The French army on Saturday said it killed 40 militants in Burkina Faso. According to a statement posted on Twitter, the militants were "neutralized" during a joint operation with Burkinabe armed forces. The statement went on to say that the armed "terrorist group" was responsible for two attacks in neighboring Benin.

Police in Paris have clashed with hundreds of protesters demonstrating against France's COVID restrictions. This came as so-called freedom convoys, inspired by similar demonstrations by truckers in Canada, reached the French capital.

German politicians and delegates from across the country reelected Frank-Walter Steinmeier to the largely ceremonial role of head of state.

To preserve and honour the legacy of South Africa's iconic leader, Nelson Mandela, his home, which was a symbol of his presidency and struggle against apartheid, has now been transformed into a luxury hotel.

Six months after the Taliban retook Afghanistan, FRANCE 24 spoke to former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, who remains in the country. Karzai strongly criticised the Biden administration's recent decision to unfreeze Afghan assets but divide the funds between aid to Afghanistan and victims of the 9/11 attacks, saying the funds "belong to the Afghan people". He also said he believed the Taliban would eventually allow girls to return to school, since doing so is "absolutely necessary for the well-being" of Afghanistan.

Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was sworn in three weeks after leading a coup that toppled the government. Observers and neighbors have remained concerned but reserved about the developments.

French actress Isabelle Huppert has appeared in over 120 films and was just awarded a Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival. FRANCE 24 film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Alison Sargent about Huppert's new film "Les Promesses", an involving and entertaining look at contemporary French politics. The thriller sees Huppert star alongside Reda Kateb as a mayor in suburban Paris forced to choose between personal ambition and loyalty to her working-class constituents.

France’s president hosting African and European allies before the announcement of a withdrawal from Mali. Relations have seriously soured with the junta in Bamako ever since a second coup in as many years and the cozying up of the military to Russia and the mercenaries of Wagner.

As Burkina Faso's military leader Paul-Henri Damiba was sworn in as president on Wednesday (February 16) local residents of the capital Ouagadougou said they want him to focus on security issues. Resident Simplice Bama said that the security situation had been deteriorating since 2015. "We continue to be attacked so I say to myself that this new president has a lot to do," he told Reuters.

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.

After French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France and its European partners are to begin a military withdrawal from Mali after more than nine years fighting a jihadist insurgency, FRANCE 24 speaks to Belgium's prime minister. Alexander De Croo calls the French-led pullout "unfortunate" and insists it is "important to not break any ties with Mali. We are very concerned about the political developments, but the moment you break ties, we don't have any influence anymore. It's important for the Sahel region to get stabilised."

There have been scenes of jubilation in Mali after France said it would begin to pull its troops out of the West African country. France has helped battle jihadi groups for nine years — until relations with Mali's military leaders turned sour.