should be noted that relations between France and the new Malian authorities continue to deteriorate.  
“We cannot remain militarily involved with de facto authorities whose strategy and hidden objectives we do not share,” Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference in the Élysée. 

In terms of the withdrawal schedule, the French President said, “We have started to close bases in the north (of Mali) we will gradually close everything, in an exercise that will take 4 to 6 months.” Some 25,000 men are currently deployed in the Sahel, including approximately 4,300 French (2,400 in Mali as part of Barkhane. The country is also home to 15,000 UN soldiers in MINUSMA, whose future is now in limbo as it relied on Barkhane’s broad support.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said in an interview on Wednesday with RFI and France 24: We consider that the fight against terrorism is something essential for Mali, for Burkina, for Niger and for coastal countries (…) The departure of Barkhane and Takuba creates a vacuum. We will have to buy weapons, we will have to become more professional, but that is our duty as well. The national armies must solve the problems in our national territories and that is our philosophy.”

Joint Statement on Countering the Terrorist Threat and Supporting Peace and Security in the Sahel and West Africa .It should also be emphasized that in a joint statement on the fight against the terrorist threat and support for peace and security in the Sahel and West Africa published on the Elysée website and signed by the European Council; the European Commission; the High Representative of the Coalition for the Sahel and the African Union Commission, among others, it reads that Because of the many obstructions of the Malian transitional authorities, Canada and the European States operating alongside Operation Barkhane and within the Takuba Task Force believe that the political conditions, operational and legal forces are no longer united to effectively pursue their current military engagement in the fight against terrorism in Mali and have therefore decided to begin the coordinated withdrawal of their respective military resources dedicated to these operations. In close coordination with neighbouring States, they also expressed their willingness to remain engaged in the region, while respecting their respective constitutional procedures.” The same communiqué also states that at the request of their African partners, and on the basis of discussions on the future modalities of their joint action, they have nevertheless agreed to continue their joint action against terrorism in the Sahel region, In particular, in Niger and the Gulf of Guinea, and have launched political and military consultations with them with the aim of defining the parameters of this joint action by June 2022. 

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Recall that the Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has imposed an embargo on trade and financial transactions in Bamako since January 9, 2022, in order to sanction the military project in power to continue to rule the country for several years before organizing elections.

Anti-French Speech  
Finally, Emmanuel Macron spoke on Thursday, February 17, 2022 on the anti-French sentiment that is spreading in some African countries, including Mali during a joint press conference at the Elysée Palace with the President of the African Union, Macky Sall, President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Ado and President of the European Council. For him, the anti-French discourse that is spreading more and more on Social Networks in Africa is the fact that Russia pays activists for it: I find that many people who spread anti-French discourse in Social Networks are people who are funded. These are activists who are funded by Russia and other powers who have installed this discourse, this language»

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EUROPE

FRANCE – Social networks: Macron wants to ban those under 15 years old

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For about fifteen years, social networks have conquered every corner of our lives, interfering as well in private conversations as in family, school or professional dynamics. What was once a communication tool has become a prism through which many teenagers—but also adults — perceive the world. Far from being mere platforms for exchange, these digital spaces influence tastes, shape opinions and model behaviours. 11-year-old children frantically scrolling videos on TikTok, while grandparents comment on political debates on Facebook. This massive penetration into all the strata of society raises new questions, particularly about the ability of the youngest to evolve without danger. Faced with this new reality, Emmanuel Macron is sounding the alarm.

President Emmanuel Macron was very clear on France 2, on June 10, 2025: he wants to ban social networks for young people under 15 years old. And if there is no quick agreement at the European level, France could decide to go it alone. For him, we must act quickly. In his eyes, these platforms—Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok — have become much more than simple communication tools: they act as amplifiers of violence, confusion, and psychological distress.

He believes that this early exposure, from the middle school age, shapes a generation facing a brutalization of exchanges and a form of permanent emotional instability. This observation, shared by a growing number of observers, fuels its desire to implement strict regulation at the European level. And if Brussels delays, Paris might well act alone.

This radical proposal highlights a growing generational divide. Today’s teenagers are, according to Macron, the first to have grown up in this digital universe saturated with images, viral content, and incessant notifications. A generation connected from the cradle, which has not known a world without smartphones or ubiquitous Wi-Fi. Where adults have seen social networks as progress, the younger ones experience them as a norm, even a social necessity.

However, this digital normality leads to deleterious effects. Online harassment, addiction, overexposure to violent or pornographic content, permanent quest for social validation… the risks are multiple and often invisible to the eyes of parents. The idea of a mandatory minimum age, already under debate in several countries, takes on a strong political dimension here. By setting this framework, the president hopes to stop a spiral that he considers uncontrollable.

For Emmanuel Macron, this initiative cannot remain isolated. He asks the European Union to reach an agreement and set clear rules together. The question is now asked: should social networks be treated as sensitive products, on a par with alcohol or cigarettes? France seems ready to take this step, even if it means shaking certain digital freedoms. The president mentions a delay of ‘a few months’ to reach an agreement with the European partners. Without a coordinated response, he claims that France will act alone.

This stance raises as much hope as controversy. How to enforce such a ban technically? What responsibility for the platforms? Will teenagers find ways to get around the measure? If the challenge is immense, the head of state seems determined to lay the foundations for a new digital contract between young citizens and their digital environment.

By setting the bar at 15 years old, Emmanuel Macron is not content with reacting to a trend. He proposes a break. In a society where digital technology continues to move forward without restraint, it wants to impose a threshold, a safeguard, a time of pause to reflect on what growing up in the connected world really involves.

Source: The new tribune

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FRANCE – Deep-sea mining: 33 states say stop to protect the abyss 

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The deep sea, which covers 54% of the oceans, remains largely unknown: only 5% have been explored. Yet, since 2022, 33 states have called for a precautionary pause in the face of deep-sea mining projects. This position is based on alarming scientific studies: the abyss shelters a unique biodiversity, plays a key role in climate regulation and their destruction would have irreversible consequences.

Under international law (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), deep seabed resources are a heritage of mankind, managed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Any exploitation outside this framework would be illegal. However, the polymetallic nodules, coveted for their rare metals, take millions of years to form – their extraction would therefore be unsustainable.

Mining would generate plumes of toxic sediments, threatening abyssal wildlife and the food chain. Deep ecosystems, essential for carbon storage, could be sustainably altered. Yet, their genetic resources could revolutionize medicine, agri-food or the fight against global warming.

At the United Nations Ocean Conference (Nice, 9-13 June), the signatory States (Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Palau, Panama, Peru[1], Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vanuatu.) request:

Strict compliance with international law;

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The acceleration of scientific research;

A cautionary pause on deep-sea mining.

[1] The Republic of Peru is not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Photo Credit: chasse-marée.com

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FRANCE – Connecting the Mediterranean – Key commitments from the European summit

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On 9 June, the leaders of ten Mediterranean countries and the European Union met at the invitation of the French president for the summit “For a better connected Mediterranean”, on the sidelines of the UN Ocean Conference. The objective: to strengthen maritime, land and digital links between Europe, the Mediterranean and the Arabian-Persian Gulf, in response to the common challenges of the region.

The Mediterranean, which accounts for 25% of global maritime traffic, is seeing its states step up their ecological efforts. Since 1 May 2025, a SECA (low sulphur emissions) zone covers the entire Mediterranean, while ports such as Algeciras, Beirut and Marseille have committed to reducing their emissions through charging stations and alternative fuels. Croatia also announced a new green and automated terminal in Rijeka.

The European Commission recalled its financial commitment through the Global Gateway strategy, with 5.9 billion euros released for North Africa and the Middle East, capable of generating 27.2 billion in investments. The new Pact for the Mediterranean aims to consolidate economic and energy partnerships, particularly through the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) corridor, supported by France.

Energy projects are multiplying: Saudi Arabia, France, Italy and Greece are studying collaborations on green hydrogen, while Cyprus and Greece are advancing on interconnections such as the GREGY cable (Egypt-Greece). The TeraMED initiative could also accelerate renewable energies in North Africa.

On the digital side, the EU presented Medusa, an undersea optical fibre network linking the two Mediterranean shores, while the digital hub in Aqaba (Jordan) strengthens regional technological influence. 

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