Artistic exchanges between France and West African countries have sparked controversy since the announcement of a directive aimed at suspending these collaborations. The French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, intervened to clarify the situation and ensure that there was no boycott or reprisals against African artists.
In an interview on RTL, the minister explained that this directive was due to security reasons linked to the absence of an operational visa service in these countries ruled by military juntas. She specified that this materially prevented the issuance of visas to come to France. However, she stressed that there was no question of stopping interacting with artists and that those who already had visas for planned tours or shows could come as planned.
This clarification from the minister echoes the statements of President Emmanuel Macron, who affirmed that France would continue to welcome artists from the Sahel. He stressed that France’s vocation was to welcome artists and intellectuals and allow them to shine in complete freedom.
The directive in question sparked strong reactions from professionals in the cultural sector, who denounced this suspension of collaboration with African artists. The unions particularly criticized the threatening tone of the message received from the regional cultural directorates, written on the instructions of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
The Minister of Culture wanted to emphasize that France had always been there to welcome artists in danger and that it would continue to do so. She also justified this decision by qualifying it as an adaptation to an extremely degraded security context, which particularly targets French buildings and French teams in these countries.
It is essential to understand that this directive does not constitute a boycott or retaliation against African artists. It is rather the result of a complex situation linked to security constraints. France remains committed to supporting artistic and cultural exchanges with West African countries, ensuring the safety of French artists and teams.