Month: July 2026

Lecornu's maiden diplomatic tour: strengthening ties with Qatar and Morocco French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu embarks on his first official international visit, prioritizing strategic allies in the Gulf and North Africa through stops in Doha and Rabat. Why this diplomatic outreach matters First foreign trips by a new prime minister often reveal foreign policy priorities. Sébastien Lecornu's inaugural journey to Qatar and Morocco serves exactly that purpose. The sequence of visits—first Doha, then Rabat—sends a clear signal about which relationships France considers vital in the Gulf and Maghreb regions. The stopovers are far from ceremonial. In Qatar, the focus is on paying respects following the passing of the former emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khal...

World Cup 2026France-spain world cup 2026: de la Fuente fires back at Deschamps over referee callsShareShareWhatsAppLinkedInEmailMessenger French head coach Didier Deschamps questioned the referee's performance after his side's 0-2 semi-final loss to Spain, while Spain's Luis de la Fuente dismissed such concerns and fired back with a sharp remark. France’s World Cup journey ended abruptly on Tuesday as Spain dismantled Didier Deschamps’s side 2-0 in the semi-finals. The France squad, unbeaten in six matches prior to the tournament, failed to impose themselves against a technically superior Spain, marking a third successive elimination by La Roja at major tournaments. Deschamps, visibly disappointed, admitted his team’s shortcomings: "We were technically outclassed. It’s our fault." ...

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has embarked on his inaugural overseas diplomatic mission, with stops in Doha and Rabat to advance Paris' strategic partnerships in the region. Following his appointment at Matignon, the new head of government chose the Gulf state as his first destination. Lecornu arrived in Qatar on Tuesday to convey France's official condolences after the passing of former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled from 1995 until his abdication in 2013. The visit was personally authorized by President Emmanuel Macron as a gesture of 'the profound friendship uniting our two nations.'

During the joint portfolio review held in Yaoundé on July 14, 2026, the Cameroonian government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) identified a significant financial risk: seven approved operations totaling 373.419 million units of account (approximately 292 billion FCFA) are now at risk of cancellation. The issue stems not from a lack of resources but from internal procedural delays that have stalled project implementation. It is crucial to note that these are not funds already disbursed that Cameroon would need to repay. Instead, these envelopes consist of loans and grants approved by the AfDB, but whose agreements were either not signed within the stipulated deadlines or for which no payments have been triggered despite legal formalization. Six of the cases fall into the first cate...

Cameroun launches bold initiative to curb illegal gold trade The government of Cameroun has intensified efforts to combat gold smuggling by convening a high-level meeting aimed at restructuring the gold sector and tightening oversight on precious metal exports. A pivotal working session took place on July 14, 2026, at the conference hall of the Ministry of Commerce, bringing together key officials from the mining, customs, tax, and treasury departments. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Professor Fuh Calistus Gentry, alongside senior representatives from the National Mining Corporation (SONAMINES) and the Permanent Secretariat of the National Gold and Precious Metals Regulatory Authority (SNPPK). Strengthening gold traceabili...

N'Djamena hosts pivotal African water summit amid critical regional challenges N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, is set to become the global focal point for water security discussions this week as it hosts the African Water Forum. Organized in collaboration with the Chadian government and the World Bank through its Water Forward initiative, the two-day event will bring together heads of state, finance and water ministers, agricultural and energy officials, alongside regional leaders, multilateral development banks, and private sector representatives. The summit, themed « From Vision to Action », aims to tackle pressing issues including water security, climate resilience, and universal access to clean drinking water. Participants will engage in high-level dialogues to finalize investment ro...