Reporters

During her first term as German chancellor, Angela Merkel had to deal with the economic and financial crisis of 2008, which helped forge her image as a defender of Germany's interests and her fellow citizens' savings. But there would be more challenges to come: the migrant crisis in 2015, and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. How will German history remember this scientist by training, who grew up in what was then East Germany, who defied the odds to become Germany's first woman chancellor? As Merkel prepares to bow out after 16 years in power, our Berlin correspondents report on her legacy.

Ten months after the defeat of Armenian forces against Azerbaijan in the war for control of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia is seeing its border regions come under threat from Baku. According to Yerevan, hundreds of Azerbaijani soldiers have entered Armenian territory since mid-May 2021, particularly in the Syunik and Gegharkunik border provinces. The situation is sparking concern and even panic in Armenia, particularly in villages close to the frontier, where incidents are frequent. Our team on the ground reports.

The attacks of September 11, 2001 marked a turning point in history, one that continues to shape world affairs. Twenty years later, FRANCE 24 travelled to Afghanistan, Iraq, France, Sweden and Belgium to meet some of the key players, who try to explain how the attacks happened and why they had such a profound global impact on the past two decades.

From his Paris window, he saw the horror of the November 13, 2015 attacks and filmed the terror. Daniel Psenny, who was working as a journalist for French daily Le Monde, witnessed the attack on the Bataclan concert hall, in which 90 people were slaughtered by terrorists. With his mobile phone, Psenny, who lives just a few metres from the venue, filmed the only existing video of the Bataclan attack. FRANCE 24 brings you it as part of this special full-length animated documentary, ahead of next week's trial into the atrocities.

Three months after the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, life has resumed in Goma. But experts say locals aren’t out of the woods just yet and the threat to the city remains. Researchers, authorities and international partners are teaming up to try to prevent the eastern DR Congo city from disappearing under the lava. Our correspondents Clément Bonnerot and Juliette Dubois report.

After a decade-long absence, former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo returned to Ivory Coast on June 17, 2021. FRANCE 24's team was on board the flight carrying the former president. In this exclusive documentary, Gbagbo reflects on his political career and his acquittal by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Charles Emptaz and Olivier Jobard report.

In the spring of 2021, FRANCE 24 went on board the Ocean Viking, the migrant rescue ship of the European NGO SOS Méditerranée. Off the coast of Libya, we filmed both successful rescue missions and others that ended in tragedy, while observing how the authorities interacted with the vessel's staff.

In 1994, Rwanda plunged into a murderous frenzy. In just three months, more than 800,000 Rwandans, mostly from the Tutsi minority, were massacred by members of the Hutu majority. Some Hutus risked their lives to help Tutsis and most were executed because of it. But others lived to tell the tale. Who are these heroes? Why did they make this choice? How did they do it? In this documentary, we meet the men and women who showed humanity during the darkest hours of the genocide.

Out at sea, far from prying eyes, work on the unfinished Nord Stream 2 pipeline is in full swing, despite criticism from the international community and US sanctions. Russia and Germany want to complete the gas pipeline linking the two countries as soon as possible, but others are doing all they can to stop it happening. Environmental NGOs, Europe, Ukraine and the US are all set on preventing a project which is as much geopolitical as it is economic. Our correspondents in Russia, Germany and Ukraine report.

Whether they're disappointed in politics or reject the political class, millions of French people, especially the young, no longer want to vote. Political parties no longer arouse interest, while the traditional media are accused of participating in a failing democratic system. France's pre-pandemic Yellow Vest protests highlighted an unprecedented level of French mistrust in institutions and policies. With the abstention rate reaching record highs in recent regional elections, FRANCE 24's team went to meet members of the no-vote generation.