the wellness work suspended operations in january 2020, and only resumed them this month. we are here to visit our feminine hong kong. i haven't seen them for 3 years, and i missed them. economists say the recovery for industries hit hard by the pandemic won't happen overnight. but there's reason for some optimism. this creating a confidence that when the mobility is that would be like retail sectors growing mall growing and also supporting the business that already has been 3 years. suffer from the pandemic. as people gathers as a steven, he's with their families many a hoping this year will be much better than the last. jessica washington 0 i so this is 0. these are the top stories and berlin. this coming on the increase

pressure to give to go ahead for the delivery of german made tanks to ukraine. it's being discussed at a meeting of e u foreign ministers in brussels. helen says it would like the consent of germany to send the tanks to a non native country, but was so says it will make its own decision. if berlin does not permit to move this company, most likely we will seek this approval from germany. but this is a secondary issue, even if we don't get such an approval in the end, we will give our thanks to looping anyway within a small coalition of countries, even if germany isn't in that coalition. a rushes for a minister like a level is in pretoria, ahead of joint military exercises between south africa, russia and china, next month, south africa or abstain during a you and vote last year, criticizing rushes invasion of ukraine. it says it remains neutral on the wall, but it's a long time trading partner of russia. brazil and argentina have signed agreements to boost trade during a visit by the brazilian president lewis and nancy lulu to silver. it is known as 1st trip abroad since returning to power. the 2 nations are discussing the creation

of a common currency. pecans, governments is working to restore electricity to millions of homes and businesses after a nation wide power outage. the energy minister blames of fault in the national grid. nearly 220000000 people have been affected. a judge in lebanon has resumed his investigation into the 2020 bay route port blast after a 13 month break. more than 200 people were killed when the chemical stockton a warehouse caught fire causing the explosion. the judge ordered the release of 5 people, but also announced charges against 8 others, including the chief of the state security agency. the chairman of a you case, conservative party says he will fully cooperate with an independent inquiry into his tax affairs at him as a how he is resisting cause to resign. after details of the multi $1000000.00 dispute emerge, prime minister wishes to neck had ordered an investigation. the opposition says it wants him to come clean about his knowledge of the matter on saturdays or how he

said he had settled the outstanding tax bill. the main suspects in a mass shooting in california has shot himself please say the gunman, open fire at a dance studio, killing at least 10 people or i or up to date with headlines here or not 0. we got more news coming up right after we visit inside story. we understand the differences and similarities of cultures across the world. so no matter what lucy. now does, all right. we'll bring ethan needs and current affairs. that matter to you. how does, in europe, france is ordered to withdraw its troops from another african countries this time, burkina faso sorts by the growing younger, behind the former colonial power of what does it mean for the fight against armed groups in west africa? this is inside story.

ah hello, welcome to the program. i'm adrian finnegan, burkina faso. this military government has given french troops one month to leave the country. that's according to state media, french forces, or in the west african nation, as part of a campaign to drive out fighters linked to iceland, al qaeda. the un estimates that thousands of people have been killed since 2015 of nearly 3000000 displaced by violence. that's when blamed on armed groups. demonstrations against the french soldiers presence had been held in the capital wagon to go. bob rango reports. ah, protested mckenneth patsy, have been demanding france withdraw its trips from their country. they say the former colonial power has failed to protect them from on grips. seed love, one day,

france was our partner. it was supposed to help us fight against terrorism. but since 2016 there has been no change. we think france doesn't deserve book and officers trust. now it's military. readers reportedly suspended the 2018 security a court with paris. they want fred trips to leave within a month. france has been decreasing its deployments across a for hail region and officially ended this operation because last year, at its height, more than $5000.00 french trips were stationed at lou region to fight grips allied to al qaeda. and i, so $400.00 french trips remaining became a facet, molly, and other former colony ordered french trips out last year. some analysts say burkina faso is blaming france for his own failure to do with an insurgency which led to, to military coups last year. france is the scapegoat folder in your present french

military presence as not prevented the progress of g and east forces. so does resentment of a population as it was in marie where even some, some demonstrators were complaining that france would be maybe, was a caprice of some of the surgeries groups gun as president has the keys, burkina faso of hiring the private russian army wagner group to crush armed fighters and this a hail region. marley, hyde, the mercenaries, last year, the u. s. u and and others accused the group of committing widespread human rights abuses. the promo of course, color bloom of france in, in, in any way what, what works or what the governments are saying is there, once they're willing to go to the prefer security partner violence and the west african nation has killed thousands of people and left to 1000000 people displaced this demonstrate as the demanding french forces go, but it's not clear how the military plans to reclaim 40 percent of the country

outside its control. barbara and i pass out to sarah. ah, well, let's discuss all of this with our guests. for today's program, we joined from ankara by a big way, a grey go who he saw in barbara's report. he's apollo. see an analyst for red development, re imagined and africa policy consultancy from paris were joined by near gully by gail co chair of the african security sector network and african affairs think tank . i'm from london. alex vine, this director of the africa program at chatham house. welcome to you all, and let's start with you a big way. what's going wrong in beacon of francis relationship with france and to what extent does it mirror what's happened in molly? yeah, i think one of the most important factor to recognize with regard to the relationship with friends on from

a group calling out with countries or countries in school. and that's where, like my li, booking up also on car fog, that there is a sewer divergence in terms of approaches to addressing the immediate issue, which is security on to a large extent that are played out in all of the countries where we're seeing in troops french troops, we drove from cow set and then by law last year, last year, i think well what, what do you mean by serious divergence? well, you, you only have to look at the fact that every coolant is content. of course we new friends with some partners. i've very much not condemned the schools. and also because when you look at a cause the media security policy approach is to align with, with it, with a different player. perfect. but now which is which is russia. so of course, in the context of you couldn't war on serials new grievance in between the west and

russia. it is a much on team cable to expect that france would want to collaborate with the government. then close the services of, of a rush missionaries, or work directly with, with the government of russia. ok, they've got a, is fresh or blaming france for its own failures in ridding the country of these armed groups. i definitely things as there is a need to have an historical stance on the current situation in fact, or in a book enough i. so there is a tradition off protection of southern t, which is coming from the late leader, thomas sancho ha. and even a president, which was others from last year on mac, hassan cavalry was very reluctant to any presents significant on the ground of sin

of booking affairs. so it's important to know also that though there are some saba, which she's made of special forces from friends as been active, much more outside of booking. if i so rises an owns the book and i be sowed. and what is happening today is that there has been a growing tendency all civil society organizations on the streets as well as off to be companion at large to be very critical towards a french african policy, a gun say when you go up and in malley. yeah, but it is important not to consider only is that it is what is happening to there is only the after men. okay. off does a russian presence in booking, maybe going to white? why the dissatisfaction with the presence of french troops and among civil society,

those in civil society. i mean that there's been an accusation that that france has been complicit with those that it's meant to be to be fighting. i mean, i was cretins to give to those allegations. absolutely. in fact, what happened is as the big over i soon back can, which was meant to fight terrorism. and in fact, to naturalize, eat, i've been completely failing from this prospect. and it's been a lot of surprise in the eyes of the african public opinion, as i definitely can not understand. the reason why such a modern and a technological army with lot, sofa or armament to deploy, as been absolutely unable to cope with a g. heidi insurgencies, and what happened is that there's been a growing a trouble in the public opinion and also not so floating, serene brilliant in france as having itself critique terrorism or in a,

in a western africa. and as a city gets rises and fight it and dis kind offer of for plot. terry's have met a lot of success among the senior society so called penetrate any organizations as well as more broadly in population at large or at the look good. pick up the point you were making there and, and put it to, to alex vines. in london, alex was, was france up to doing the job in the 1st place. were given them, but the limited number of troops that had put on the ground. it's not the u. s. it, it, but it doesn't have the resources to ploy to deploy thousands and thousands of troops . so the context is that throughout francophone west africa and particularly the saw hill that has been growing ambivalence amongst the populations about the relationship with france. this is nothing new. i saw it 20

years ago when i was working, even in a cook, deborah ivory coast and for the united nations, the, the insecurity. there was partly a response to the idea of from south freak neo colonialism. that france was to entwined into the politics and the economies of those countries so, so that, that's the context of what france has been and dealing with the front french and intervention initially in molly operation, savell was what was actually supported by african, some relatively successful. but you're absolutely right that the but con operation that took place subsequently, i did not deliver the security that molly ins and, and of as a right across the region we're hoping for. and i think that's the key to watch of the company in bettina with, with the booking up authorities, the jump to they're saying that the french special forces have a month to leave because in fact they haven't improved security, security is deteriorating. the big question though is what we'll replace it because

i'm not sure anybody else can provide security either to, to, to turn the situation that is ready. deteriorated it, but this, this was a region alex that the france once dominated, as you said, it's been, it's been gradually losing influence in recent years. i mean, why, why is that? how will will parents deal with that in, in the long term? is it just going to turn it back on the reach and do you think? no, i mean, president micron last year announced a reconfiguration of the french security posture in west africa. so it's a lot more focused on the coastal states. countries like a could debra ivory coast, it assumes a continued presence neija, and it looks at how it can compliment of our initiatives that are developing that driven by african nations them selves. so really that that was something called g 5

. so help with that hasn't been working very well and includes both molly and became a faster but also something now called the prior initiative, which also includes bochita. and so that's what i think france is now looking at of how it can multilateral eyes, through african partners in these initiatives to, to, to provide security. what is a very clear is a at the coastal state, some silva very worried about contagion into their own terror or trees or, or she had his groups if it created i've had to al qaeda. i still, and of course to have been attacks now in play in the north of the, in the north of benny. that the gun hands are very worried about contagion from looking of some kind of trucks pick up on that point and, and put it to a big weight. what, what does the removal of french troops from became far so mean for the security situation right across the region, given that they've already gone from molly to of course,

there's an immediate impact and it's in that too large extent, the book and looking at the military and the misery in nija one just in molly, we didn't have to step up, but i mean, let's be serious. the do not have the capacity that they have in the, the compet, the competence of abilities are going to deal with this problems. it doesn't mean that they cannot butte such capacity but and from the mead, immediate onset, i think they're going to put a lot of problems on that. also be a mind that it's under the $5000.00 troops. that's different. how did they bus? $15000.00 un peacekeeping force. what community support and all of this countries part of renew, smart, right. me new smart enough itself has not been able to even deliver only the objective of its monday. so i think the real problem, if you,

if you don't come to us, 16000, that is what 202-0000 forces on you come up. i mean, the man, i mean is about 21000 for instance. right? so it is a huge loss, but that is why it is we can put on to stress that the new security park. and i see that for me, russia is just not going to address this problems because russia cannot provide knitted this kill of in military support that it needed. what kind of quote it is most in control of 40 percent of his surgery, that is just one country. and i didn't see i don't see how it is possible for mr. contractors to be able to walk with the, with the army that is fully equipped. and that is that of course not, we're trained to be able to recover the searches initially if we need the period of time. we'll see that this cool joint other apropos. and so i think is going to be very, very challenging on they have to be very,

very careful because they won't be secreted by unless it con, which will cost you know, diplomatic cost and financial cause. that is why dentist, we more thinking we got to the choices of this book, much new girl. how much of a humiliation is this for france will withdrawal. a french troops from both became a facile and molly strengthen the armed groups operating in the region. will it create as, as ivory coast president has said, a security vacuum in the region. i seen such a as sir, just to explain by my colleague, we cannot considers as friends as met any difference on the ground, nor, or any other international partner. and it is also the case of for russian or private security company wagner, because we can see as, for instance, in my li as our been attacks, very close to about macro only a 50 and kilometers from forms. it was

a capital. so i not sure that it is from an nope irrational of point of views that there will be a lot are all 3rd consequences with the french retreat from booking affairs. so where we have to remember is that the special forces where only around $400.00 a people. so i think what is very important today is to realize that there is a need to develop a very different approach to these questions. including in terms of a political perspective to what is happening in the wall. so hell, and it is a fact an approach which has been developed presently by new year, which is both working with french troops. loo, having a very close relationship with the russia and church k in terms of the armament, but is also trying to develop dialogues with terrorist groups,

including these slamming states and other groups related to ida itself. let's turn our attention to the presence of, of russian mercenaries on the ground or in the region alex on. i'm gonna throw up a bunch of questions i do hear who's paying them and why, what's for mandate? what, what's the legal status of a, any better of bringing peace and security to the region than, than the french? well, the russian with a series wagner had been invited in they were invited in by the maryan. i renew my rated, allegedly through access to, to mineral resources. and he's also the allegation that the president of don and none of who for our do is made to about the involvement of wagner. if it is confirmed in booking a faster. and we've seen that elsewhere and they are

increasing and it looks as if wagner is being recognized as an exemplary force of the russian federation. the majority of wagner is obviously deployed now in, in, in, in occupied territories of ukraine fighting the ukrainians. i'm but there are, there is presence in africa. the track record of wagner in africa hasn't been spectacular by any means lately. abysmally failed in trying to provide security along the east african coast in the province of couple delgado in late 2019. they have provided a praetorian guard up situation of security for the, for the, for the foot, but for the presidency in the central african republic. and has both your other speakers have alluded to, they haven't provided improved security. i. and in molly and i'm very doubtful that

they're going to be able to do that also in bertina fafsa. in fact, i think what we'll see is server fragmentation in both molly and in between a fact. so of the military jumped us because of the end of the day, the driver is here, are about improved security. i'm. it's clear to me as your previous speaker said that the solution here is a product of military companies. but it is about finding dialogue and finding incentive settlements. what you have here, basically, ah, regimes based around a capital cities are where which of anchor increasingly got disenfranchised with the rest of their countries. and they like the big problems that molly and our booking officer increasingly have in that sheets of mice administrations that are just in control of the capital cities and are having great difficulty in providing security gone beyond them. a big way. why is russia currently says a better pasta, a partner in the region than france? what's in it for russia?

what's, what's it's strategy in the region. but i think russia definitely is a plain, private military diplomacy. it's a bit so big relationship with africa. countries. you have to look at it current eventually in africa, in the context, so its own global found it, right? we know, of course rochester to boost image on trying to reconnect beaut allies off the so possible from a partnership. so should i say i so little. so of course this is, this is part of its default on why is use try the yes jane. it was to speak right now. the national forum is davis with africa, for instance. right. and that's the 2nd 2nd visit in 9 months. so it shows that little focus on the radio was specifically when difficult in the countries in question from the french colonies. i think it is clear that one of the reasons why

it didn't go this is june, does government, in the case of a car prefer russia, is the fact that russia can provide regime security. that region security has to be understood as a very, very small solution. to it when a very large problem because this country don't have way more than we can security problem to have much less security issues that need to address. and therein lies the not, but really isn't it never got a it, it list regime security. i mean, inviting mercenaries in to provide security. the threats, the u. n. job, isn't it, we're going, what are the implications of all of this for the un and it's peacekeepers who are on the ground there. so i'm not sure such as the situation or we can a see in the central african republic where indeed wagner's troops are protecting the governments is exactly the same in melee. in melee,

you cannot see armed troops or contractors from a wagner in the capitals are mentally deployed in the central part of the country around democracy ended once or circles. so ender in looking at as regards their relations with the as u. n. a. in as the central african republic. yes, it says that there has been a kind of collaboration initially, but it is definitely not the case or inner in marie or in working for so you do not have any u. n. a deployment. but what is happening in melee and which is also very likely to have happen in booking if i so is a rule of self defense malicious which has been a growing in terms of importance. and we can see that in melina central malley.

wagner's troops together with the 1000000 military are closely cooperating with those local munitions and one of the option which is presently developed by the military governments in booking. if i so is presently to support and a 2 ers strengthen those kind of forces. so we can see a new kind of agreement between troops from russia and does local minish camps. i'm sorry to, to, to cut you off with talk. time is against us here. i want to put one more question to alex and we haven't really talked about the groups operating on the ground or alex da while these on group so focused right now on the cell region and wisely us in particular, interested in tracing them out like it did in iraq and syria. so the u. s. has been involved in the south. hell, anita, trained up mila trees or in the region. an american have stage, cuz i'm, i'm so late in the u. s. right. but it's not, not,

not to the extent that it has in, in iraq and syria, for instance, not a day and not, not to that extent. it also has a footprint still in asia. there is a driving facility that but that room. but the main point is that the united states, i had hoped that he could sub to sub contract the majority of responsibility for foot for chasing. he had his groups to take to the tent, to european partners. seeing this is european net, they're abroad. so that's france. but it's also of a states like likes plain. i'm italy and others i and washington, i think his discipline pointed that france is on the but back for that is my understanding of the way the washington is looking at this. and they still provide intelligence. teach it to france and, and of, of a western part. okay. there we're gonna have to end it many. thanks and aid to we're all of you a big way away. go niggley, buggy, alco and alex vine set. thanks for being with us here on inside story, as always,

thank you for watching. don't forget you can see the program. i get it any time by going to the website of al jazeera dot com for further discussion. join us at facebook on facebook dot com forward slash ha inside story. and of course the conversation will continue on twitter handle at ha, inside story from me, adrian finnegan on the team here. and so how, thanks for being with us will see again, ah, ah, i all of latin america for most of my career, but no country is alike,

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