France on the back foot in Africa after Chadian snub

French soldiers stand at attention during a morning drill at the French military base in Chadian capital N'Djamena in 2014. (Reuters/File)
French soldiers stand at attention during a morning drill at the French military base in Chadian capital N'Djamena in 2014. (Reuters/File)
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Updated 30 November 2024
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France on the back foot in Africa after Chadian snub

French soldiers stand at attention during a morning drill at the French military base in Chadian capital N'Djamena in 2014. (Reu
  • Chad abruptly ended its defense cooperation pact with France
  • Experts say that without Chad, French army will struggle to run other Africa operations

NAIROBI/GENEVA: A French plan to significantly reduce its military presence in West and central Africa risks backfiring and further diminishing the former colonial power’s influence in the region at a time when Russia is gaining ground.
A French envoy to President Emmanuel Macron this week handed in a report with proposals on how France could reduce its military presence in Chad, Gabon and Ivory Coast, where it has deployed troops for decades.
Details of the report have not been made public but two sources said the plan is to cut the number of troops to 600 from around 2,200 now. The sources said Chad would keep the largest contingent with 300 French troops, down from 1,000. However, in a surprise move that caught French officials on the hop, the government of Chad — a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in the region — on Thursday abruptly ended its defense cooperation pact with France. That could lead to French troops leaving the central African country altogether.
“For France it is the start of the end of their security engagement in central and Western Africa,” said Ulf Laessing, director of the Sahel Programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Mali.
“Chad was the aircraft carrier of the French army, its logistical headquarters. If Chad doesn’t exist, the French army will have a huge problem to keep running its other operations.”
In a further blow to France, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye told French state TV on Thursday it was inappropriate for French troops to maintain a presence in his country, where 350 French soldiers are currently based. France has already pulled its soldiers out from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, following military coups in those West African countries and spreading anti-French sentiment. Paris is also shifting more attention to Europe with the war in Ukraine and increasing budgetary constraints, diplomats said.
The review envisions the remaining French soldiers in the region focusing on training, intelligence exchange and responding to requests from countries for help, depending on their needs, the sources said. Chad’s move to end the cooperation deal had not been discussed with Paris and shocked the French, according to the two sources and other officials. France, which wants to keep a presence in Chad in part because of its work to help ease one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises unfolding now in neighboring Sudan, responded only 24 hours after Chad made its announcement.
“France takes note and intends to continue the dialogue to implement these orientations,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
One of the two sources, a French official with knowledge of Chadian affairs, said Chad’s government appeared to have seen the French decision to more than halve its military presence there as a snub. Chad also felt the French would no longer be in a position to guarantee the security of the military regime led by President Mahamat Idriss Deby, this source said.
Macron had backed Deby despite criticism since Deby seized power following the death of his father, who ruled Chad for 30 years until he was killed in 2021 during an incursion by rebels. Deby won an election held this year.
In its statement on Thursday evening, released hours after the French foreign minister had visited the Sudanese border in eastern Chad with his counterpart, Chad’s foreign ministry said N’djamena wanted to fully assert its sovereignty after more than six decades of independence from France. It said the decision should in no way undermine the friendly relations between the two countries. Earlier this year, a small contingent of US special forces left Chad amid a review of US cooperation with the country.
The French drawdown, coupled with a US pullback from Africa, contrasts with the increasing influence of Russia and other countries, including Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates, on the continent. Russian mercenaries are helping prop up the military governments of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, and are also fighting alongside them against Islamist militants. However, French officials and other sources played down Russia’s ability to take advantage of the French setback in Chad, at least in the short term. The French source familiar with Chadian affairs noted that Russia and Chad back rival factions in Sudan’s war. Russia also has major military commitments in Syria and the war in Ukraine.


Weather hampers search for 3 climbers missing on New Zealand’s highest peak

Weather hampers search for 3 climbers missing on New Zealand’s highest peak
Updated 19 sec ago
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Weather hampers search for 3 climbers missing on New Zealand’s highest peak

Weather hampers search for 3 climbers missing on New Zealand’s highest peak

WELLINGTON: New Zealand authorities have “grave concerns” for three mountain climbers from the US and Canada who are missing after a planned ascent of the country’s highest peak, Aoraki, as efforts to find them stalled for a third day amid bad weather.

Strong winds meant an aerial search for the men could not resume as anticipated on Thursday, Police Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said in a statement.

The Americans — Kurt Blair, 56, from Colorado and Carlos Romero, 50, of California — are certified alpine guides, according to the website of the nonprofit American Mountain Guides Association. New Zealand authorities have not named the Canadian climber at the request of his family.

The men flew to a hut partway up the mountain on Saturday to begin their ascent and were reported missing on Monday when they did not arrive to meet their prearranged transport after the climb. Searchers hours later found several climbing-related items believed to belong to the men, but no sign of them, police said.

The search for the men stalled on Tuesday and Wednesday due to deteriorating weather conditions on Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, with heavy rain and snow forecast. 

Walker earlier hoped efforts would resume Thursday but said conditions on the day were unsafe.

Aoraki is 3,724 meters high and is part of the Southern Alps, the scenic and icy mountain range that runs the length of New Zealand’s South Island.


Namibia’s first woman president ‘breaks glass ceiling’

Namibia’s first woman president ‘breaks glass ceiling’
Updated 3 min 35 sec ago
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Namibia’s first woman president ‘breaks glass ceiling’

Namibia’s first woman president ‘breaks glass ceiling’

JOHANNESBURG: Namibia’s first woman president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on Thursday said her victory in a disputed vote last week had broken a “glass ceiling.”

The vice president secured just past 57 percent of the vote, well ahead of the candidate for the main opposition Independent Patriots for Change on 25.5 percent, the election authority announced on Tuesday.

Yet the IPC has said it did not recognize the vote, pointing to a “multitude of irregularities.”

“As a woman, I’m the first to admit that my election to the highest office in the land is definitely one that is breaking the glass ceiling for a Namibian woman,” she told reporters at her first briefing since her victory’s announcement.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became the first woman to rule the mineral-rich nation, governed by her South West Africa People’s Organization party since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

In her address, Namibia’s new leader praised Liberia’s former head of state Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who in 2006 became the first woman president on the African continent, for being “the one who really led the way.”

“And for me, it’s just to reaffirm that equal responsibility of women and men in society is a reality,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, a SWAPO stalwart known by her initials NNN, will be among Africa’s few women leaders.

The conservative daughter of an Anglican pastor, she assumed the role of vice president in February this year.


Macron vows to stay in office till end of term

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the nation during a televised broadcast from the Elysee Palace. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the nation during a televised broadcast from the Elysee Palace. (AFP)
Updated 40 min 29 sec ago
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Macron vows to stay in office till end of term

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the nation during a televised broadcast from the Elysee Palace. (AFP)

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to stay in office until the end of his term, due in 2027, and announced Thursday that he will name a new prime minister within days.
In his address to nation, Macron came out fighting, laying blame at the door of his opponents on the far right for bringing down the government of Michel Barnier.
He said they chose “Not to do but to undo.” “They chose disorder,” he said. The president said the far right and the far left had united in what he called “an anti-Republican front” and stressed: “I won’t shoulder other people’s irresponsibility.” He said he’d name a new prime minister within days but gave no hints who that might be.


Ammunition used in CEO’s killing had ‘Deny,’ ‘defend’ and ‘depose’ written on it

Ammunition used in CEO’s killing had ‘Deny,’ ‘defend’ and ‘depose’ written on it
Updated 05 December 2024
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Ammunition used in CEO’s killing had ‘Deny,’ ‘defend’ and ‘depose’ written on it

Ammunition used in CEO’s killing had ‘Deny,’ ‘defend’ and ‘depose’ written on it
  • UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead as he walked to the company’s annual investor conference
  • Police release photos of a person wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting

NEW YORK: The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest US health insurance companies outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” two law enforcement officials said Thursday.
The words were written in permanent marker, according to one of the officials, who were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, died in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked to the company’s annual investor conference at a Hilton hotel in Midtown, blocks from tourist draws like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art. The reason behind the killing remained unknown, but investigators believe it was a targeted attack.
The message left on the ammunition echoes the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” which is commonly used by attorneys and insurance industry critics to describe tactics used to avoid paying claims. It refers to insurers delaying payment, denying a claim and then defending their actions. Health insurers like UnitedHealthcare have become frequent targets of criticism from doctors and patients for complicating access to care.
Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the shooter fled.
The killing and the shooter’s movements in the minutes before and afterward were captured on some of the multitudes of security cameras present in that part of the city.
The hunt for the shooter brought New York City police Thursday morning to at least two hostels on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, based on a tip that the suspected shooter may have stayed at one of the residences, according to one of the law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation.
Police also released photos of a person they said was wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting. The photos appeared to have been taken in the lobby of the HI New York City hostel, according to images of the lobby available online.
“We are fully cooperating with the NYPD and, as this is an active investigation, can not comment at this time,” Danielle Brumfitt, a spokesperson for the hostel said in an emailed statement.
Investigators believe, judging from surveillance video and evidence collected from the scene, that the shooter had at least some prior firearms training and experience with guns and the weapon was equipped with a silencer, said one of the law enforcement officials who spoke with the AP.
Investigators also were looking into whether the suspect had pre-positioned a bike as part of an escape plan, the official said. The shooter fled on a bike and was last seen riding into Central Park.
Security camera video showed the killer approach Thompson from behind, level his pistol and fire several shots, barely pausing to clear a gun jam while the health executive tumbled to the pavement.
Cameras showed him fleeing the block across a pedestrian plaza, then escaping on the bicycle. Police issued several surveillance images of the man wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that concealed most of his face, which wouldn’t have attracted attention on a frigid day. Authorities also used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intensive search, but the killer’s whereabouts remained unknown.
Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with UnitedHealthcare since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years.
The insurer’s Minnetonka, Minnesota-based parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., was holding its annual meeting with investors in New York to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Thompson’s death.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage.
Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs.


Muhammad becomes most popular baby name in England and Wales

Muhammad has become the most popular name for boys in England and Wales, overtaking Noah. (Getty Images/File)
Muhammad has become the most popular name for boys in England and Wales, overtaking Noah. (Getty Images/File)
Updated 05 December 2024
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Muhammad becomes most popular baby name in England and Wales

Muhammad has become the most popular name for boys in England and Wales, overtaking Noah. (Getty Images/File)
  • Variants Mohammed and Mohammad feature in top 100 along with Yusuf and Ibrahim
  • Popular culture remains key influence, with names such as Billie and Lana gaining popularity

LONDON: Muhammad has become the most popular name for boys in England and Wales, overtaking Noah.

The figures from the Office for National Statistics do not group together the different spellings of Muhammad, meaning that all the various iterations of the name together have made it the most popular for many years.

Mohammed and Mohammad both appear in the top 100 names for boys born in England and Wales in 2023.

There were 4,661 children registered as Muhammad, increasing from 4,177 in 2022.

The name was popular in regions with higher Muslim populations, such as London, the West Midlands, Yorkshire, and the North West.

Mohammed was the 28th most popular, with 1,601 newborns registered, while Mohammad was 68th, with 835.

Other Muslim boys’ names in the top 100 include Yusuf, Ibrahim, and Musa.

The third most popular boys’ name was Oliver, followed by George and Leo.

For girls, Olivia has remained the most popular name for eight years. Amelia and Isla have been second and third for two years in a row.

The top 100 girls’ names included Layla, Maryam, and Fatima, which are all favorites with Muslim families.

The ONS said popular culture remained a key influence for parents choosing names for their babies. 

Increasing numbers were names after music stars Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey, and actors Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy.

Even the names of celebrity babies such as the offspring from the Kardashian-Jenner family, Reign and Saint, gained popularity.