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Tag: BAMAKO

  • Colonial reparations documentary premieres in Bamako

    Colonial reparations documentary premieres in Bamako

    A documentary advocating reparative justice for Africa’s colonial past has premiered in Bamako, Mali, drawing political leaders, academics, and cultural figures to its unveiling.

    The film, titled Reparations: The Colonial Debt, is directed by award-winning Malian filmmaker and researcher, Ibrahima Sow, under the Réveil d’Afrik initiative.

    It explores the injustices of colonial rule and examines the legal and political avenues through which African nations may hold former colonial powers accountable.

    The screening, held at a cultural centre in the Malian capital, was attended by senior government officials, legal practitioners, and scholars.

    Vice-President of the National Defence Commission, Dr. Fousseynou Ouattara, stressed that reparations remain a national imperative.

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    The documentary features contributions from leading intellectuals, including Professor Gnaka Lagoke of Côte d’Ivoire, Malian historian, Dr. Fode Moussa Sidibé, and distinguished writer and sociologist, Ms. Aminata Traoré.

    Dr. Sidibé observed that Mali continues to bear the enduring effects of colonial exploitation and maintained that seeking reparations is both a right and a responsibility owed to future generations.

    Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa represented by Director of the National Film Centre, Fousseyni Maiga, commended the production as a timely intervention.

    She announced that 2025 would be designated Mali’s “Year of Culture” and pledged government support to ensure the film is screened in universities nationwide to educate young people on the historical and legal foundation for reparations.

    Sow, in his remarks, underscored the urgency of the reparations debate, arguing that Africa’s future cannot be constructed upon an unresolved past.

    He stated that the struggle transcends financial compensation, representing instead a demand for dignity and sovereignty.

  • Deaf footballers depart for WADFU tournament in Mali

    A 24-man contingent of the of Nigeria Deaf Football Association (NDFA) on Sunday departed the country for the West Africa Deaf Football tournament holding in Bamako, Mali.

    The one week competition will begin on Monday and end on May 15.

    The NDFA National Coach, Banjo Kamiludeen, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the contingent made up of 19 players and five officials jetted out aboard Air Côte d’Ivoire from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The Team Leader, Kamiludeen, named some of the officials as Luke Agbabiaka, Secretary of NDFA, Kabiru Umar, Acting Chairman, Emma Audu, and Assistant Coach, Patrick, who is also a tournament referee.

    He said that the footballers were confirmed to be medically fit and technically sound to take their place in various stages of the event organised by West Africa Deaf Football Union.

    “Every arrangement concerning this trip was successful and it is on that note that we are boarding now so our participation in the event is sure.

    “We had our normal camp in Teslim Balogun Stadium, where the players underwent rigorous training and necessary medical fitness test and certified okay before departure.

    “The footballers are very happy and in high spirit to face and trash participating teams in this competition because they are experienced and familiar with match technicalities,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that the NDFA national team have had five appearances in the tournament which began in 2010 and did not feature in the 2016 tournament for lack of funds.

  • How Bamako Encounters dared the odds

    How Bamako Encounters dared the odds

    It is common knowledge that this year’s African Biennale of Photography (Bamako Encounters) in Mali took off against the wind-seeming political instability, paucity of funds, logistics and apathy from participants as a result of insecurity.

    Yet, its organisers-Mali Ministry of Culture and the French Ministry….and the curators led by Bisi Silva, dared all odds in putting up a remarkable 10th anniversary edition of the biennale tagged: Telling Time. Silva was assisted by Antawan Byrd and Yves Chatap.

    Silva, who spoke with this reporter at the close of the professionals’ week in Bamako, said the curators were ready to put up a good show despite the fears expressed by some organisations, especially the foreign press. She stated that such fears were heightened because of increase in cost of insurance, noting that the organisers were conscious of the challenges of building confidence in global community, which Mali was able to do with the festival.

    “We had the support of everybody. But in context, there were few challenges. With Samuel Sidibe, everything went well. This year’s edition is symbolic, especially after the crises. The applications we got were the largest in the history of the biennale. And for those reasons, it is extremely important. Also, it is a vote of confidence on the festival because of the circumstances,” she added.

    She recalled that the curatorial team appreciated the financial challenges, but was determined to work with Samuel Sidibe in order to make the biennale successful. “I score the festival high because we got beyond what we projected and it was impactful. Above all, apart from issues with resources, time management was a big lesson we took away from the biennale,” she noted.

    Silva said: “Timbuktu, which is at the centre of the crisis, is many hours from the venue of the biennale just as Lagos is to Maiduguri or Yola in Nigeria. Frankly speaking, I don’t go around worried about the crisis in that area of Mali and I love working in Mali, which dated back to 2007. For me, I am home basically.”

    On whether there was gender favouritism in selecting the participants, Silva noted that although the curators were sensitive to gender balance, the female artists made it to the biennale on merit, adding that there was no compromise of curatorial integrity. She said if she were to pick another theme for the biennale, it would still be one which dwelt on contemporary issues happening both in Mali and the continent.

    Speaking on how the festival impacted on the local photographers in Mali, Silva stated that organisers were conscious of engaging Malian photographers and artists at the grassroots level, which informed the initiation of programmes such as Studio Mali, which is less targeted by foreign artists. According to her, it is a community programme across Bamako.

     

  • 10th Bamako Encounters opens October 31

    10th Bamako Encounters opens October 31

    The 10th anniversary edition of Biennale of African Photography, Bamako Encounters will run from October 31 to December 31 in Bamako, Mali. The Artistic Director is founder Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) Lagos, Bisi Silva with associate curators Antawan I. Byrd and Yves Chatap. The theme  is Telling Time.

    The Bamako Encounters 2015 is a pan-African exhibition with artists chosen from a call for applications. This year a record number of dossiers were received from the 54 African countries and the Diaspora: a total of 800 applications – four times more than for the exhibition in 2011.

    A statement on the festival’s website said apart from the artistic aspect of the event, this year’s edition will help focus the news from Mali on cultural affairs of a more ‘positive’ nature in terms of image and economic revival. There will also be a retrospective of past editions while the artistic project will be constructed around the narrative of time. Photographers will be invited to create a narrative of Africa, not through a view of things on the surface but, rather, through the way they use the image to delve into the reality of their time. The approach is designed to create a link between the past, the present and the future of the continent. As an approach, it is perfectly suited to deal with the recent upheavals experienced not only by Mali, but also by North Africa with its Arab Springs and, more recently, by Burkina Faso.

    The team of curators hopes to create a fresh view of the creation of photography and video as practised in Africa. There will be both documentary and artistic works, as well as forms closer to installations. It is already evident from the pre-selection of artists process, that a lot of the work is sourced in film and picture archives. Humour abounds and there is no lack of self-mockery on the part of the artists – both of themselves and their countries.

    The religious question arises in a curious and subtle fashion in the works to be displayed, bearing in mind the crisis reigning over the continent at the moment.

     

  • BATTLE OF BAMAKO ‘Eaglets would shine against Mali’

    BATTLE OF BAMAKO ‘Eaglets would shine against Mali’

    WITH A two-goal advantage and two weeks of intensive preparations in Calabar, Abuja and Bamako, coach Manu Garba (MFR) has said that the Golden Eaglets would make hay and sun under the sunny Bamako weather against Mali today to qualify for the 2013 African Under-17 Championship.

    Today’s game between the Junior Eagles and Golden Eaglets at the Stade Mamadou Konate will kick off at 3:30pm local time(4:30pm Nigerian time) with Guinean officials led by 34-year-old Ahmed Toure to take charge as the centre referee.

    Coach Manu has said that his wards would take over the reins of the match from the blast of the whistle as no quarter would be given to the Malians.

    The Malians attributed their 2-0 loss a fortnight ago to fatigue occasioned by poor travel arrangement as well as peppered sauce in their food in Calabar but Garba has enthused that the Nigerian young guys are desirous of rubbing pepper to the Malian injury! “Football is not magic but scientific and it was obvious that we were the better side when we met in Calabar but that is immaterial now,” Manu said after being pressed to preview the match.”Our objective remains the same: win all our qualifying matches and by the grace of God, we shall overcome Mali.”

    Garba Would most likely field an identical starting line-up with the main stay of the team being goalkeeper Adeyinka Adewale, Friday Njengo, Mustapha Abdullahi, Izu Omego, Musa Mohammed, Wilfred Ndidi, Jide Idowu, Ifeanyi Matthew, Ibrahim Alhassan, Kelechi Iheanacho and Success Isaac.

    These lads have secured five victories in as many qualifying matches and Garba is hopeful that a six-record victory is within the reach of the Golden Eaglets.

    He said:” Sunday’s (today) match is our life jacket and the players are very much aware of this that we must beat Mali.