Dialog prevented: France and Germany deny Malian opposition politician Dr. Oumar Mariko his entry visa!!! Dialogue Forum: Mali in-between the French Intervention and the Elections, WED, 17 April 2013, 18h00

Stunned, we have to take note that our guest Dr. Oumar Mariko from Mali (opposition politician of the party SADI and potential presidential candidate) was denied his entry visa to France, as well as to Germany. On Tuesday, 16^th of April, 2013, he should have held a speech in the GUE/NGL-fraction of the European parliament and afterwards, being invited by the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation and the federal fraction of the German Left Party (DIE LINKE), lead diverse political conversations in Berlin. On Wednesday, 17^th of April, 2013 he was planned as one of the speakers in our |+| Dialogforums: "Mali in der Zwischenzeit" mit Aminata Traoré, Oumar Mariko und Many Camara. nResponsible for the denial of the visa is France, which vetoed the granting of a Schengen-visa for Dr. Ooumar Mariko, as well as for Aminata Traoré. This example shows very clearly how France can obstruct the work of the European Parliament in its sole and absolute discretion! While Aminata Traoré at least was granted a German visa, and is therefore allowed to travel to Berlin (on the condition of not passing through France!), the German Federal Government presumably buckled under pressure of France and has in the end denied the Visa to Dr. Oumar Mariko, using the argument that he would be a danger for public order, National security or public health in terms of article 2, paragraph 9 of the act (EG) or for the international relations of one or more member states (Nr. 562/2006 Schengen Grenzkodex) and his “willingness, to leave the territory of the member states before expiry of his visa could not have been guaranteed!”nFrance leads a war in Mali, supported by Germany, and wants this to be regarded as an altruistic measure of helping Mali to re-establish its sovereignty and territorial integrity. While France’s behavior is becoming more and more contradictory, the French NGO “Surivie” (www.survie.org) has now collected enough proof (soon to be published in a book), which unmasks France’s strategy in Mali as of pure politics of interest in the tradition of the infamous “Françafrique” – the (neo-)colonial network of France in Africa, which present socialist president François Hollande promised to clearly depart from. nAfricAvenir vehemently condemns this colonial behaviour of France and Germany, who apparently do not want the dialog for the resolution of the Malian conflict, of which they otherwise are talking about so generously. In January, Minister Westerwelle still stressed the urgency of a dialog: “On the long run there can only be a political solution – on this African states, the government of Mali, but also our French friends and we Germans all agree on” (Press Release by the Federal Foreign Office).nWe of course will nevertheless hold the dialog forum at 17 April 2013 as planned, together with the magazine PROKLA and the Africa-Department of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation and try to include Dr. Oumar Mariko via video conference. nMore about the contents and the speakers of the |+| Dialogforums: "Mali in der Zwischenzeit" mit Aminata Traoré, Oumar Mariko und Many Camara (in German and French, simultaneous translation)nVenue: Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (1. Etage)
Franz-Mehring-Platz 1
10243 Berlin nS-Bahn/DB: Berlin Ostbahnhof U-Bahn: U5 – Weberwiese Bus: 147, 240