English

In 1899 a French-led military expedition left widespread carnage and death in its wake as it marched across parts of West Africa. Soldiers from the so-called Voulet-Chanoine Mission – otherwise known as the Central African Mission – looted, killed and raped in areas that are today part of the nation of Niger. Descendants of those communities hit by the military mission's rampage are now calling on France, via organisations at the United Nations, to acknowledge and make amends for those colonial crimes. Paris has flatly refused, amid a major breakdown in diplomatic relations with Niger. Report by Rémi Carayol.

Stories of the abuse of pupils at Notre-Dame-de-Bétharram private Catholic school in south-west France have grabbed the headlines in recent months, and have been the subject of parliamentary debate and a high-profile report by Members of Parliament. But how many pupils and former pupils have taken their own lives after suffering abuse at this and other such schools? That question has been notably absent from the many debates sparked by the Bétharram affair. Yet there are many such cases. Mediapart has spoken to witnesses and loved ones, who tell of lives and families that have been torn apart. Sarah Brethes and Mathilde Mathieu report.

Last weekend the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen flew to Scotland where she met President Donald Trump to discuss and ultimately agree on a trade deal between the European Union and the United States. But no sooner had the pair shaken hands on the agreement than the entire French political class slammed the deal, with government ministers also making clear their dismay. Yet for the French executive as a whole, this “deal” raised even more awkward questions: for it reveals Paris's diminishing influence on the European stage. Ilyes Ramdani reports.

Last week a judge ruled that France's culture minister Rachida Dati should stand trial on corruption and abuse of power charges. However, this did not stop Dati – who denies the allegations – from continuing her tough approach towards the country's broadcast media. Over the years the culture minister, part of whose remit is to uphold the independence of the press, has launched ferocious attacks on every newsroom that has dared mention cases that cast doubt on her integrity in public life. After targeting the country's public service broadcaster, the minister’s inner circle has once again turned on commercial news channel BFMTV, this time by insulting its editorial director. David Perrotin reports.

A public petition launched in France against new legislation that will allow the use of a previously-banned pesticide has gathered close to two million signatures. Among other measures aimed at the agriculture industry, the so-called 'loi Duplomb' will once again permit farmers to spray crops with acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide known to be harmful to pollinators such as bees. In an interview with Mediapart, political scientist Vincent Tiberj says he views the success of the petition as a sign of the strength of citizen democracy and its resistance against a rightwards shift in French political life. Interview by Mathieu Dejean.