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Business Insider
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
France faces colonial-era accusations as Equatorial Guinea challenges asset seizure
Tensions between France and Equatorial Guinea have intensified as the Central African nation accuses Paris of breaching international law and undermining its sovereignty. Equatorial Guinea criticizes France over seized assets linked to claims of corruption. The seizure involves luxury assets of Vice President Teodoro Obiang Mangue, accused of embezzlement. Equatorial Guinea challenges France's actions as violating sovereignty and files a petition with the ICJ. The controversy surrounds allegations that France is unfairly holding onto assets seized from the nation's Vice President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, based on corruption charges. Equatorial Guinea claims the assets rightfully belong to the state and should be returned, and it has filed an urgent petition at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing France of violating its sovereignty, as reported by Radio France Internationale The disputed residence, which features a private cinema, a hammam, and marble fittings with gold taps, was confiscated under French legislation targeting wealth illicitly acquired by foreign leaders. ' France's approach can be described as paternalistic and even neo-colonial, ' said Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, Equatorial Guinea's ambassador to France. ' We cannot accept such disregard for our sovereignty... we simply cannot accept it,' he added. The backstory The dispute centers on a long-running corruption case in which French courts found Obiang guilty of embezzling public funds to acquire luxury properties. Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Vice President of Equatorial Guinea and son of the country's long-time president, received a three-year suspended prison sentence and a €30 million fine in 2017. French authorities also seized several assets, including a €100 million mansion near the Arc de Triomphe. After the sentencing and asset confiscation, the British government also sanctioned Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue. Then–Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab accused him of engaging in ' corrupt contracting arrangements and soliciting bribes, to fund a lavish lifestyle inconsistent with his official salary as a government minister.' Equatorial Guinea later claimed the mansion was part of its diplomatic mission, accusing France of violating the Vienna Convention. But the court sided with France, ruling the property served no diplomatic purpose and belonged to Obiang personally. In a fresh filing to the ICJ, Equatorial Guinea alleges French police recently re-entered the building and changed its locks. The country is demanding ' immediate, full and unrestricted access ' to the site. Under new French legislation, seized assets are to be sold, with proceeds intended to be returned to Equatorial Guinea rather than absorbed by the French state. However, the Equatorial Guinean government has expressed skepticism, accusing France of harboring ulterior motives regarding how the funds will be used after the sale. ' France still does not seem to understand that we Africans will no longer tolerate interference in our domestic affairs, ' said Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, Equatorial Guinea's legal representative. ' It is now evident that France intends to sell the property and to unilaterally determine how the proceeds will be used.' In response, Diego Colas, legal adviser to France's foreign ministry, argued the case is ' clearly without merit. ' Speaking further, he said any potential sale was 'a long way off' and that the authorities' recent visit to the property was merely a 'fact-finding mission ' to assess its condition.
News18
26-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Given Power Of These Bombs': IAEA Chief Says Iran's Uranium Centrifuges Disable After US Strikes
Last Updated: Grossi said the damage was a result of the United States dropping 'bunker busters' on key Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities last week The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, on Thursday said that Iran's uranium-enriching centrifuges are likely 'no longer operational" following US airstrikes. Grossi said the damage was a result of the United States dropping 'bunker busters' on key Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities. Last week, American B-2 stealth bombers struck two of the sites using GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, while a guided missile submarine launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at the third facility. 'We can't fully assess, and no one can say exactly what the extent of the damage is. But we already know that, given the power of those weapons and the technical characteristics of a centrifuge, we know that these centrifuges are no longer operational," Grossi told French broadcaster, Radio France Internationale. 'These are machines with delicate positioning—there are rotors, there are parts—so the damage must have been total," he added. The UN nuclear chief also said that Iran's nuclear programme had suffered 'enormous damage," although he stopped short of backing US President Donald Trump's claim that Iran's nuclear sites had been 'obliterated." 'I think annihilated is too much," he said. 'The attacks resulted in significant physical damage to Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, where Iran concentrated most activities related to uranium enrichment and conversion." Grossi noted that while these three sites had taken major hits, 'there are other nuclear sites in Iran that were not affected." He added, 'I know there are many assessments (the reference was to Trump's claim) but to what degree there is annihilation or total destruction, I can only tell you… there is very considerable damage." The military campaign comes after Israel launched an unprecedented air assault on June 13, targeting Iranian nuclear sites, key scientists, and senior military leaders. Israel's goal, reportedly, is to halt what it views as Iran's progress towards building nuclear weapons—though Tehran continues to insist its programme is for peaceful, civilian purposes. US President Donald Trump had spent weeks trying to negotiate a new nuclear agreement with Tehran after withdrawing from the earlier deal during his first term in 2018. However, he eventually chose to authorise military action. The US operation was extensive, involving more than 125 aircraft, including stealth bombers, fighter jets, aerial refuelling tankers, and a guided missile submarine. (With inputs from agencies) Location : Paris, France First Published:
NDTV
26-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
'Iran Can't Enrich Uranium At Fordow Plant, But...': Nuclear Watchdog Chief
New Delhi: Iran had earlier offered limited cooperation and no transparency to teams monitoring its nuclear programme, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said Thursday, days after the United States dropped ' bunker busters ' on three Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities. "They were cooperating... but it was limited. There were many questions Iran was not adequately answering. Traces of uranium were found in places where none should have been found and their answers were technically not credible. There was no transparency," Mr Grossi said. The strike followed a military conflict over Israel's claims Iran was on the verge of nuclear weapons. The US - which had been in talks with Iran over a new nuclear safeguards deal - dropped the 'bunker busters' after it became apparent Israel's missiles could not reach Iran's Fordow enrichment facility that is built hundreds of metres beneath a mountain. Asked if Iran was, in fact, close to making a nuclear weapon - a claim made by US President Donald Trump but disputed by American intel - Mr Grossi acknowledged Iran had the material and tech to make maybe 10, and said, "... we cannot say Iran did not have nuclear weapons." 'Iran's Centrifuges Offline' But what he did say was the centrifuges at Fordow were most likely "no longer operational" and that Iran's nuclear programme suffered "enormous damage" as a result of the GBU-37 bombs. Explained | Uranium Enrichment And How It's Used For Nuclear Bombs A centrifuge is a precision machine that uses rotational force to separate substances of different densities. It is essential for the production of enriched uranium. Iran Nuclear Plants Destroyed? However, the IAEA chief steered clear of US President Donald Trump's claim - that Iran's nuclear sites had been "obliterated" - suggesting instead its capabilities had been "reduced". "I think annihilated is too much. ... the attacks resulted in significant physical damage to Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo(w), where Iran concentrated most activities related to uranium enrichment and conversion," he said on a Radio France Internationale show this morning. "There are other nuclear sites in Iran that were not affected. I know there are many assessments (the reference was to Trump's claim) but to what degree there is annihilation or total destruction, I can only tell you... there is very considerable damage." One of the three Iran nuclear facilities bombed by the US on June 23. Mr Grossi also acknowledged damage assesments based only on satellite imagery is difficult, and called on Tehran to grant IAEA inspectors immediate access to all three nuclear facilties. "Obviously, we can't assess the (full extent) of damage but given the power of these bombs and the technical characteristics of a centrifuge, we know these are no longer operational... because they are fairly precise machines; the vibrations completely destroyed them." 400kg Enriched Uranium 'Missing'? On Tuesday, a day after the US' strike, there were reports a 400kg stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, just below the threshold to make a nuclear wepaon - had gone 'missing'. There were also reports Iran coverly moved the uranium to another underground location days before the US bomb strike, a claim also made by Israeli officials to The New York Times. In fact, satellite images from before the strike showed a line of 16 trucks outside Fordow. Post-attack images showed damage to all three but the trucks were missing. Hours later sources close to Supreme Leader Ayotallah Ali Khamenei told news agency AFP 'the game is not over', and that Iran had no intention of meekly surrendering its nuclear programme. Mr Grossi, whose agency inspected the uranium hours before the attack, confirmed the amount was actually 408kg and that Iran authorities told him they would take "protective measures". Iran To Suspend IAEA Cooperation? Meanwhile, in a worrying development Wednesday, Iran's parliament approved a bill to suspend IAEA cooperation. The bill, which the unelected Guardian Council must approve to become law, says future inspections need Supreme National Security Council clearance. Tehran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons, but has complained an IAEA resolution this month declaring it in breach of non-proliferation obligations prompted Israel's attacks.
Libya Observer
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Libya Observer
RFI: Libya's Al-Khadim airbase has become hub for Russian arms transfers to the Sahel
Radio France Internationale (RFI) has revealed in an in-depth investigation that Russia has increasingly relied on the Al-Khadim airbase, located east of Benghazi, to reinforce its military presence in the African Sahel region. This shift comes after Moscow's influence in Syria waned following the ousting of Bashar Al-Assad's regime in late 2024. According to RFI's investigative unit, a large Russian Antonov-124 cargo plane was tracked departing from Syria's Hmeimim Airbase on May 16, 2025, and landing at Libya's Al-Khadim base. The flight is reportedly part of a broader pattern of recently observed air routes between Syria and Libya, forming what appears to be a new Russian air bridge to Africa. The aircraft, identified with the registration RA-82030 and operated by the 224th Flight Unit of the Russian Ministry of Defense, continued its journey to Sahel destinations, including Bamako, Mali, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, before returning to Russia. While the exact nature of the cargo remains unconfirmed, the aircraft's size and capacity suggest the transport of heavy equipment, such as armored vehicles or air defense systems. US satellite imaging company Maxar confirmed the plane's presence on the runway at Al-Khadim on May 18. The investigation also featured reports and videos published on Telegram channels affiliated with the Wagner Group and the Kremlin's Africa Corps, showing the unloading of military cargo at Al-Khadim, including heavy weaponry and vehicles resembling those previously used by Russian forces in Syria. According to Lou Osborn, an expert with the monitoring group All Eyes on Wagner, these movements highlight growing military and political ties between Moscow and the eastern Libyan leadership under Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Osborn notes that Russia is expanding its footprint in North Africa while simultaneously opening diplomatic channels with Tripoli and intensifying its engagement in Algeria and Tunisia.
Indian Express
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Togo suspends French state-owned broadcasters RFI, France 24 for alleged biased reporting
Togo has suspended broadcasts by two French state-owned networks for three months for an alleged lack of impartiality in their reporting, a government agency in the West African nation said Monday. Radio France Internationale, or RFI, and France 24, are the networks being suspended. 'This measure follows repeated failings, already reported and formally recalled, in matters of impartiality, rigor, and fact-checking,' according to a statement from the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication. 'Several recent broadcasts have relayed inaccurate, biased, and even contrary to established facts, undermining the stability of republican institutions and the country's image,' it said. 'Freedom of the press cannot be synonymous with disinformation or interference.' The agency didn't provide any details on what reporting by the French networks led to the decision. The move to censor foreign media outlets comes as President Faure Gnassingbe faces increasing pressure from critics over recent changes in the constitution that could effectively keep him in power indefinitely. Critics have called the changes a constitutional coup. Fabrice Petchez, chair of the Togolese Media Observatory told The Associated Press that while he understood the ruling, 'we do not support the decision. We hope steps will be taken to quickly restore these media operations in the country.' 'But since early June, tensions have been rising, particularly on social media.' he continued. 'I do hope, however, that a dialogue can be opened between the media concerned and the authorities.' Protests are scheduled for next week following a crackdown on protests earlier this month. Demonstrations are rare in Togo, because they have been banned in the country since 2022 following a deadly attack at Lome's main market. But the latest change in government structure has been widely criticised in a region threatened by rampant coups and other threats to democracy.
