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Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara arrives at the opening session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, on Oct. 5, 2024.
France fades in Africa as Ivory Coast cuts ties
The Ivory Coast has ordered French forces to leave the country by August 2025. In a New Year’s Eve address, President Alassane Ouattara exhorted Ivorians to “be proud of our army, whose modernization is now effective.”
While Ivory Coast achieved independence in 1960, it is still home to 600 French troops, the biggest remaining contingent in West Africa. It also hosts a French military base in Abidjan, which will be turned over in January and renamed after Gen. Ouattara Thomas d'Aquin, the first chief of staff of the Ivorian Army.
The announcement from Abidjan follows Chad’s decision last month to remove French troops, the latest in a wave of expulsions from former colonies in recent years. France withdrew from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger after a series of coups, and will be leaving Senegal by 2025. Anti-colonial sentiment and protests against a lack of benefits from the former colonial power have seen over 70% of African countries cut military ties with Paris, leaving only Djibouti and Gabon, with 1,500 and 350 troops, respectively.
France out, who’s in? France’s exit leaves a vacuum that other powers, including Russia, China, and Turkey have sought to fill as African nations battle Islamic insurgents. However, Russia’s Wagner Group had been accused of human rights abuses and violence in the Sahel has reportedly worsened since France withdrew.Participants make their way past the Notre-Dame Cathedral as they attend the 13th edition of the stand up Nautic Paddle race on the river Seine in Paris, France, December 1, 2024.
Hard Numbers: Notre Dame’s stones gleam after cleaning, Trump threatens yuge tariffs, Iceland gets new gov, Vaccine promises AIDS end
42,000: Workers restoring Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral after the fire that ravaged it five years ago had to clean 42,000 square meters of stone. They used special techniques to minimize damage to the original masonry in the process and the results are stunning: See it for yourself: The medieval cathedral reopens to the public on Dec. 8.
100: President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose 100% tariffs on goods imported from BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as well Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE), should the organization try to issue its own currency or displace the dollar’s place in world trade. It’s an odd threat, as some members – namely Russia and Iran – are already so heavily sanctioned that trade with the US is non-existent, while others – Brazil, Egypt, and the UAE – are major US allies.
15: Iceland’s Social Democrats gained 15 seats in the Althing – one of the world’s oldest parliaments – and will unseat the ruling conservatives after seven years of power following Saturday’s snap election. It’s yet another example of the anti-establishment trend few democracies seem able to escape in this election-studded year.
2: A twice-yearly vaccine against HIV/AIDS has proven 100% effective against contracting the virus, which a UN report for World AIDS Day on Sunday called a “historic crossroads” in the fight to end the epidemic. Generic versions of the drug will be available in 120 low-income countries, mostly in Africa and Asia, but the manufacturer has not approved generic patents for Latin America, which may represent a crucial weak spot in distribution.Police reinforcements patrol before the UEFA Nations League football match between France and Israel at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Nov. 14, 2024.
Hard Numbers: Soccer security à Paris, Deadly Brazil court blast, OECD sees migration uptick, Illegal miners targeted, Velvet Revolution anniversary, Alex Jones vs. The Onion
5,600: France deployed 5,600 police officers and security guards to manage the risk of violence at a soccer match between France and Israel in Paris on Thursday. Pro-Palestinian protests were held nearby, and only minor scuffles were reported from within the stadium, where the match ended in a draw. The police ramp-up was a law enforcement response to violent attacks on Israeli fans last week in Amsterdam.
98: On Wednesday, a man blew himself up in an attempt to attack Brazil's Supreme Court. A former failed candidate for local office, the man had stood for ex-President Jair Bolsonaro’s political party in 2020 and received just 98 votes. The public square near the Supreme Court was also hit by violent protests by Bolsonaro supporters after their candidate lost the last presidential election. A Bolsonaro spokesman responded to the news on X: “There are crazy people everywhere.”
6.5: About6.5 million people moved legally to the 38 OECD countries in 2023 – a sizable jump from the previous record of 6 million who moved to these countries in 2022.
4,000: South Africa’s government has threatened to “smoke out” about 4,000 illegal miners who are reportedly inside an abandoned mine searching for gold in the country’s North West province.
35: On Sunday, Czechs and Slovaks will mark the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, which ended the 41-year rule of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
$3.5 million: A judge temporarily halted the sale of InfoWars to The Onion after the satirical outlet on Thursday said it had won a bankruptcy auction to acquire the website founded by Alex Jones, a well-known conspiracy theorist. The judge moved to put a hold on the sale until a hearing next week after complaints from Jones and a company linked to him that put in a $3.5 million bid for InfoWars.
A boat with a French flag sails by on the Seine river in Paris, where concerns about the water quality have forced the cancellation of triathlon swim training session for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, on Monday 29 July 2024 in Paris, France.
Hard Numbers: Traversing the Seine, Heroics amid wildfires, Kim’s ‘miraculous’ rescue, Harris reenergizes Dem campaign, Dance class tragedy
18 million: As questions arise over the River Seine’s cleanliness and its impact on the Olympics, the river remains important for other reasons. In 2023,18 million tons of goods were carried on the river, but that’s less than one-third the amount that traveled on it before World War II.
1.5: In California, wildfires have burned an area larger than the size of Los Angeles – and the blazes are only 12% contained, according to local officials. But there is some positive news: A first responder ran1.5 miles through an area ravaged by wildfires to rescue two dogs and their litter of puppies. There are pictures!
5,000: He saved puppies?? “Hold my beer,” says North Korea’s Supreme Leader. DPRK state media reports thatKim Jong Un has “personally guided” the “miraculous” military rescue of 5,000 people trapped by flood waters following torrential rains over the weekend. That guy really is amazing.
81: A couple of new polls suggest that soon-to-be Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has erased the enthusiasm advantage that GOP nominee Donald Trump held over President Joe Biden. The Wall Street Journal reports that just 37% of Dems were excited to vote for Biden while 81% say the same for Harris this week. (Trump is at 85% of GOP voters.) An ABC Ipsos poll finds that 88% of Dems are enthusiastic about Harris vs. 82% of Republicans who are enthusiastic about voting for Trump.
2: The seaside town of Southport, UK, is in mourning today following Monday's deadly stabbing attack at a children’s Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Two youngsters were killed and another six children and two adults are in critical condition following the knife attack. Police have arrested a 17-year-old male who lived in a nearby village and are investigating the motive but have ruled out terrorism.
Protesters march while carrying placards and chanting slogans in the "Feminists March Against Femicide" in Kenya.
Hard Numbers: Kenyans march against femicide, Corruption costs Ukrainian defense, Germans protest far right, Evergrande tries to avoid liquidation (again), Say more than ‘Oui’ to Paris!
14: So far this year, 14 women have been murdered as a result of gender-based violence in Kenya, and thousands took to the streets in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Saturday in response. Nearly a third of Kenyan women face physical violence at some point in their lives, while 13% are victims of sexual violence, according to a 2023 government report.
40 million: The country’s security service, SBU, says five employees from a Ukrainian arms company have been charged with conspiring with officials to embezzle nearly $40 million from defense coffers. The money, meant for buying mortar shells to aid the fight against Russia, has been seized and returned to the defense budget. But the incident signals how Ukraine’s battle against corruption continues.
100,000: Protests were held in 30 German cities on Saturday, with up to 100,000 people demonstrating against far-right extremism in Deutschland. The protests – coincidently held on International Holocaust Remembrance Day – were a rebuke of the anti-immigrant rhetoric peddled by the increasingly popular Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, just months ahead of three major regional elections in eastern Germany where the AfD tends to do well.
$300 billion: A court in Hong Kong ordered Chinese property development giant Evergrande to liquidate as it struggles to restructure debts to service over $300 billion in liabilities. It is unclear whether China will allow foreign investors to seize Evergrande assets, and there are fears of major ramifications for the Chinese economy as a whole.
A2-B1: If you dream of moving to Paris, you’ll need to dust off your Petit Larousse and embrace the subjunctive. While French competence was previously only required for those seeking French citizenship, a new law passed on Saturday requires anyone applying for multi-year residency to prove they understand French at the A2 level (advanced beginner). And a 10-year residency card now requires a B1 (intermediate) level of proficiency.Scene of the terrorist knife attack near the Bir Hakeim bridge and Quai de Grenelle, where one German tourist was killed, and two others were injured in Paris late Saturday.
Hard Numbers: Deadly terror attack in Paris, troubled South China Sea waters, migrants in English Channel, COP28 methane plans, twins for 70-year-old mom
3: A 26-year-old French national who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State attacked three people near the Eiffel Tower in Paris late Saturday, killing a German tourist and leaving two others, including a British man, wounded. President Emmanuel Macron called the incident "a terrorist attack."
135: More than 135 Chinese vessels “swarmed” the Julian Felipe reef off the coast of the Philippines in the South China Sea on Sunday. China and the Philippines have been involved in an increasing number of such incidents, as China aggressively asserts its claim to the sea under its so-called nine-dash line.
190: French authorities rescued 190 migrants off the coast of Calais in northern France over the weekend. The migrants were trying to cross the English Channel on dinghies to reach Britain, but authorities did not specify from which country the migrants had originally come.
30: At this week’s COP28 meeting in the UAE, the Biden administration unveiled final rules aimed at reducing the US oil and gas industry’s release of methane to help in the fight against climate change. Nations attending the summit had to detail how they will cut methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
70:A 70-year-old Ugandan woman has become the oldest woman in Africa to give birth. Safina Namukwaya delivered a boy and a girl on Wednesday by cesarean section after conceiving through IVF. Born at 34 weeks' gestation, the babies are healthy and weigh 2 kilograms each. They were Namukwaya’s second delivery in three years, following the birth of a girl in 2020.
At the Paris Peace Forum, grassroots activists highlight urgent issues
Global gatherings like the UN General Assembly, Munich Security Conference, and the World Economic Forum have no shortage of power players engaged in very high-level discussion and debate about the state of the world. The Paris Peace Forum, which wrapped this weekend in the City of Lights, is no exception. The host country’s President Emmanuel Macron was on deck to chat about climate change with Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky joined via video to remind everyone at the Peace Forum that a war still rages 1200 miles away, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned of the dangers of extremist content online.
But the gathering in Paris also put grassroots activists front and center, literally. As you entered the Palais Brongniart, the stunning 19th-century structure that has served as home to the PPF since its inception in 2018, the first sight was a sea of kiosks, each staffed by representatives from more than 50 organizations from around the world who are working at local levels to combat the most pressing problems of our time.
One Qatar-based organization funds projects that promote female leadership—from farms to small business ownership. Another group based in Helsinki is training people in Ukraine to process evidence and testimony of Russian war crimes. From climate change to responsible AI, many of the conversations in the foyer of the palace were as captivating as the ones happening on the main stage a flight below.
Each year, the PPF accepts applications for its “Space for Solutions,” giving physical space inside the venue for these organizations to network with some of the most influential players on the planet.
Aurélie Villaespesa, Projects Officer at the Paris Peace Forum, explained to GZERO’s Tony Maciulis that more than 4000 organizations applied this year. Roughly 50 of the very best were invited to join the forum and share their work, message, and mission.
PPF gave GZERO a chance to roam through the space and meet some of the grassroots gamechangers proving that solutions don’t just come from inside the palace—they often rise from the people.
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Haiti unrest: Will the UN's troop deployment help restore peace?
Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.
Will the UN's deployment of troops to Haiti help bring peace to the country?
It certainly won't hurt, you know, a thousand Kenyan troops being deployed, as well as lots support for training of police and militias. There's been no government in Haiti. It's been taken over by gangs, massive amounts of violence and vigilantism in response. They need help. The UN's history in Haiti has been absolutely checkered and problematic. And so there are a lot of people that are concerned about this. But on balance, I'm really glad that finally someone is getting something done better. Frankly, if the US and Canada had played at least some role in this, given that their/our backyard.
Despite all his legal issues, is Trump still the candidate-to-beat in the race for the GOP nomination?
Oh, absolutely. And, you know, you know that I mean, we're seeing only gains compared to all the other candidates. The real question is, can trump win the presidency? And at this point, you have to say, of course, it's plausible, in part because the Republicans are performing better in the views of the voters, the electorate on the economy. Certainly illegal immigration numbers on the back of pent up demand and nobody moving for a few years of pandemic are now at record levels again. And there's very little Biden can do before the election to stop it. And of course, he's seen as too old to run and that's not going to be less true in 14 months. Trump has his own litany of serious personal challenges, and the Democrats and a lot of independents hate him with a true passion. That certainly matters. The abortion issue certainly matters, and incumbency certainly matters. So right now, if you make me make a bet, I'd still bet that Biden is likely to win by a little, but it's real close. I have no confidence in that call.
Bed bugs in Paris. My God. Would you still attend the Summer Olympics?
I thought bed bugs were things you caught in a bed. Like in a bed that's not clean. We need to change the name, at least, because apparently people are getting bed bugs in movie theaters and on metros and all over these public places in Paris. So I think we can't call them bed bugs. The first I want Macron to give us a new, more patriotic name for this animal that apparently anybody can catch pretty much anywhere. And yeah, it wouldn't stop me from going to Paris Olympics, though I've got a lot of other stuff I need to do, but I'd probably be a little careful where I sit down, crowded places and things like that. I don't know. Can't do any. There’s not any cream you put on yourself to avoid bed bugs. Who the hell knows? I guess you're going to find out if you're going to Paris.
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