Southbound, always
Global South on my mind
Dear readers,
I hope this post will find you well.
This spring has started strangely in Europe, with wind, rain, sudden mini-heatwaves, then cold again… A sign of climate turmoil? Probably…
Meanwhile, this journalist is remaining steady in covering the ‘Global South’, this time from Marseille, then around the commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda, on Senegal, and soon in South Africa.
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Let me start with a heartwarming cultural story…
Exhibition celebrates Marseille as 'gateway to the Global South'
Marseille's art venue La Friche la Belle de Mai offers visual arts, performances, films and more in a gigantic space at the heart of the mediterranean city.
Until June/July, it displays the work of the overseas French artists with a programme titled "A Field of Islands".
From Haiti to Reunion island including the French Caribbean Guadeloupe and Martinique, the artists reflect on their relation with French and pan-African history.
Exhibitions ‘Un Champ d'îles’ - La Friche La Belle de Mai:
Read about it here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/culture/20240407-exhibition-celebrates-marseille-as-gateway-to-the-global-south
And in French here: https://www.lafriche.org/temps-forts/un-champ-diles/
Meanwhile, the global south is also leading the rare good news of the season! With a remarkable example of democracy in Senegal, where the election finally happens peacefully and led to profound change.
Senegal: What's next with President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye?
Link: http://melissa-on-the-road.blogspot.com/2024/03/whats-next-for-senegal-with-president.html
After his strong win at the 24 March presidential election, Faye is getting everything ready for a swift transition, promising change both in policies and in the way the country is run - its administrations in particular.
Senegalese president-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye at the Presidential palace in Dakar on 28 March 2024. © AFP
The incumbent president's term officially ends on 2 April, and Macky Sall will finally leave, as promised at last. The handover will take place on that day, then Faye intends to form his first government on 5 April.
That same week, Senegal celebrates its independence, on 4 April.
On Monday, he promised to restore national "sovereignty" and implement his programme of "left-wing pan-Africanism".
He said he would prioritise "national reconciliation", "rebuilding institutions" and "significantly reducing the cost of living".
His election could herald a profound overhaul of Senegal's institutions.
He spoke of reducing the "hyper-presidentialism", and of introducing a position of vice president. Some have been speculating that he might use it to give a special position to his mentor and former leader of his party, Ousmane Sonko.
Faye and his team intend to rationalise the administration, by getting rid of positions and bureaus considered by many as useless, including the Social and Economic Council, and the High Council for Local Governments.
"This could save billions a year", Ndiaye adds, "and save money for significant programmes especially targeted at reducing inequality."
Faye's programme could also rapidly impact the whole region, as Faye has praised a change in the monetary system, to drop the colonial CFA franc and switch to a regional, Ecowas-led currency first, the Eco, and if this doesn't come about to a national currency.
"This could change Senegal," Ndiaye concludes.
Senegal's President Faye appoints Ousmane Sonko as prime minister
In Senegal, in his first act as leader, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has appointed his ally and key backer Ousmane Sonko as prime minister.
Issued on 03/04/2024
Sonko, 49, has been the fiercest opponent of former President Macky Sall for the past three years, and the founder of the Pastef Party, dissolved last July but still active as a banner for Faye and Sonko.
He is also very popular among the West African nation's youth.
In January, Sonko had to give up on running for president himself when he was barred from the 24 March election because of a conviction for defamation after six months of convoluted legal battles.
Rwanda
In Africa, all eyes are also on Rwanda this month, where the East African nation has recovered remarkably well from the horrors of 1994, the genocide of the Tutsis and other massacres.
I wrote extensively about it. Here are a couple of articles.
Rwanda marks 30 years since genocide that horrified the world
Rwanda has begun 100 days of commemorations to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1994 genocide, in which 800,000 people, most of them from the Tutsi ethnic group, were massacred by Hutu militias.
Issued on: 07/04/2024
By: Melissa Chemam
Sunday marks the start of Kwibuka 30 (Remembrance), the sombre 30th commemoration of the genocide, which began on 7 April 1994.
At the Kigali Genocide Memorial, President Paul Kagame – whose Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel army helped to stop the massacres – will deliver a speech and light a flame of remembrance, with some foreign dignitaries in attendance.
France and allies 'could have stopped' the Rwandan genocide
France and its Western and African allies "could have stopped" Rwanda's 1994 genocide, but lacked the will to halt the slaughter of an estimated 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis, the French presidency has said on Thursday. Of course, Tutsi survivors agree, but ask for more…
Issued on 05/04/2024
Macron expressed the view in a video message to be published on Sunday to mark the 30th anniversary of the genocide, which was carried out by Hutu extremists and lasted 100 days.
Macron's message will emphasise that "when the phase of total extermination against the Tutsis began, the international community had the means to know and act", a French presidential official said, asking not to be named.
The president believes that at the time, the international community already had historical experience of witnessing genocide with the Holocaust in World War II and the mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey during World War I.
Macron will say that "France, which could have stopped the genocide with its Western and African allies, did not have the will" to do so, the official added.
'One more step'
Macron had already recognised France's "responsibilities" in the genocide during a visit to Rwanda in 2021 – adding only the survivors could grant "the gift of forgiveness".
Since he was elected in 2017, Macron commissioned a report on France’s role before and during the genocide and ordered the country’s archives to be opened to the public.
The Ibuka France association, which brings together survivors of then genocide living in France, said Macon's message was an “important step”.
Its president, the historian Marcel Kabanda, told RFI: "It is reassuring for us to go to the 30th commemoration with this declaration."
Kabanda also called on France to go further by apologising to the victims of this genocide, and open the way to reparations – even if only through a symbolic gesture.
French historian Vincent Duclert, who chaired the commission responsible for shedding light on the role of France in Rwanda between 1990 and 1994, told RFI that Macron's speech was an example of ongoing efforts to recognised what happened.
He said France, which had military forces on the ground in Rwanda, could have intervened in April 1994.
The troops and other western troops had "all the means to do so" and organise "evacuation operations", he told RFI.
"This is the way to resolve past traumas."
Gaza
In the Near East, Palestinians have reached the end of the month of Ramadan and fasting with no relief in their struggle, in the violence, the war, the killings.
It’s a sad day for millions around the world, as Eid should be a moment of togetherness and peace for the one billion Muslims in the world.
But… everything is not lost. Not yet.
A growing number of countries from the Global South move forward in their support for Palestinians (with a few special partners from the 'North', including in Ireland and Spain).
And I’m not the only one saying so. Patrick Wintour, The Guardian’s diplomatic editor, wrote that “a revolt by leaders of the global south against US support for Israel’s bombardment of Gaza is brewing”.
Read his article: The new world disorder: how the Gaza war disrupted international relations
“We Should Listen to the Global South on Gaza”, also wrote Karishma Vaswani, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, in late March.
Think tanks are now studying “The Global South and the Gaza Assault” and how “Gaza is Changing Global Geopolitics”.
The most prominent leader supporting Palestinians is South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa, who convened a virtual meeting of the leaders of the Brics countries to condemn Israel.
The South African government then requested an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into the current war between Israel and Hamas, along with four other states. It called on the ICC (then the ICJ) to issue an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by mid-December.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said if the ICC did not do this, it would signal a "total failure" of global governance.
"The world cannot simply stand by and watch," she said.
The BRICS summit saw South Africa accuse Israel of 'genocide' and China call for a peace conference.
On Tuesday 21 November, a virtual meeting was hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the hope of drawing up a common response to the Israel - Hamas conflict, then entering its seventh week.
South Africa called an emergency BRICS summit on Gaza crisis on Monday (20/11/2023)
New BRICS countries joined in 2024: Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
How do you feel about it?
Have you considered “Global South diplomacy” before?
I’ll try to address the subject again soon…
For now, as I’m heading to Johannesburg next month, I’m doing research on the country’s recent history.
South Africa is voting this year, on 29 May, for general election, and for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994, Mandela’s party, ANC, might lose its majority…
South Africa's ANC and DA look at coalition deal as elections loom
South Africans will go to polls on 29 May to elect a new National Assembly, which will then choose the next president. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is betting on retaining its parliamentary majority but faces the biggest challenge since it came to power in 1994.
Issued on 27/03/2024
By: Melissa Chemam
Voters say they are disappointed with poor service delivery, unemployment, crime and power cuts.
Pollsters expect the ANC to lose its legislative majority for the first time since Nelson Mandela took power at the end of apartheid 30 years ago.
If this happened, President Cyril Ramaphosa – or an ANC successor for the top job – would be unable to stay on without a coalition, since South Africa's parliament elects the president.
The campaign has already started, and Ramaphosa is travelling nationwide to meet with voters.
To end this post, another art video, filmed in London in February… at this fantastic exhibition:
'Entangled Pasts'
Overdue actually…
Here is my visual take of the 'Entangled Pasts" exhibition this winter/spring at Royal Academy of Arts in London, UK:
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Thanks again for being here, reading and sharing.
I know we’re all busy, but your attention, feedback, questions and comments are always welcome.
Take care and stay well.
With best wishes,
melissa
Melissa Chemam
Journalist @ RFI English
Art Writer @ New Arab, ART UK...
Site: https://sites.google.com/view/melissachemam
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXE4ofFjz0lsRzemjdmFf7w
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