President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Madagascar on Wednesday for a two-day visit aimed at reinforcing France’s presence in the Indian Ocean.

Macron isis the first French president to visit the former colony since Jacques Chirac in 2005.

As France loses its influence in the Sahel, its leaders have been turning to east and southern Africa to strengthen ties.

Madagascar with a population of 30 million is an important French-speaking country .

Uncomfortable topics

Macron’s intinerary includes a meeting with his counterpart Andry Rajoelina, followed by agreement signings and meetings with business leaders.

Some uncomfortable discussions are also expected to take place between Macron and his host.

Antananarivo claims the resource-rich Scattered Islands which remained under French control after independence. The French presidency said that that the issue would be ‘discussed’ during the visit.

A section of the Malagasy public want Paris to surrender the islands, something France has been reluctant to do.

President Macron has however pledged to support the return of cultural artifacts stolen from the island country.

Italy launched its security plan Wednesday with hundreds of foreign delegations expected at the Vatican Saturday for Pope Francis’s funeral.

Police are patrolling the streets around the Vatican – also using drones – as well as underground stations and the stretch of the Tiber river near Via Conciliazione, the main street leading to St. Peter’s Square, which is crowded with all the pilgrims who are on their way to see Pope Francis’ body and pay their respects.

The body of Pope Francis was moved Wednesday morning to St. Peter’s Basilica for three days of public mourning for an Argentine pontiff remembered for his humble style, concern for the poor and insistent prayers for peace.

The public viewing is largely for ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope, who died Monday after suffering a stroke.

The basilica will be kept open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to allow the faithful to mourn. The public mourning period will end on Friday at 7 p.m. local time.

Cardinals met at the Vatican on Tuesday to schedule Francis’ funeral and burial, plan the conclave to elect his successor and make other decisions about running the Catholic Church.

Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday that his country is exerting “continuous, genuine and non-stop efforts” to return to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. His statement came after meeting his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Rajji in Cairo. Rajji said that the international community should place more pressure on Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

“I emphasized from my side the continuous, genuine and non-stop efforts in cooperation with Qatar and in coordination with the United States to return to the (Gaza) ceasefire deal that was signed on 19 January, and to work on stopping the bloodshed of the brother Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” Abdelatty said.

Israel’s air and ground war has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants.

Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 people hostage.

They are still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

Hamas has said it will only free the remaining hostages in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal and a lasting ceasefire.

According to Israeli statements, the country will keep fighting until the hostages are returned and Hamas has been either destroyed or disarmed and sent into exile. It has pledged to hold onto so-called security zones in Gaza indefinitely.