Title: The French Minister of Culture assures that there is no boycott of African artists
Introduction:
The French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, recently faced controversy following a directive addressed to cultural institutions, requesting their suspension of all exchanges with artists from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Faced with these accusations of boycott and reprisals, the minister assured that there was no such act against African artists. She stressed that the situation was due to technical difficulties regarding the absence of an operational visa service in these countries, ruled by military juntas. In this article, we will take a closer look at the minister’s statements and clarify the situation.
The security and technical context:
Rima Abdul Malak explained that the directive to suspend exchanges with African artists was not motivated by a boycott, but rather by security reasons and technical constraints. Indeed, the countries concerned are currently ruled by military juntas, which makes it difficult to establish an operational visa service. The minister stressed that this was a temporary measure, until the security situation improves and conditions allow the issuance of visas for artists wishing to go to France.
Artists already scheduled are not impacted:
Despite this directive, the minister wanted to reassure artists who had already obtained their visa and who had tours or shows planned in France. She affirmed that they would be allowed to come as planned, thus emphasizing that exchanges and collaboration with African artists are not interrupted.
The position of the French president:
French President Emmanuel Macron also confirmed that France would continue to welcome African artists. He stressed that France’s vocation was to welcome artists and intellectuals, and to support them in their influence in complete freedom. These declarations reinforce the country’s desire to maintain dialogue and cultural exchanges with African countries despite the difficulties encountered.
Conclusion:
The controversy surrounding the directive requesting the suspension of exchanges with African artists from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso has sparked numerous reactions. The Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, insisted that this was not a boycott or retaliation, but rather a temporary measure linked to technical constraints and the security context. She also stressed that artists already scheduled in France would not be impacted. These declarations, supported by those of the French president, show the desire to maintain cultural exchanges with African countries despite current difficulties.