Culture

As the opening of Évala 2026 draws near, the city of Kara is gearing up to host one of the artistic highlights of the festivities. On July 16th, the Municipal Stadium will be the stage for the Grand Concert Immersion Évala 2026, an evening set to unite prominent figures from the Togolese music scene in a vibrant celebration where melodies, ancestral customs, and cultural identity beautifully intertwine. For an entire week, Kara is poised to transform into the vibrant heart of Togolese culture. While the renowned Évala initiatory wrestling remains the central pillar of this ancient celebration, music will also take a significant place with the organization of the Grand Concert Immersion Évala 2026, scheduled for July 16th, commencing at 5 PM at the Municipal Stadium. ...

Lomé — The Togolese private sector is sounding the alarm over mounting state debt, a financial crisis that is crippling local businesses and threatening economic stability. Despite government assurances, delays in payments owed to enterprises for completed contracts and services have reached a breaking point, creating a ripple effect across industries. Unpaid state debt paralyzes local businesses The Association of Large Togolese Enterprises (AGET) has highlighted the severity of the situation, reporting an estimated 1.7 trillion FCFA in unpaid state debt—over 60% of Togo’s total public debt. This financial burden disproportionately affects key sectors such as construction, public services, and energy distribution, where businesses struggle to sustain operations. Entrepreneurs report sev...

Hier, dans l'après-midi, les femmes du Rassemblement pour le Gabon (RPG) ont donné le ton de ce que devra être l'intensité des activités du parti. Elles se sont réunies pour traduire en actes les orientations du nouveau président de cette formation politique, Raphaël Edzang. Celui-ci, investi, le samedi 27 juin dernier, s'était longuement appesanti sur la dynamique à insuffler au parti pour lui redonner de l'allant. Il n'a pas fait mystère de sa volonté de remettre, prioritairement, tous les organes (conseils provinciaux, départementaux et d'arrondissement, etc.) sur les rails. Une restructuration qui constituera le premier défi à relever pour dynamiser le parti sur le long terme. Celui-ci a connu " quelques petits problèmes ", confesse-t-il, qui ont sérieusement atrophié son fonctionneme...

Pendant une journée, les 15 journalistes ont été formé·e·s sur des thèmes essentiels tels que l'évaluation des risques avant un reportage, les bonnes pratiques en situation de crise, la protection des données et des sources, ainsi que la gestion des traumatismes liés à certains reportages.Pour Yanick Bezang, coordinateur de la FIJ pour le projet Cameroun Média Plus, la sécurité des journalistes est devenue une composante essentielle du métier. " Les journalistes sont appelés à couvrir des conflits, des catastrophes naturelles, des manifestations ou des périodes de tensions politiques. Leur engagement à informer ne doit jamais se faire au prix de leur intégrité physique ou psychologique. Cette formation leur donne des outils concrets pour mieux anticiper les risques et exercer leur pro...

The military-led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have taken a decisive step that underscores a growing rift with global justice mechanisms. Following the example set by Niamey, Bamako and Ouagadougou have formally notified the United Nations of their intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the foundational treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Behind the curtain: sovereignty or immunity? For these regimes, the justification is crystal clear—or so they claim. The ICC, they argue, represents a neocolonial tool, a biased judicial system manipulated by Western powers to exert influence over African nations. Yet this narrative, though loudly proclaimed, serves a far more calculated purpose: to shield their leaders from accountability for grave crimes. The timing ...

As major continental summits approach, the diplomacy surrounding "blue gold" is intensifying across West Africa. The Palais de la Marina in Cotonou recently hosted a pivotal meeting between representatives from Chad and Benin, highlighting a shared commitment to making water resource management a central pillar of their development agendas. High-level diplomatic mission in Cotonou The Chadian Minister of State, Tahir Hamid Nguilin, was received for an official audience by the Beninese leader Romuald Wadagni. Serving as a special envoy carrying a personal message from the President of the Republic of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, the Chadian official outlined his nation's aspirations for the African continent. This visit is part of an extensive diplomatic tour initiated by N'Djamena to e...

Cut off from the rest of Mali by insecurity, the historic city of 333 saints endures an unprecedented ordeal. Deprived of electricity and running water due to a dry fuel shortage, Tombouctou highlights the logistical and security failure that punishes civilian populations first.In Tombouctou, the thermometer easily exceeds 40 degrees Celsius in the shade. Yet for several days, no fan has turned, no refrigerator has worked, and taps are desperately dry. The local thermal power plant, managed by the public company Énergie du Mali (EDM-SA), is completely at a standstill. Without fuel to power its generators, an entire city is plunged into technological void, dragging down the Société malienne de gestion de l’eau potable (Somagep) in its fall.This is no longer just an infrastructure crisis; it...

The railway mirage and the reality of mismanagementThe World Bank Group has just approved a staggering $200 million package to modernise Togo's transport infrastructure and revive its moribund railway network. Official statements trumpet this as a masterstroke, envisioning Togo transformed into an 'indispensable logistics hub' for the Sahel. But behind the technocratic gloss and the customary handshakes, a burning question emerges: how can a serious financial institution entrust such a strategic portfolio to a regime whose economic governance is notably opaque?By handing hundreds of millions to a state that struggles to demonstrate fiscal discipline, the World Bank risks funding yet another logistical illusion. The core of the project lies in a bold promise: rehabilitating the railway line...

For the capitals of the Sahel—Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey—the promise of a 'second independence' after ousting French forces and cutting ties with the West has soured dramatically. Four years after the first coups, populist rhetoric collides with a harsh reality: dependency has merely shifted masters, insecurity has exploded, and economies are suffocating.In 2022, public squares in these cities echoed with anti-French slogans. The forced departures of ambassadors and soldiers from Operation Barkhane were hailed as historic victories. Led by a pledge of total renewal, the military captains and generals in power assured that regained sovereignty would magically solve the terrorist equation. By 2026, the honeymoon is definitively over. The record of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) reve...

Anne-Claire Legendre made it clear from the outset during her press briefing at the French Institute in Casablanca on June 22: this marks her first official visit to Morocco in her role as president of the Arab World Institute (IMA). Morocco, a founding member of the IMA since 1982, stands out as a trusted partner with whom the institution has long collaborated to celebrate the Kingdom’s cultural richness and heritage. The visit unfolds against a backdrop of a packed Franco-Moroccan diplomatic agenda. During her meeting with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Legendre discussed the IMA’s role in bilateral relations, aligning with a scheduled meeting of the two governments in July 2026 and the preparations for King Mohammed VI’s return state visit to France. The IMA is determined to reinforc...

The return of Longuè Longuè to Yaoundé marks a significant moment, capturing public attention in Cameroon. This article presents a distinctive visual perspective on this noteworthy development. This compelling illustration is the work of Damien Glez, a renowned Franco-Burkinabè cartoonist and editorialist.The piece also touches upon the broader theme of France – Africa relations, reflecting its cultural and societal context within Africa. By Harouna Ousmane — Reporter

The headquarters of the African Capitals of Culture (CAC) was officially inaugurated on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Rabat, Morocco. The ceremony drew prominent figures from the worlds of culture and diplomacy. By Fati Seyni — Analyst