The Interview

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said that African countries have said "loud and clear" that Israel won’t be an observer state at the African Union. He added that Arab-Israeli normalization is “a violation of Arab League decisions and resolutions”, and said that US President Joe Biden's administration and the international community need to advocate for a two-state solution to the conflict between the Palestinian Territories and Israel.

Salima Mukansanga, 33, became the first female referee to officiate a game at the Africa Cup of Nations when she oversaw the Zimbabwe-Guinea tie in this year's group stage. She sat down with FRANCE 24's James Vasina to tell us more about her journey and what her experience means for women in the male-dominated world of football.

FRANCE 24 spoke to Ramy Shaath, an Egyptian-Palestinian activist who spent two and half years in jail in Egypt on accusations of aiding a terrorist group. He was a member of several secular political groups and a co-founder of the pro-Palestinian BDS movement. Shaath, who was never formally charged, described the conditions of his arrest, detention and finally his release from jail on January 8. He claimed "arbitrary detentions and arrests" increasingly account for "the majority" of inmates in Egyptian prisons under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He also said he understood that he was expected to keep silent following his release and had already received threats.

Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi granted an interview to FRANCE 24. Earlier this month, peaceful protests against a hike in energy prices in Kazakhstan sparked a brutal crackdown, backed up by military support from Russian-led troops. The official death toll stands at 225, but human rights groups believe it to be much higher. Tileuberdi said the Kazakhstani authorities were ready to share "proof" with the international community that there were foreign terrorists among the "armed militants". So far, witnesses on the ground have not backed up this claim.

FRANCE 24 spoke to Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France. He insisted Beijing was prioritising "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, but said the Chinese authorities had "not ruled out the use of force" – not with the intention of targeting "the people of Taiwan", but rather to dissuade "separatists in Taiwan" and certain "foreign forces". The Chinese diplomat also said he was "sure"  there would be no mass surge in Covid-19 cases during the Winter Olympics, which open in Beijing on February 4.

Enes Kanter Freedom is a Turkish-born basketball player who is now a US citizen and plays for the Boston Celtics. He is also a human rights activist. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Freedom criticised billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk for opening a Tesla showroom in China's Xinjiang region, where the minority Uighurs are persecuted. He also accused Nike – the NBA's main sponsor – of "modern slavery" in China. Ahead of the Beijing Olympics, Freedom called on athletes to make their voices heard, saying the diplomatic boycott was "good but not enough".

FRANCE 24 spoke to Mahbouba Seraj, a leading women's rights activist in Afghanistan. She told us the Taliban have to "give in" on "red lines" such as women's access to education and work in order to "continue governing". With Afghanistan in dire need of financial assistance, Seraj said she was "angry at the whole world", especially US President Joe Biden. "You cannot let the people of this country die," she said in an emotional plea to the international community.

Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu granted an interview to FRANCE 24 from Taipei. He warned that the threat from China was "very serious" and that Taiwan needs to "be prepared" for possible Chinese military action, "whether it is an all-out invasion or a small skirmish with our military."

It has become a major preoccupation of many governments across the globe; how to build a productive diplomatic relationship with China. This particularly as tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to ratchet upwards with Beijing's Winter Olympic Games in February now facing an American diplomatic boycott. Annette Young talks to Canadian-Chinese journalist and author, Joanna Chiu, whose new book 'China Unbound' argues how democracies have effectively enabled Beijing's campaign to increase its global influence. She speaks about the diplomatic toolkit required to ensure a healthy and robust relationship with China.

French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly granted an interview to FRANCE 24 and RFI in Dakar, Senegal. Parly slammed a "disinformation campaign" aimed at creating "anti-French discourse" in Africa's Sahel region, as France reorganises its military presence there. The minister said she did not believe Russian Wagner Group mercenaries were in the Malian capital Bamako, but added that "that does not mean the current Malian authorities are not planning to bring them there". The arrival of Russian mercenaries in Mali would be "simply unacceptable", she said.