France Cancells Visa of Nigerian Activist Maïkoul Zodi, a Critic of Western Military Bases
The Nigerians activist Maïkoul Zodi had his French visa cancelled by the French authorities last Thursday. He is known for his criticism against the presence of Western military bases in Africa, especially the French ones.
According to activist Zodi, the French embassy sent him an email informing him of the cancellation of his visa on Thursday, October 20. He also told AFP that immediately after that day, he went to the embassy to ask for further details on his visa cancellation, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
“I inform you of the cancellation of your circulation visa […] valid from 03/05/2022 to 02/06/2023,” it was noted in the letter of visa cancellation sent to Zodi.
Talking to AFP on the issue, the Ambassador of France to the Republic of Niger, Sylvain Itte said that a visa is not a right and is generally granted to people who frequently travel to France for professional reasons, which is not the case for Maïkoul Zodi.
In addition, he told AFP that Maïkoul Zodi still had the right to submit a visa application if he plans to come to France or other countries in the Schengen area.
Activist Maïkoul Zodi is known for his harsh criticism of the presence of foreign military bases for the anti-jihadist war, particularly the French operation “Barkhane,” which previously was partially withdrawn in Niger after the same first withdrew from the neighbouring country of Mali.
He is also the coordinator of Tournons la page (TLP) in Niger, which brings together 242 organizations united in ten coalitions in Africa and one in Europe.
In June this year, during an interview for AFP, Zodi said that there is a need for French cooperation but that there is no desire for France to play a paternalistic role in the Sahel, which is a region in Africa.
According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), the decision to cancel Zodi’s visa comes a few days after the ban on entry and residence in France imposed on the Swiss-Cameroonian activist Nathalie Yamb, known for her very harsh criticism towards the French presence in Africa.
Previously, the French Immigration Service also rejected Moroccan rapper El Grande’s visa application, leaving him unable to perform at his concert scheduled for August 11, which was also part of France’s Semi en Sete Festival.
The Moroccan rapper’s European tour was cancelled due to France’s decision to halve the number of Schengen visas granted to Moroccans.
In response to this, through his Instagram social network, the rapper El Grande Toto expressed regret for this situation, writing that “having a visa today is like playing the lottery. It’s like a game of chance. It’s tiring me.”