Photo : Mahamadou Issoufou - Copyright © africanews/Frank Franklin II/The Associated Press
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Mahamadou Issoufou - Copyright © africanews/Frank Franklin II/The Associated Press
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
Burkina Faso: Only 40 per cent of territory under state control, says ECOWAS mediator
On 18 June, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediator met with the military government leaders, including Lt Col Paul Henri Damiba to discuss a transition period. The mediator to Burkina Faso and former president of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou said 40 per cent of the country’s territory was not in the state’s control. Issoufou referred to recent instances of killings and said they prove the security challenges. Further, Issoufou termed Burkina Faso’s crisis multidimensional, in terms of security, humanitarian, political and socioeconomic issues. (“State controls just 60 percent of Burkina Faso: ECOWAS mediator,” Al Jazeera, 18 June 2022)
Online platforms for football become ground for homophobic and racist slurs
On 18 June, FIFA president Gianni Infantino condemned hate and abuse towards football players, especially through social media posts. Infantino’s statement came after an independent study by FIFA revealed that majority of abuse against football players during the European Championship and the Africa Cup of Nations were homophobic and racist. Of more than 400,000 posts tracked by AI, 40 per cent were homophobic and 32 per cent racist. Infantino said there is no place for any form of discrimination in football and said FIFA would chart a plan for protection of teams, players and officials during the FIFA world cup in November. (“Euros, AFCON players faced racist, homophobic abuse online: Study,” Al Jazeera, 18 June 2022)