France and Senegal are consciously uncoupled

I'm back into reading (it's been a few months that I read more than one book in two months). I'm a chaotic reader, so right now it's three books at once: Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua), In the Shadow of a Saint by Ken Wiwa (Nigeria), and Women of Komala by Fatemeh Karimi (Kurdistan/Iran). My cortisol levels are high, my body's been showing the cost of nonstop doomscrolling, and I needed a shift. So I'm reading again, not to escape, but to learn. To remember things can move slower, and deeper.

For this week's issue, it's hard not to talk about Palestine/Israel all the time (I do that on my social media instead of here). But I started this newsletter to focus on what isn't already being dissected from every angle in the media pipeline (however you define that). So, this week like every other week, I'm digging into two main stories that didn't get nearly enough airtime:

• What the end of France's military presence in Senegal really says about West Africa's changing relationship with France
• Why UNESCO World Heritage designations are actually like getting verified on Instagram

Also in this issue:

• Mia Khalifa on shame
• Photography from/about Mali that skips the gallery walls and shows up on Bamako's minibuses instead
• Lebanon's homegrown hemp project that says: forget McKinsey's blueprint, here's another way
• Polish tombs that just snatched the "older than Egypt" headline

France is officially out of Senegal -- and West Africa, too

What happened last week:
France just pulled its last group of soldiers out of Senegal. The main base was near Dakar, and about 350 troops left between March and June this year.

Why this matters:
France had military bases in Senegal since the country gained independence in 1960. This means there are now no more permanent French military bases in West Africa.

Tell me more:
The new Senegalese president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, last November said, "if we're really independent, we shouldn't host foreign troops at all." And then, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko echoed this in the country's New Year address late December, saying France's presence was not acceptable and announcing plans to close all foreign bases (meaning France; there are no other foreign forces in the country). Apparently, this all had come as a surprise to France. A week later, President Macron tried to say this wasn't a "kick-out" but part of a new strategy of theirs in Africa, claiming it was all based on agreements and even said African leaders "forgot to say thank you" for France's "help." That went down badly. Senegal's Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, replied on the same day: "There were no talks. This was our decision, and only ours." He also reminded Macron that "during World War II, African soldiers helped fight for France. Many of them were forced to, and some were later betrayed. So maybe France should be more careful when talking about who owes who." (I'm paraphrasing here.) In March, France kicked off a phased exit, and troops began to pack up.

Good to know:
Many sovereign countries host foreign troops. Most of the time, it is done so in a structured, voluntary, and regulated way. However, it comes with political, legal and public scrutiny, especially when national pride or the environment are in play.

What about the rest of West Africa?
The anti-France campaign is part of a bigger shift across the region. Many West African countries are now saying no to what they see as a leftover from the colonial era. In recent years, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and Côte d'ivoire have all asked French troops to leave. Some of these countries have military governments now, and instead of working with France or "the West," they're turning to Russia for military help (not necessarily a good thing either, but more on that later.)

So, is France totally gone from Africa?
Not really. France still has around 1,500 troops in Djibouti (in East Africa), some training missions in Gabon and Côte d'Ivoire with a few hundred soldiers. But the era of big French bases in West Africa is over.

What now?
Remains to be seen. France and West Africa have just come out of a toxic relationship, so to speak. Especially, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso all have military governments now (there were "anti-imperial" or "anti-Western" coups, remember), and they all each have a lot of problems, like big security challenges (especially jihadist attacks), struggling with inflation and economic isolation, losing foreign investment, and they're partnering with Russian forces, some of whom have been accused of serious human rights violations (look up Wagner Group, now called the Africa Corps).

In short, yes, these governments want to stand on their own feet, but the region is still unstable. And just removing France won't solve anything. It's just one step in one direction.

UNESCO just added 26 new World Heritage Sites

What happened:
UNESCO has added 26 new locations onto its list of World Heritage sites.

Why this matters:
Most people didn't major in archaeology, but you don't need a degree to care about history. I treat announcements like this as an excuse to learn. It's like online backpacking (zero emissions, zero budget). Thanks, internet.

Tell me more:
Getting UNESCO status is like getting verified on Instagram. It doesn't make a place inherently better, but suddenly everyone knows its name, wants a selfie, and might throw some funding its way (no guarantees though). It also comes with global visibility (hello, Lonely Planet mentions and travel bloggers), a bit of legal protection, which can help block sketchy developments or mining projects, and access to technical and emergency support (if your ancient temple floods or your forest catches fire, UNESCO might actually send help). More importantly, it pressures governments to take heritage seriously, not just to cash in on tourism, but to keep it standing.

Here...