European Union

The finance ministry in Berlin swiftly responded that any "hostile takeover" of the systemically important bank would be "unacceptable"

"Drones, electronic warfare and rapid battlefield innovation are now central to national and economic security," Starmer said

L'artiste béninois OPA a remporté le Prix Découvertes RFI 2026.

Distinction pour l'artiste béninois OPA. Il est sacré lauréat du Prix Découvertes RFI 2026. C'est à l'issue du vote du public et du jury présidé par MC Solaar, OPA. De son vrai nom Tossou Paoli, l'artiste évolue dans un style afrobeat, soul et jazz. Il chante en fon, en français et en anglais. Le jury a salué ses qualités et la présentation de son personnage. Originaire de Bohicon, OPA est inspiré par les artistes Angélique Kidjo, Fela Kuti et le mythique groupe Poly-Rythmo.

Cela représente un aboutissement en ce sens que mon objectif a toujours été d'exporter la musique de mon pays (…). Cela me conforte réellement dans le travail que j'ai abattu durant toutes ces années avec mon équipe. Je remercie vraiment RFI pour cette occasion. Merci, infiniment », a-t-il confié.

OPA a été révélé au public avec son titre « Yelian ». Avec son single, « Che Che Che », il gagne le prix de Révélation de l'année aux Bénin Top 10 Awards 2024. Ce prix récompense son talent et son impact sur la scène musicale béninoise avec son premier EP intitulé « Goslow ». En 2025, il s'impose avec Afrocharm un EP de six titres. Il a été sur la scène du festival We Love Eya à Cotonou et sur l'événement End Of The Year du studio Hennessy à Douala fin 2025.

Cette consécration au Prix Découvertes RFI marque une nouvelle étape dans la carrière de OPA, qui s'impose progressivement comme l'une des voix montantes de la scène musicale béninoise et africaine.

A.A.A

Concept digital technology image with CCTV camera surveillance. Credit: ART STOCK CREATIVE / shutterstock.com Source: Institute of Development Studies, UK

By The Institute of Development Studies
BRIGHTON, UK, Mar 17 2026 (IPS)

A massive expansion of AI-enabled surveillance of public spaces across Africa is violating citizens’ freedoms and the fundamental human right to privacy, warns a new report by the Institute of Development Studies.

African governments are paying billions of dollars to Chinese companies for so-called ‘smart city’ products for public space surveillance – including AI-enabled CCTV and control centres – with at least US$2 billion spent to date by the 11 African countries studied in the report.

The researchers stress that these sophisticated mass surveillance products are being rolled out across Africa without the robust legal frameworks needed to protect human rights. They warn that this lack of protection, coupled with the increased capacity and scale of the smart city mass surveillance leaves government critics, such as the political opposition and independent journalists, at high risk of being tracked and targeted by the state.

The report cites concerns across each of the countries studied. For example, in Zimbabwe, specific groups and government critics fear that facial recognition technologies are used to target them. In Mozambique, research finds that the smart CCTV cameras have been deployed in locations where political opposition is concentrated.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest consumer of Chinese mass surveillance technology, with over US$470 million to date spent on facial recognition and automatic car number plate recognition (ANPR). Mauritius was the second largest buyer out of the 11 African countries studied, spending US$456m, and Kenya the third largest with a spend of US$219m on smart city surveillance technology.

The research reveals that while several countries, including Korea, Israel and the USA, supply public space surveillance technologies, the vast majority of the mass smart city surveillance products used across Africa are supplied and funded by Chinese companies.

Dr Tony Roberts, independent digital rights researcher and co-author of the report, says: “Our new research shows that the rapid growth of smart city surveillance in Africa is occurring without adequate legal regulation or oversight. Unregulated surveillance creates a chilling effect that inhibits the right to peaceful protest and reduces the freedom to speak truth to power and hold governments to account.”

“Digital surveillance of terrorists and the most serious criminals can be justified in the public interest, but installing thousands of smart CCTV cameras for the mass surveillance of all citizens – suspected of no crime – violates important human rights.”

The report details that mass surveillance of public space via smart city technology is being introduced across Africa under the pretence of preventing terrorism or crime, but the researchers found no compelling evidence that the imposing of smart surveillance has led to any reduction in terrorism or serious crime. They also found mass surveillance of public space using smart city technology being used even in countries like Zambia and Senegal that have no terrorist threat or serious crime challenges.

Wairagala Wakabi, Executive Director, CIPESA and co-author of the report, said: “These so-called ‘smart city’ surveillance products are anything but smart for those at risk of being tracked and targeted by them.

“This large scale and invasive AI-enabled surveillance of public spaces is not ‘legal, necessary or proportionate’ to the legitimate aim of providing security. Instead, history shows us that this is the latest tool used by governments to invade the privacy of citizens and stifle freedom of movement and expression.”

“The recording, analysing, and retaining of facial images of individuals in public spaces without their consent interferes with their right to privacy. We need governments to be fully transparent about their procurement and use of smart city technology and ensure that the impacts on human rights have been fully assessed and shared with the public.”

The report was authored by researchers from the African Digital Rights Network and provides the most comprehensive analysis of the use of ‘smart’ city technology in 11 African countries: Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Footnote:
At least US$2 billion expenditure on facial recognition and car tracking technologies in 11 countries. The real total is certainly higher because (1) surveillance spending is often secret; (2) no figures were available for two of the 11 countries studied; (3) the public accounts for the other nine countries were incomplete; and (4) this study included only 11 of Africa’s 55 countries.

The African Digital Rights Network is a network of 50 activists, analysts and academics from 20 African countries who are focused on the study of digital citizenship, surveillance and disinformation. It is convened by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). For further information visit www.africandigitalrightsnetwork.org

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) delivers world-class research, learning and teaching that transforms the knowledge, action and leadership needed for more equitable and sustainable development globally. IDS, in partnership with the University of Sussex, has been named best in the world for Development Studies in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 for the ninth year in a row.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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In today's edition: FAO, bioeconomy, milk price

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Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, addresses the opening of the Seventieth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 17 2026 (IPS)

The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) has brought together global leaders, gender equity advocates, and youth representatives at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters to advance efforts to strengthen mechanisms for justice, equality, and representation for women and girls worldwide. With challenges particularly pronounced in conflict zones, this year’s priority theme —“ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls — focuses on repealing discriminatory laws and addressing persistent structural barriers that prevent women and girls from being fully heard, represented, and treated equally.

At the opening of the session in March 9, the CSW adopted its Agreed Conclusions, which emphasized the need to improve access to justice for women and girls, following a week of spirited discussions among member states. During these discussions, several countries, including the United States, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, proposed objections in which they sought to modify language that strongly supported these reforms and to revisit provisions from previous agreements.

These efforts elicited significant pushback from other member states, who argued that such objections would undermine years of progress in gender equity reforms. The Chair of the CSW ultimately decided to preserve some core elements of previous agreements while incorporating progressive changes.

As the Commission convened to adopt the outcome, efforts to halt these changes were brought forward by the U.S., which argued that the provisions included “controversial” and “ideological” issues. These efforts ultimately failed, gaining votes from only the U.S. Other states, including Egypt and Nigeria, called for a delay in the voting process to allow time for continued negotiations.

“At a time of severe backlash on human rights and multilateralism, the adoption of Agreed Conclusions that safeguard long-standing gender equality standards is a powerful signal that global commitments still matter and that attempts to turn back the clock will not go unchallenged,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“While the loss of consensus is disappointing, a weakened text – or no outcome at all – would have sent an especially troubling signal to women and girls who continue to face barriers to access to justice, and multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. In a climate marked by widespread impunity, Amnesty reiterates its calls on states to step up resistance to attacks on gender justice,” added Callamard.

Women currently hold only about 64 percent of the legal rights afforded to men, with “discriminatory laws and patriarchal norms” continuing to impede progress towards justice. These disparities are particularly pronounced in conflict settings, where women and girls face heightened risks of violence, displacement, and exclusion from justice, opportunities, and decision-making.

“We meet at a time of multiple global crises, peace eludes us, and the world is extremely and increasingly fragmented. And gender inequality is compounded by the evils of war and conflict, from Afghanistan to Haiti, to Iran, Myanmar, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, and beyond,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous at the opening of the 70th session of the CSW. “When women and girls are denied justice, the damage goes far beyond any single case: it impacts the very fabric of our societies and good governance. Public trust erodes, institutions lose legitimacy, and the rule of law itself is weakened. A justice system that fails half the population cannot claim to uphold justice at all.”

Legal protections from discrimination and exploitation, and access to essential services are rapidly eroding, while female human rights defenders are increasingly under attack. Sexual and reproductive health rights are also being rolled back, and the UN has recorded an 87 percent increase in cases of conflict-related sexual violence over the past two years. Women and children in conflict zones continue to bear the heaviest burdens of violence and displacement. Currently, the number of women and girls living within 50 kilometers of deadly conflict is at its highest level in decades.

In commemoration of CSW70, IPS spoke with Anna, a 20 year-old Ukrainian activist and member of the UNICEF Global Girl Leaders Advisory Group. This initiative brings together 14 adolescent girl leaders from around the world who work to ensure that the perspectives of women and girls are represented in global decision-making, and present recommendations directly to the UNICEF Executive Board.

Anna was a teenager studying abroad when the conflict in Ukraine erupted, and was unable to return home to her family near the border. Since then, she has experienced significant challenges as a result of the war, compounded by limited access to essential services, such as education and psychosocial support, many of which have been disrupted or placed under strain by the war.

“When war begins, the changes in society are immediate and visible,” said Anna. “Frontlines move, cities are destroyed, and millions of people are forced to leave their homes. When many men go to the front, women often become the pillars holding communities together – running local initiatives, leading volunteer networks, managing businesses, and supporting families.”

Such shifts also bring structural struggles, as many women are forced to leave their homes and move with their children or elderly relatives. Such displacement can cause loneliness and uncertainty, Anna explained. While women take on more responsibility, inequality does not disappear. “Women still face salary gaps, stereotypes about leadership, and the expectation that they should both rebuild society and quietly carry the emotional labor of caring for everyone else. Stopping to fully process everything can feel impossible, because another responsibility, another task, or another crisis immediately takes its place.”

Anna speaking at a UNICEF-supported event dedicated to discussing the challenges and solutions for girls and young women in Ukraine who are not in education, employment or training. Credit: ISAR Ednannia /Serhii Piriev

In Ukraine today, roughly 32 percent of women aged 20-24 and nearly 49 percent of women aged 25-29 are left without access to education, employment, or training, compared to about 16.4 percent and 12.2 percent of men in the same age groups, respectively. In times of conflict, women are often the first to lose these opportunities and the last to regain them. Education for girls is often hardest-hit, as families are displaced and conflicts leave girls to take on added responsibilities to their families and support household incomes. Many are forced to drop out of school to keep their families afloat.

“My own educational journey has been deeply shaped by war. I was first displaced to Poland, and when I returned to Kharkiv for my senior year, continuing my studies was far from easy,” said Anna. “I consider myself incredibly privileged. I had a supportive family that believed in me and helped me keep going. But not every girl has that kind of support system – someone to catch her when she begins to fall behind.”

Additionally, the psychosocial strain of conflict and violence often leaves girls ill-equipped to engage in studies or training programs. With mechanisms for justice, healing, and empowerment for women and girls under attack, these challenges often go unheard, and impunity for sexual violence and abuse persists, leaving girls carrying significant amounts of trauma, anxiety, depression, and fear.

“Girls in crisis often carry a kind of psychological burden that is both invisible and personal – it is not only the direct exposure to violence, but the way war quietly settles into everyday life and into the body,” said Anna. “For many women and girls living near conflict zones, mental health is shaped by the constant proximity to violence. “You wake up, check the news, hear another siren, and feel what we call in Ukrainian a ‘ком в горлі’,’ or a lump in the throat.”

Sexual violence is particularly rampant near conflict zones, with Anna noting a persistent “climate of fear that reaches every woman who hears the story”. She added that many girls in Ukraine grow up with the knowledge that their bodies can become targets of violence. While girls are in school, studying for exams, or volunteering, many carry the awareness that women nearby have endured “unimaginable violence”.

According to a UN report, nearly 54 percent of surveyed countries reported having laws that do not correlate rape with the basis of consent, and roughly 75 percent of surveyed countries have laws that permit the forced marriage of a girl child. Additionally, 44 percent of countries lack laws that guarantee equal pay for women and girls. It is estimated that it could take 286 years to eliminate these gaps.

“The justice women and girls deserve, that is theirs by right, cannot wait. We must collectively pursue it, here at the United Nations, in our national laws and policies, in your court rooms and traditional justice mechanisms. In doing so, we must engage all of society, including men and boys and young people, to contribute to our collective effort for equality,” said Bahous.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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L'auditorium de l'Institut Français du Bénin à Cotonou a accueilli, lundi 16 mars 2026, la projection du film Annatto, une œuvre de la réalisatrice marocaine Fatima Ali Boubakdi. L'événement, organisé par l'Ambassade du Royaume du Maroc au Bénin, dans le cadre de la célébration du mois de la Francophonie, a réuni des ambassadeurs, des représentants d'organisations internationales et des invités venus célébrer la diversité culturelle portée par la Francophonie.

Pendant plus d'une heure trente, ‘'Annatto'' a entrainé le public dans un récit explorant les relations interculturelles, le racisme et la quête d'identité. Sorti en 2022, le film raconte l'histoire d'une femme sénégalaise mariée à un commerçant marocain. À travers ce couple, Annatto explore les réalités complexes des unions entre cultures différentes, les préjugés sociaux et les tensions identitaires qui peuvent émerger dans ces relations.

La projection du film s'inscrit dans la dynamique de promotion du dialogue interculturel et du vivre-ensemble, valeurs chères à la Francophonie. Elle a permis au public de découvrir une production cinématographique marocaine primée.

Dans son intervention, M. Mohammed El Yamani a, au nom de SEM. Rachid Rguibi, Ambassadeur de Sa Majesté le Roi au Bénin, rappelé l'engagement du Royaume en faveur de la promotion des valeurs de dialogue et d'entente entre les peuples. À l'occasion du mois de la Francophonie, poursuit-il, l'Ambassade a décidé de célébrer le cinéma marocain à travers la projection du film Annatto.

Cette œuvre de Fatima Ali Boubakdi s'est illustrée dans plusieurs festivals internationaux. Elle a notamment remporté le Grand Prix Écran d'Or au 25e Festival Écran Noir au Cameroun, le Prix du Président de la République au Sénégal, ainsi que plusieurs distinctions techniques, notamment pour la photographie, les costumes, le son et les décors.

La séance a été marquée par un hommage rendu au défunt Mohammed Ahed Bensouda, réalisateur marocain du film ‘'Les divorcés du Casablanca'', invité de l'édition 2025.

Des spectateurs touchés par un message universel

La Coordonnatrice résidente du Système des Nations Unies au Bénin, Aminatou Sar, de nationalité sénégalaise, a salué la portée symbolique de cette projection. « Non seulement c'est la célébration du Mois de la Francophonie, mais ça tombe aussi en plein mois de célébration de la Journée internationale des droits des femmes », a-t-elle confié.

Selon elle, l'histoire racontée dans le film fait écho à des réalités familiales et historiques liées à la ville sénégalaise de Saint-Louis, où les échanges culturels avec le Maroc sont anciens. Elle a insisté sur le rôle de la culture et du cinéma comme vecteurs de rapprochement entre les peuples.

« C'est un beau film qui nous rappelle combien de fois nos différences sont plus une richesse qu'une raison de faire la guerre, de se séparer. Je crois fermement à la puissance de la culture, de l'image et du cinéma pour continuer à faire la promotion du vivre ensemble, de la paix, et de la cohésion sociale », a-t-elle souligné.

D'autres spectateurs ont également salué une œuvre à la fois touchante et introspective. Pour eux, Annatto aborde avec sensibilité les questions d'identité, de métissage et de coexistence culturelle entre l'Afrique subsaharienne et le Maroc.
« Ce sont les réalités sociales, les préjugés et les défis auxquels sont confrontés les couples interculturels », a confié Ludovic B, metteur en scène.

« J'ai beaucoup apprécié le jeu des acteurs. Le film invite le spectateur à réfléchir sur la tolérance, l'acceptation de l'autre et la place de l'identité dans les relations humaines », a ajouté Anne Sophie, spectatrice.

À travers cette projection, le cinéma marocain s'est une nouvelle fois affirmé comme un puissant miroir des réalités sociales et un pont entre les cultures, rappelant que la Francophonie est aussi un espace de rencontres, de dialogue et de partage.

Akpédjé Ayosso

Chaque conflit révèle les rapports de force technologiques entre puissances militaires. Dans la confrontation actuelle entre l'Iran et l'alliance israélo-américaine, les opérations menées sur le terrain exposent indirectement les performances d'équipements fournis par Moscou et Pékin. Au-delà du théâtre moyen-oriental, c'est la crédibilité de ces armements sur le marché mondial qui se joue.

Une confrontation aux répercussions globales

L'escalade militaire entre l'Iran et Israël, dans laquelle les États-Unis jouent un rôle déterminant, dépasse largement le cadre d'un affrontement régional. Pour les analystes militaires, ce conflit constitue également un moment d'observation privilégié des capacités technologiques des différentes puissances impliquées, directement ou indirectement.

Depuis plusieurs années, l'Iran a cherché à moderniser son appareil militaire malgré les sanctions internationales qui limitent l'accès aux technologies occidentales. Pour contourner ces restrictions, Téhéran s'est tourné vers deux partenaires majeurs : la Russie et la Chine. Ces coopérations ont permis au pays d'acquérir ou de développer plusieurs systèmes d'armes destinés à renforcer sa défense aérienne et ses capacités de dissuasion.

Or, les opérations menées récemment par Israël mettent à l'épreuve une partie de cet arsenal.

Les défenses aériennes iraniennes sous pression

Au cœur de la stratégie de défense iranienne figurent les systèmes de défense sol-air, conçus pour protéger les infrastructures stratégiques du pays. Parmi eux, les batteries russes S‑300 constituent l'un des éléments les plus avancés dont dispose Téhéran.

Ces systèmes sont théoriquement capables de détecter et d'intercepter des avions ou des missiles à longue distance. Pourtant, plusieurs frappes israéliennes ont réussi à atteindre des cibles situées au cœur du territoire iranien.

Les analystes militaires expliquent ces succès par l'utilisation combinée de technologies avancées : drones de reconnaissance, missiles de précision, capacités de brouillage électronique et renseignements en temps réel. Dans ce type d'opération, l'objectif n'est pas seulement de détruire les défenses adverses, mais aussi de les saturer afin de désorganiser l'ensemble du dispositif.

La supériorité des architectures occidentales

Dans ce domaine, les forces israéliennes bénéficient d'une avance technologique notable, renforcée par leur coopération étroite avec les États-Unis. Les capacités de renseignement, de surveillance satellitaire et de coordination des frappes permettent d'identifier rapidement les vulnérabilités d'un dispositif de défense.

L'utilisation d'avions furtifs de dernière génération, comme les F‑35, constitue également un facteur déterminant. Conçus pour pénétrer les espaces aériens fortement défendus, ces appareils peuvent frapper des cibles stratégiques tout en réduisant les risques d'interception.

Un enjeu stratégique pour Moscou et Pékin

Au-delà de la confrontation militaire, la situation actuelle a également une dimension industrielle et stratégique. La Russie et la Chine comptent parmi les principaux exportateurs d'armements dans le monde.

Selon les données du Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), ces deux puissances fournissent une part importante des équipements militaires utilisés par de nombreux pays d'Afrique, du Moyen‑Orient et d'Asie.

Dans ce contexte, chaque conflit devient une vitrine technologique. Les performances observées sur le terrain influencent directement la perception de ces systèmes par les États acheteurs.

Une guerre observée par le Sud global

Les événements au Moyen‑Orient sont suivis avec attention par de nombreux gouvernements qui cherchent à moderniser leurs forces armées. Plusieurs pays du Sud ont choisi ces dernières années de diversifier leurs partenariats militaires en se tournant vers la Russie ou la Chine.

Les armements proposés par ces deux puissances présentent souvent un avantage financier et s'accompagnent de conditions politiques moins contraignantes que les équipements occidentaux.

Une compétition militaire mondiale

Dans un contexte de rivalité croissante entre grandes puissances, chaque guerre devient une démonstration de puissance technologique. Les systèmes d'armes sont testés dans des conditions réelles et leurs performances analysées par les états-majors du monde entier.

Pour les industriels de défense, l'enjeu est considérable : la crédibilité d'un équipement ne se construit pas seulement dans les salons d'armement, mais aussi sur les champs de bataille.

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