France Archives - Voice of the Cape

Niger says France amassing troops, equipment in ECOWAS states

Niger’s military has accused France of gathering forces and equipment in several West African countries with a view to launch a “military intervention” against Niamey. Colonel Amadou Abdramane, a spokesman for Niger’s coup leaders, made the claim on national television late on Saturday. He said France was continuing to deploy its forces in member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as “part of preparations for an […]

10 September 2023

Local

Cape Town Ulama Board lambaste abaya ban in France

Following the ban on abayas in France, the Cape Town Ulama Board has expressed their condemnation to the discriminatory move. According to a statement released by the authority body, the decision is a clear violation of religious freedom and undermines the values of inclusivity and tolerance. “The abaya is not only a religious garment but also a symbol of modesty and dignity for women. This ban not only infringe upon […]

9 September 2023

International

France abaya ban: Muslim schoolgirl sent home for wearing kimono

A Muslim girl in France became one the first to be excluded from school after a ban on wearing an abaya, a full-length robe worn by many Muslim women. The girl from the French city of Leon came to school dressed in a kimono, a long loose-fitting robe with wide sleeves, leading to objections from her headteacher, who interpreted it as a religious garment. Last month the French government announced a ban on the garment, […]

7 September 2023

International

France: Detained protesters challenge police accounts at quick court hearings

It was around 11pm when a frail young woman was led into one of the docks at the Nanterre criminal court in Paris. With her hands cuffed behind her back, Ines* desperately looked for relatives in the courtroom after spending two days in police custody. She nervously twisted and untwisted a bun of light-coloured hair, banned from wearing her hijab in court. "She's very afraid of going to prison," her […]

3 July 2023

International

France issues arrest warrant for Lebanon Central Bank chief for failing to attend legal hearing

French prosecutors have issued an international arrest warrant for Lebanon's Central Bank Governor, Riad Salameh, after he failed to appear at a court hearing amid a series of legal cases against him. According to the news agency, Reuters, which cited anonymous sources close to the case, Salameh failed to show up at a hearing in the French capital, Paris, where an investigative magistrate was reportedly set to indict him over charges […]

17 May 2023

International

After fleeing war, Syria refugees in France face hurdles integrating

Syrians who fled violence in their country and sought sanctuary in France are having a hard time integrating with locals, Anadolu News Agency reports. When the war in Syria began in 2011, French-Algerian journalist, Khaled Sid Mohand, was detained and imprisoned for 24 days while covering events in Damascus. He spoke to Anadolu about the conditions Syrian refugees face in France and the prejudice that migrants experience. According to Mohand, France denied the asylum requests […]

31 January 2023

International

France, Netherlands urge nationals to leave Iran

France and the Netherlands have urged their nationals to leave Iran and for others not to travel to the country, warning of political instability caused by the ongoing protests and the risks of arbitrary detention. According to the Dutch news agency ANP, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra yesterday called on all Dutch nationals in Iran to leave the country and advised against all travel there. France issued a similar warning yesterday, with its Foreign Ministry stating […]

9 October 2022

International

France: MPs sign draft resolution condemning Israel’s apartheid

Some 38 far-left French MPs have signed a draft resolution condemning Israel's "institutionalisation of an apartheid regime against Palestinian people," news agencies reported on Friday. The draft resolution was originally submitted on 13 July by Communist MP Jean-Paul Lecocq but stirred a public debate on Friday. Signatories include former presidential candidate Fabien Roussel and deputies from the France Proud radical left party, such as Adrien Katniss, Socialist Christine Pierce-Bonn and Aurelian […]

23 July 2022

International

France repatriates children and mothers from Syria refugee camp

INTERNATIONAL France has announced the repatriation of dozens of women and children linked to suspected Islamic State members from Syrian refugee camps. "France has today undertaken the return to the country of 35 French minors who were in camps in northeast Syria," the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "This operation also includes the return of 16 mothers from these same camps," it added, without specifying which […]

5 July 2022

France

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