Back at the newsroom from April 2023

My work here:   https://www.rfi.fr/en/author/melissa-chemam-with-rfi/ 

 SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA

The long path to Senegal's troubled presidential elections

This is a big election year for Africa, with 16 countries heading to the polls. Close attention is being paid to the delayed presidential vote in Senegal – a West African beacon of democracy that is facing increasing instability. RFI spoke to author and economist Ndongo Samba Sylla in the capital Dakar. Listen here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20240322-the-long-path-to-senegal-s-troubled-presidential-elections 

 Read from here - on RFI English's website: 

Senegalese presidential candidates unite in call for new election date https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240219-senegalese-presidential-candidates-unite-in-call-for-new-election-date 

Human Rights Watch warns of Senegal repression ahead of elections (Jan. 2024) https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240123-human-rights-watch-warns-of-senegal-repression-ahead-of-elections 

Sonko and Wade excluded from Senegal's list of 20 presidential candidates https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240122-sonko-and-wade-excluded-from-senegal-s-list-of-20-presidential-candidates 

Senegal's February presidential election has been delayed by the President and the whole country now lives in uncertainty. 

Candidates approved to stand in are calling for the new date for the vote, and for the polls to be held no later than 2 April, the day President Macky Sall's term officially ends. But what is really going to happen? 

RFI English's Melissa Chemam was in Dakar.

A third of Africa will head to the polls in 2024, with at major issues on the line in at least 18 countries gearing up for an election year. 

These include coup-hit Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso – if the junta leaders in those countries stay true to their word. 

From Algeria to South Africa, RFI looks at the main polls to watch:  https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240103-year-of-elections-has-africa-poised-for-political-shake-up-in-2024 

 Countries in Africa find themselves on the frontlines of climate change, but many are reluctant to power down development as part of the push to cut out polluting oil, coal and gas:  https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231218-historic-win-or-climate-injustice-experts-divided-on-what-cop28-means-for-africa 

 Ongoing atrocities cast a shadow on the first anniversary of the ceasefire that officially ended hostilities in Ethiopia's Tigray region, according to Human Rights Watch.

 RFI English - here:  https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231102-a-year-after-the-ceasefire-in-tigray-ethiopia-is-little-closer-to-peace  

As King Charles III begins a state visit to Kenya on Tuesday, offering promises of a better partnership and acknowledgement of Britain's colonial past, demands for compensation have been mounting.  

Read from here - on RFI English's website:  https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231031-kenyans-demand-reparations-from-britain-ahead-of-king-charles-s-visit 

 Kenya is preparing to lead an international police force to combat gang violence in Haiti – an historic first for the East African nation. Experts help me find out more.

Read from here - on RFI English's website: https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20231001-can-kenya-help-solve-haiti-s-deep-insecurity-crisis 

Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal...

Mauritania: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230522-ruling-party-wins-parliament-election-in-mauritania 

Nigeria: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230529-nigeria-s-tinubu-sworn-in-as-president-bringing-hopes-of-economic-prosperity 

 Read from here - on RFI English's website: 

Niger faces multiple crises three months after military coup
https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231027-niger-faces-multiple-crises-three-months-after-military-coup 

Niger no closer to restoring order as Ecowas deadline looms https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230804-niger-no-closer-to-restoring-order-as-ecowas-deadline-looms 

West African bloc Ecowas says military intervention in Niger is 'last resort' https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230803-west-africa-s-regional-bloc-ecowas-says-military-intervention-in-niger-is-last-resort

 Read from here - on the constitutional reform in Mali:

Mali junta upholds UN peacekeepers' departure, sends more troops north
https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231016-mali-junta-upholds-un-peacekeepers-departure-sends-more-troops-north 

Latest attack by Tuareg rebels signals northern Mali is back at war https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231006-latest-attack-by-tuareg-rebels-signals-northern-mali-is-back-at-war 

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230603-campaign-kicks-off-for-mali-s-long-awaited-referendum-on-a-new-constitution

And here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230618-divided-mali-votes-on-constitution-that-could-pave-way-for-presidential-poll 

 Read from here - on Senegal : 

Senegal court clears jailed opposition figure for presidential run https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231214-senegal-court-clears-jailed-opposition-figure-for-presidential-run 

Political arrests, media restrictions a worry in lead up to Senegal elections https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230809-political-arrests-media-restrictions-a-worry-in-lead-up-to-senegal-elections 

And here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230717-senegalese-opponent-ousmane-sonko-insists-he-ll-run-in-presidential-race 

And here  https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230601-senegal-opposition-leader-ousmane-sonko-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison 

 Read from here - RFI English: 

Amnesty reports 'atrocious' war crimes committed in Sudan conflict https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230804-amnesty-reports-atrocious-war-crimes-committed-in-sudan-s-latest-conflict 

Two months of conflict: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230615-sudan-s-conflict-enters-third-month-as-violence-escalates 

Explainers here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230523-sudan-ceasefire-breached-as-fears-grow-of-ethnicisation-of-the-conflict 

Here:  https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230528-sudan-humanitarian-crisis-deepens-as-aid-facilities-become-targets

And here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230521-un-security-council-to-meet-on-sudan-as-a-million-are-displaced-by-violence  

Most recent coverage:

Ugandans sue TotalEnergies in France, accusing it of human rights violations https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20230628-ugandans-sue-totalenergies-in-france-accusing-it-of-human-rights-violations 

France's TotalEnergies in court again over fossil fuel projects https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20230601-france-s-totalenergies-in-court-again-over-fossil-fuel-projects 

Most recent coverage: on the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya

Here: Climate activists say African summit failed despite billion-dollar pledges

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230909-climate-activists-say-african-summit-failed-despite-billion-dollar-pledges 

Here: Africa Climate Summit ends on high, but huge challenges remain https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230906-africa-climate-summit-ends-on-a-optimistic-note-but-huge-challenges-remain 

and here:   UAE pledges $4.5 billion investment in clean energy for Africa https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230905-uae-pledges-4-5-billion-investment-in-clean-energy-for-africa 

Gaza https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20231024-hamas-releases-two-more-hostages-as-un-calls-for-an-immediate-humanitarian-ceasefire 

Russia https://www.rfi.fr/en/europe/20230824-kremlin-silent-on-reported-death-of-wagner-boss-prigozhin-in-plane-crash 

BRICS Summit: https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20230823-no-explanation-after-china-s-xi-jinping-misses-key-speech-at-brics-summit

Spike in violence shows Libya remains crippled by rival armed groups -  Read from here https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230819-spike-in-violence-shows-libya-remains-crippled-by-rival-armed-groups 

Rescuers search Channel for missing migrant after six die in boat tragedy - read here:  https://www.rfi.fr/en/europe/20230815-rescuers-search-channel-for-missing-migrant-after-six-die-in-boat-tragedy 

International conference for and about women looks to gender equality  https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230721-rwanda-conference-for-and-about-women-looks-to-gender-equality-in-africa 

For Rfi: Young people take European nations to court over climate failures https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20230925-young-people-take-european-nations-to-court-over-climate-failures 

For Public Pressure: https://magazine.publicpressure.io/everything-you-need-to-know-about-greta-and-the-climate-week/ 

& https://magazine.publicpressure.io/60-cities-extinction-rebellion-movement-goes-global/ 

& https://magazine.publicpressure.io/extinction-rebellion-blitz-star-wars-london-premiere/ 

& https://magazine.publicpressure.io/wikileaks-shares-nasa-report-on-climate-change/

- for DW:  https://www.dw.com/en/can-local-currencies-help-the-environment/a-49053524

 The UK's summer festival scene has not only recovered from Brexit and Covid, it has never been more vibrant. And that includes the WOMAD international arts festival in the west of England where fans flock not just for the bigger names but "to hear music they've never heard before," the organisers tell RFI.

Read here:  https://www.rfi.fr/en/culture/20230729-vintage-year-for-womad-as-uk-summer-arts-festivals-attract-record-numbers 

 On 27 June, a 17-year-old French boy of Algerian descent was shot and killed by police in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. Protests erupted, escalating into rioting. The scale of the violence has been blamed on fundamental inequalities across French society. But, is inequality really worse in France than elsewhere? 

Guests: Lester Holloway, Editor of the The Voice; Melissa Chemam, French Journalist; Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics at Lancaster University

‘Nothing can change if we’re in denial’ - French-Algerian journalist on the riots that have rocked her hometown 

What could be a game-changer now is a public trial, writes Melissa Chemam

Read here:
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/french-algerian-journalist-riots-rocked-hometown-2449948

‘People feel like the police are constantly attacking them’, says French-Algerian journalist Melissa Chemam
With Jackie Long, Social Affairs Editor and Presenter: 

https://www.channel4.com/news/people-feel-like-the-police-are-constantly-attacking-them-says-french-algerian-journalist-melissa-cheman 

  The National Museum of the History of Immigration in Paris reopened its permanent exhibition mid-June 2023, with a new focus on the long and dynamic history of people moving to and from France. 

For RFI: https://www.rfi.fr/en/culture/20230618-paris-museum-dedicated-to-history-of-immigration-in-france-reopens 

 Read from here - RFI English: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230524-30-years-young-eritrea-reaches-a-milestone-but-still-faces-poverty-and-a-legacy-of-war     

Latest feature - on LGBTIQ+ rights in Southern & Eastern Africa - May 2023: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230524-recognition-of-same-sex-marriages-with-foreigners-in-namibia-brings-hope-to-ugandans-and-kenyans 

Latest feature - on Uganda and LGBTIQ+ rights and worries, from April 2023: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230414-ugandan-activists-brace-for-ratification-of-harsh-anti-homosexuality-bill 

Iraqi & British creatives reflect on two decades after the US-invasion...

Read my piece for the New Arab here:  https://www.newarab.com/features/uk-based-artists-memorialising-iraqi-national-sacrifice 

Melissa Chemam profiles Iraqi Kurdish musician-composer Hardi Kurda and his projects Space 21 and Archive Khanah: Sounds from Iraq.

Read more here on the Markaz Review's #IRAQ issue: https://themarkaz.org/hardi-kurda-archiving-the-sounds-of-northern-iraq/   

Interview with Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO.  

On DW :  https://www.dw.com/fr/cop15-interview-fao-attentes/av-64011141 

My feature with artists Grada Kilomba, Nu Barreto & art director Touria el Glaoui, as the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair opens at Somerset House during Frieze Art Fair - for BBC Culture:  https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20221012-the-slave-ship-in-a-london-courtyard 

The prolific French-Algerian multimedia artist Kader Attia, whose work focuses on colonial and post-colonial history, trauma, and the spaces of repair, had his biggest event in Berlin with the Berlin Biennale.

Read here: https://themarkaz.org/kader-attia-berlin-biennales-curator/ 

on DW  - for World Refugee Day : https://www.dw.com/fr/allemagne-limiter-vitesse-refugee-food-festival/av-62214245 

Here are the two episodes recorded with the brilliant team behind Discriminology Podcast - on the Algerian Struggle for Equality and colonialism / post-colonialism in the US vs France. Thanks for having me on this sensitive subject.

Ep1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paris-massacre-and-the-algerian-struggle-for/id1521770510?i=1000564508544 

Ep2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paris-massacre-and-the-algerian-struggle-for/id1521770510?i=1000566266038 

 Read  here:  https://themarkaz.org/algerian-art-on-60th-anniversary-of-algerias-independence/  

Read them all from The Markaz Review: https://themarkaz.org/author/melissachemam/ 

Reflection on the state of foreign news & journalism: http://melissa-on-the-road.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-ides-of-march-on-ukraine-west-and.html 

Insight into yesterday's protests in Bristol. More soon in my coming coverage: http://melissa-on-the-road.blogspot.com/2022/02/protesting-dangerous-nationality-and.html  

When Algerians were killed in the streets of Paris...  For Al Jazeera English: 

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/10/17/17-october-1961-60-years-on-france-must-face-its-colonial-past 

Discussion ahead of his upcoming exhibition at New Art Gallery -  read here: https://artuk.org/discover/stories/keith-piper-on-the-history-of-the-black-art-group?fbclid=IwAR1zMwN4A650Sl0lBYmR83sr9C0WagmtmXfu--5hsPBrFIYG4_mxUGRqUiM# 

'The unfinished Arab revolutions deserve our support.' -  Feb. 2021 - read:

https://themarkaz.org/revolution-viewed-from-the-crows-nest-of-history/ 

https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/the-british-press-is-obsessed-with-the-american-elections/ 

 ‘We Want the Ability, Space & Time to Retell Our Own History’ - by Melissa Chemam, for Byline Times, 21 October 2020 - Link:  https://bylinetimes.com/2020/10/21/we-want-the-ability-space-time-to-retell-our-own-history/

'The least affected continent should inspire us in the West' - Oct. 2020

https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/coronavirus-in-africa-the-least-affected-continent-should-inspire-us-in-the-west/ 

Verso Books, March 2020: https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/4615-how-the-covid-19-pandemic-is-destroying-britain-s-creative-industries 

As a historian of Bristol’s culture, I took part in this weekend’s Black Lives Matter march. When the slave trader’s statue finally fell, screams of joy exploded through the multicultural crowd - My column in The Independent 

Link:  https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/edward-colston-bristol-statue-hall-black-lives-matter-protests-massive-attack-a9553741.html?fbclid=IwAR2qB-pIWKKEPqUEosAiaXX7bpUhHisOdWtFhuEdKn7daA2xORePVgWckmQ

Reporting on the demands of NHS Workers - Here in West England Bylines:   https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/nhs-workers-why-they-absolutely-deserve-a-pay-rise/ 

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/nhs-coronavirus-foreign-staff-visa-extension-home-office-a9440856.html 

Reportage here: https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/brexit-and-the-rise-of-dual-citizenship/ 

Read here: https://themarkaz.org/why-is-arabic-provoking-such-controversy-in-france/ 

 Read here: https://www.publicpressure.org/refugees-in-the-uk-safe-haven-or-hostile-environment/ 

Read on The Bristol Cable's website:  https://thebristolcable.org/2019/01/europeans-in-bristol-caught-in-the-brexit-crossfire/ 

Link to read: https://thebristolcable.org/2019/10/breaking-the-chain-of-alcoholism/ 

- for DW:  https://www.dw.com/en/can-local-currencies-help-the-environment/a-49053524 

A detailed history of Massive Attack and their entangled, ongoing relationship with their home city, Bristol. Based around revealing interviews over 30 artists, from and close to the band, to explore the influences, politics and creativity of this pioneering group.

An interview: https://epigram.org.uk/2019/04/20/feature-when-bristol-music-went-out-of-the-comfort-zone/ 

Selected on Rough Trade's list of the best Music Books of 2019:  https://blog.roughtrade.com/uk-books-of-the-year-2019/

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/massive-attack/melissa-chemam/9781910089729 

Covering post-conflict humanitarian issues and the displacement crisis, in Iraqi Kurdistan, in March 2016 - Read one piece here:  http://melissa-on-the-road.blogspot.com/2016/05/my-article-from-iraq.html 

Read an article here:  https://www.ips-journal.eu/regions/europe/refugees-welcome-1887 

Radio series for RFI English: https://www.rfi.fr/en/environment/20150427-bristol-european-green-capital-2015-series-part-1-3 

On the Charlie Hebdo Attack notably in 2015 - Here for CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2646399666

My reports here:  https://www.wfp.org/news/forgotten-crisis-central-african-republic-rapidly-deteriorating-neglected-tragedy- & here: https://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/children-hit-hardest-hunger-crisis-car 

My reports here:  https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/melissa-chemam/

Samples: http://www.slateafrique.com/87257/nairobi-capitale-de-humanitaire-msf-kenya-rdc & https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2012/05/06/01003-20120506ARTFIG00143-mogadiscio-reprend-gout-a-la-paix.php 

My Blog at the time: http://bbcafriquekenya.blogspot.com/ 

Radio link: https://www.bbc.com/afrique/nos_emissions/2011/04/110425_minimag_melissa 

In 2010/12 - DW:  https://www.dw.com/fr/les-pays-pauvres-ont-les-yeux-tourn%C3%A9s-vers-rio/a-16028463 

Link:  https://www.dw.com/fr/mogadiscio-regarde-%C3%A0-nouveau-vers-lavenir/a-15956764  

Read here: https://www.france24.com/en/20080727-healthcare-luxury-america-health-usa 

Covering the food crisis in 2008, for France24, Rue89 and diverse radios - one link: https://www.nouvelobs.com/rue89/rue89-monde/20080422.RUE3948/haiti-malgre-un-apaisement-la-situation-reste-explosive.html