Photo : Olympia de Maismont, AFP
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Olympia de Maismont, AFP
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar and Anu Maria Joseph
Africa: France ends Operation Barkhane in Sahel
On 8 November, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of France’s anti-jihadist Operation Bakhane in Sahel. In a keynote address at the naval base at Toulon, Macron said: “I have decided, in coordination with our partners, to make official today the end of the Barkhane operation.” He added that the decision was a consequence of what France has experienced in the region, and a new strategy would be developed within six months. Macron said: “Our military support for African countries will continue, but according to new principles that we have defined with them.” (“France officially ends anti-jihadist Barkhane operation, ponders new strategy,” Africanews, 8 November 2022)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Army operations target M23 rebels, says civil society leader
On 8 November, Al Jazeera reported that the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s troops had bombed areas controlled by M23 rebels in the east. The news reported quoted the president of a civil society group who said the people had urged the army to finish their operations faster as people had already been displaced and several were living in camps with little humanitarian assistance. The reporter said around 90,000 people have been displaced after fighting in the region resurged in October. Meanwhile, the M23 spokesperson termed the army operations counterproductive, stating that they put the civilian lives at risk. (“DR Congo jets bomb M23 rebel targets in east, official says,” Al Jazeera, 8 November 2022)
Uganda: Ministry announces early closure of schools amid rising ebola cases
On 8 November, the education minister announced that schools will be closed from 25 November, two weeks prior to the scheduled end of the term amid the rising number of ebola cases, including the death of eight children. The minister said this “will reduce areas of concentration where children are in daily close contact with fellow children, teachers and other staff who could potentially spread the virus.” As of 6 November, the WHO said 64 people had died from the current outbreak. On 8 November, The Telegraph reported that Uganda’s health ministry expects around 250 casualties by January and 500 by late April 2023. (“Uganda to close schools early after eight children die of Ebola,” Al Jazeera, 8 November 2022; “Ebola outbreak projected to surge as response repeats mistakes of Wuhan,” The Telegraph, 8 November 2022)
Africa: Children of African children face higher level of discrimination, says report
On 8 November, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent presented a report to the UN General Assembly outlining the discrimination faced by children of African descent. The report said the level of discrimination meted to these children reached an extent that they were not considered children, even by the law. The report highlighted that children of African descent were subjected to “heavier policing, including more arrests, police surveillance, racial profiling, strip searches and excessive use of force.” The Chair of the Working Group attributed such actions against children to racial discrimination, stereotypes and xenophobia. (“Children of African descent ‘not considered children at all’, rights experts charge,” UN News, 8 November 2022)