00:06The Africa Forward Summit opens in Kenya, co-chaired by the French and Kenyan Presidents.
00:18In Madagascar, the electoral calendar is taking shape, with presidential elections scheduled for October 2027.
00:30The 2026 World Cup is due to take place in a month's time, but the tournament is causing concern over
00:36ticket prices and international tensions.
00:41Welcome to Africa News Today.
00:43The Africa Forward Summit opened on Monday in Nairobi, Kenya.
00:47This is the first Africa-France Summit to be held in an English-speaking country.
00:51It is co-chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron,
00:57who is championing European engagement in the face of China's strategy on the continent.
01:03French President Emmanuel Macron has defended Europe's role in Africa during a two-day economic summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
01:11In interviews with China Frick and the Africa Report,
01:15Macron said Europe supports international law, open trade and multilateral cooperation,
01:21contrasting it with what he described as China's predatory approach to Africa's critical mineral and rare earth resources.
01:29The French leader acknowledged the impact of colonialism, saying he strongly condemned it when he took office in 2017.
01:38But he also argued that African governments must take responsibility for governance challenges since independence.
01:45Macron's visit comes as France seeks to rebuild ties with African nations after strained relations and military withdrawals from Mali,
01:54Burkina Faso and Niger,
01:56following coups between 2020 and 2023.
02:00Defending France's former military presence in the Sahel,
02:03Macron said French troops had been deployed at the request of the local governments to combat jihadist threats
02:10and left when their presence was no longer wanted.
02:16Madagascar's Independent National Electoral Commission has unveiled the broad outlines of the electoral calendar.
02:22A constitutional referendum on the establishment of the Fifth Republic is scheduled for June next year.
02:32Madagascar's political transition is entering a critical new phase.
02:36The Independent Electoral Commission has unveiled a timeline for key votes,
02:40with a constitutional referendum set for June 2027,
02:44and presidential elections to follow in October.
02:48The first major step begins next month,
02:50a nationwide overhaul of the voter registry,
02:54a process already drawing intense scrutiny after months of controversy surrounding the CENI,
03:00despite the recent replacement of several members.
03:02The stakes are high in the country still reading from last year's political upheaval.
03:08Colonel Michael Nandirina took power after deadly youth-led protests erupted over chronic water and electricity shortages.
03:16Nandirina rejects accusations of a coup insisting power was legally handed to him by the Constitutional Court.
03:22He had promised a two-year political transition under a roadmap unveiled in February.
03:32In France, the Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred is back in court,
03:35this time behind closed doors over a rape allegation near Saint-Tropez.
03:40He had previously been sentenced to six years in prison in another sexual abuse case in 2023 by the Paris
03:46Assize Court.
03:48Accompanied by his wife, Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred arrived at a court in southern France on Monday to stand trial.
03:56Lamjarred is accused of the 2018 rape of a barmaid in Saint-Tropez, charges he denies.
04:03According to prosecutors, the 41-year-old singer, a star in Morocco in the Arab world,
04:09attacked the woman after meeting her at a nightclub.
04:12His accuser says she agreed to have a drink with him at his hotel bar, but that he led her
04:18directly to his bedroom,
04:20where he forced her onto the bed and raped her while holding her wrists.
04:24Lamjarred says the encounter was consensual.
04:27This isn't the first time the singer has faced charges of sexual assault.
04:32In 2010, he was accused of beating and raping a woman in New York,
04:36but charges were dropped after he reached a financial settlement with his accuser.
04:40In 2017, a French-Moroccan woman withdrew a complaint against him,
04:45reportedly under pressure from her own family.
04:48A third charge from 2016 led to his being sentenced to six years in prison.
04:54An appeal trial is due to take place in September.
04:59In Somalia, security forces cracked down on an opposition demonstration,
05:04leaving at least one person dead, according to the march organizers and witnesses.
05:08In the capital, Mogadishu, the protests took place at around ten locations across the city,
05:13under the slogan, solidarity with the people.
05:17One person was killed in Mogadishu after Somali security forces opened fire to break up an anti-government protest on
05:25Sunday.
05:26The demonstration, organized by opposition leaders,
05:30aimed to support residents displaced by recent government-led evictions across the capital.
05:37Only five days remained before his term expires, yet he displaced and oppressed the people.
05:42All opposition members were blocked inside their homes.
05:45We have already been displaced and now we are vulnerable to the rains after our houses were destroyed.
05:53We are told that our land would be confiscated if we did not pay 30,000 US dollars and that
05:59our house would be destroyed.
06:01We are the rightful owners of the land.
06:03If Hassan Sheikh took office through false promises, his tenure has ended.
06:08Thanks to Allah, if he is a true Muslim, he should leave office.
06:12The government later accused the opposition of trying to destabilize the capital with armed groups,
06:17a claim, protest organizers strongly rejected.
06:20He destroyed everything he could and caused us great suffering.
06:24He should resign.
06:26The violence comes as Somali faces mounting political uncertainty,
06:30with Mohamud's term officially ending in five days.
06:36The FIFA World Cup is fast approaching.
06:39It will take place from the 11th of June to the 19th of July
06:42and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
06:46This World Cup has given rise to numerous concerns,
06:50ranging from high ticket prices to security issues and international tensions.
06:58One month before the beginning of the much-anticipated FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada,
07:04several teams are now preparing for the tournament,
07:07with 48 teams set to descend in various cities and countries
07:11for the first-ever World Cup hosted by three countries.
07:14This year's competition is nevertheless surrounded by controversy,
07:18ranging from ticket prices, accommodation, politics and the war in Iran.
07:23High ticket prices have led to protests from many football federations,
07:27with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino scrambling to amend the public relations of the organization.
07:32The most expensive ticket for the 2026 tournament cost over $32,970, compared to $1,600 in 2022.
07:42Some have termed this as extortionate.
07:45FIFA has reported more than 500 million ticket requests,
07:49compared to 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
07:54Some have also complained of high accommodation and transport prices and visa restrictions.
08:00Trump's crackdown on immigration demonstrations and press freedom have also raised concerns.
08:12And as we do every week on Africa News Today, here are a few dates to note.
08:17On Tuesday, 12 May, the Ugandan president will be sworn in.
08:22Yaweri Museveni will take the oath of office for a seventh term as head of state,
08:27following his victory in the elections on January 15th against his main opponent, Bobby Wine.
08:36From 12th to 14th May, the Africa's Travel Indaba 2026 Trade Fair will take place in Durban, South Africa.
08:46This B2B event is regarded as a strategic hub,
08:50where decision makers and tourism professionals from around the world
08:54come together to forge partnerships for the future.
08:59From 13th to 17th May, Senegal is hosting the 34th St. Louis Jazz Festival.
09:05It is one of the most iconic music festivals on the African continent.
09:10This year's festival is embracing new voices with contemporary jazz, Afrobeat, Sahel Blues and Atlantic Fusion.
09:21From 12th to 23rd May, the 79th Cannes Film Festival takes place in the south of France.
09:27Film industry professionals, international stars and up-and-coming actors mingle with the crowds.
09:32The Cannes Film Festival has been celebrating cinema for over 77 years.
09:38This year, at least three African films are on the programme.
09:44That's all for Africa News Today.
09:46See you next week for the next edition.
09:48For further information, stay tuned to africanews and africanews.com.
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