The Israeli Macron – By Uri Avnery – 29/04/2017
Uri Avnery
A DEEP sigh of relief, coming straight from the heart.
When I was 10 years old, my family fled from Nazi Germany. We were fearful that the Gestapo was after us. When we approached the French border, our fear was acute. Then our train crossed the bridge that separated Germany from France, and we heaved a deep sigh of relief.
It was almost the same sigh. France has again sent a message of freedom.
Emmanuel Macron (Emmanuel is a Hebrew name, meaning “God is with us”) has won the first round, and there is a strong possibility that he will win the second round, too.
This is not just a French affair. It concerns all mankind. [Read more]
AFRICA: Why France faces so much anger in West Africa – “Neo-colonial arrogance” – BBC News
It all started so positively. Where have things gone wrong? Why does France now appear so unpopular in Africa?
French President Emmanuel Macron has increased aid to the continent, begun the return of cultural artefacts stolen during the colonial wars and reached out beyond the usual inter-government ties to engage younger generations and civil society.
He has kept French troops in the Sahel to fight the jihadist militants that kill so many local civilians, police and soldiers and supported the regional bloc Ecowas as it tries to defend electoral politics against military takeovers.
Yet his country is now the target of embittered African complaints and criticism on a scale that is probably unprecedented.
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