In Ivory Coast, talking smartphone boosts access in 16 local languages

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara granted an exclusive interview to FRANCE 24 and RFI ahead of an EU-African Union summit in Brussels. He criticised the planned departure of French and European troops from Mali, saying it "creates a void". Ouattara added that it was the responsibility of domestic African armies to "solve problems in their own countries.

Feminism – that’s still a taboo topic in many parts of society in South Sudan. With their radio show, Gendertalk211, a group of South Sudanese women are trying to raise awareness and talk openly about the issues affecting women in their community.

Baky Meïté is a former captain of the Ivory Coast rugby team. Back in the spring of 2020, he put his rugby career on hold to work as a janitor in a geriatric hospital in Paris. He has now published a book, "Les Chiffons Bleus", as a tribute to his former colleagues who appear somewhat forgotten today. He joined us for Perspective.

In an unexpected announcement, Prime Minister Patrick Achi and his Cabinet have tendered their resignation. The leader of Ivory Coast's government had held the job for a little over a year.

At the start of a U.N. conference on desertification in Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara has said the country wants to raise $1.5 bln to revive forests and land in the world's top cocoa producer.

The COP15 conference is meeting to address issues of land degradation, advancing deserts and deforestation. Experts and activists hope that this will not be just another high-level conference with no concrete results.

Much of the wildlife in Ivory Coast has become virtually extinct after decades of heavy deforestation. But a nature reserve nestled in the centre of the country is doing its best to restore the region's fauna. In just over 20 years, the N’zi River Park has managed to recreate an animal ecosystem, fight poaching and organise its own safaris. Our correspondents report.

After being definitively acquitted of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court last year, Charles Blé Goudé, the former right-hand man of ex-Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo, is expected to soon return to Ivory Coast after more than a decade in exile. On May 30, Blé Goudé received an Ivorian passport via the current president, Alassane Ouattara. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Blé Goudé discussed his upcoming return home, as well as his political ambitions.

Ivorian cashew processors face an uphill battle. Its bid to expand into processing faces competition from Asia. Also Mali's sanctioned but Senegal loses out. The economic interdependence between the nighbours has left Senegalese traders struggling to cope with the knock on effects of penalties imposed on Bamako. And Amidst Months of sometimes deadly protests against an army take over, young Sudanese have been finding respite from the in Khartoum's vibrant cultural scene.

Talking Europe’s summer look back: European decision-makers and debates from 2021-22

Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara met with his predecessors on Thursday (July 14) in what they said would be regular talks aimed at reconciliation.

Translation and language-learning giants like Google and DuoLingo are expanding language databases available online, in a push to widen representation and reduce bias in artificial intelligence systems. Residents in countries like Uganda where the native tongue Luganda is not taught in schools, say adding their languages to these platforms could be a game changer.