The exact number of “tirailleurs” – the infantrymen from France’s sub-Saharan colonies – who died alongside Mbap Senghor when the French army turned on its own on December 1st 1944 at the military camp of Thiaroye in Senegal is still unknown. Some historians estimate the toll at between 300 and 400 men, all of whom had fought for France in WWII. They were gunned down for protesting, in what the French authorities misleadingly described as an “armed mutiny”, over backpay they were promised but never received. Clair Rivière reports on the long fight for justice by Mbap Senghor’s son Biram, now aged 86 and who is still waiting.
The writer, journalist and broadcaster Caroline Fourest caused controversy earlier this year when she published a book called 'Le Vertige MeToo' or 'The MeToo Vertigo' about the #MeToo phenomenon. According to Mediapart's information, actor Sand Van Roy - the complainant in the sexual assault case involving filmmaker Luc Besson which was later dropped- is now suing Caroline Fourest and her publisher over that book. In particular Sand Van Roy accuses the author of having repeated 'fake news' which had already been denied several times – and without seeking her point of view first. Marine Turchi reports.
Donald Trump’s election marks a victory for white supremacy in the United States. In an apocalyptic atmosphere, the repercussions of his win beyond America's borders are alarming: it will undermine democracies, women and minorities worldwide, while at the same time helping to embolden the far-right and dictators of all kinds, writes Mediapart's publishing editor Carine Fouteau in this op-ed article. All we can do, she argues, is resist – and strengthen the bulwarks of democracy.
French president Emmanuel Macron was one of the very first heads of state to congratulate the new American president after his election win. Seen from Paris, the return to power of the far-right leader does not provoke fear or any particular reaction. However, France's head of state is set to call for a “strong and united” European response to the election outcome when he attends a meeting in Hungary later this week. Mediapart's Ilyes Ramdani reports.
The trial of eight people accused of various roles in the October 2020 stabbing murder and beheading of school teacher Samuel Paty began this week in Paris. The killer, an 18-year-old Chechen, was shot dead by police at the scene of the attack, in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. Paty was murdered after showing cartoons of the prophet Muhammed, published by Charlie Hebdo magazine, to a class he held on the subject of free speech. Mathilde Goanec reports here on the handling by the education authorities and Paty’s school colleagues of the 10-day period before he was attacked when the teacher was the target of mounting threats from Islamist militants and their sympathisers.
It is estimated that around 274,000 people in France suffer from Parkinson’s disease. The vast majority of them follow a treatment of dopaminergic drugs to compensate for their lack of the chemical messenger dopamine, a condition which causes many of the debilitating symptoms of the disease. But the drugs, and in particular dopamine agonists, can have alarming side effects, ranging from making compulsive purchases, daily gambling, the pursuit of sexual obsessions and, in one of the several cases detailed here, a murderous rampage against animals. As Rozenn Le Saint reports, some of the patients are unaware of the risks of the drugs, which can leave them and their families, the collateral victims, with huge debts and psycological trauma.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday wounded up his official visit to Morocco, in which he sealed a re-warming of relations with the kingdom after several years of tensions. One of the major factors in that process was his recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Macron led a delegation of French companies on his visit, which have signed multi-billion dollar deals to invest in the territory. However, as Ilyes Ramdani reports from Rabat, there are doubts over the legality of the economic incursion into a land annexed by Morocco, but also claimed by an independence movement of the local Sahrawi people, while considered by the UN to be the last “non-self-governing” terrirory on the African continent.
In a riposte at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that his country is waging a war of civilisations, French President Emmanuel Macron last Thursday said he was “not sure that one defends a civilisation by spreading barbarism oneself”. It was the latest example of Macron’s hardening stance towards the Israeli government, which has included his calls for sanctions on arms sales, and the strained relations with Netanyahu in particular. Ilyes Ramdani reports on the background to the French president’s shifting position over the Middle East conflict.
Israel does not intend to bring the war in Gaza and Lebanon to a halt with its military successes against Hamas and the Hezbollah, writes Mediapart co-founder and former publishing editor Edwy Plenel in this op-ed article. Israel’s war aim, beyond the riposte to the October 7th 2023 Hamas attacks, is to bring an end to the project for a Palestinian state, and its supporters, he argues, and everything must be done to halt this unending war.
The new French government under prime minister Michel Barnier plans to make savings of up to 60 million euros through tax rises and spending cuts. At least five billion euros of these scheduled savings in the 2025 budget – which will be debated by MPs this week - will hit France's local authorities, to the dismay and concern of regional political leaders. Here, mayors from three very different communities all tell Mediapart of the real-life consequences that these cuts will have locally, in particular on public services and in adapting to climate change. Interviews by Ilyes Ramdani.
