Cultural news: no boycott, but technical difficulties for African artists
In the world of culture and the arts, a controversy recently broke out following a directive issued by French cultural institutions. This directive called for an end to exchanges with artists from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Faced with this controversy, the French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, wanted to clarify the situation during an interview on RTL.
The minister first denied the existence of a boycott or reprisals against African artists. She explained that the decision to suspend collaborations with these countries was due to technical problems linked to the absence of an operational visa service. Indeed, these countries are currently led by military juntas, which raises security questions. It is therefore physically impossible to issue visas allowing artists to travel to France.
Rima Abdul Malak was keen to emphasize that there was no question of stopping exchanges with artists who already have valid visas and have tours or shows planned. She assured that France continued to welcome artists from the Sahel and that the country’s vocation was to help them shine in complete freedom.
Faced with the reaction of professionals in the sector, French President Emmanuel Macron also reaffirmed France’s commitment to welcoming artists and intellectuals from the Sahel. He underlined the importance of freedom of expression and the dissemination of culture in international influence.
In a statement, unions of artistic and cultural companies in France expressed their strong reaction to the directive and affirmed that it was essential to continue to support artists in danger.
It is therefore clear that the desire to interrupt exchanges with African artists is not a boycott, but rather an adaptation to existing security constraints. France remains committed to promoting culture and art, particularly for artists in danger.