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The era of France’s arm-twisting interventionism in Africa may finally be over

A second-hand deader in France is facing a lawsuit for allegedly deceiving a couple by selling an African mask at almost a 2,800,000 per cent markup. An unnamed pensioner couple, who live in Eure-et-Loir, southwest of Paris, sold the rare mask to the dealer at €150 (£130) who further sold it at €4.2m (£3.7m). As the case brought by the French couple opened on Tuesday, the dealer appeared in court. But the Gabon government and campaigners have said that the rare artefact should instead be returned to its country of origin. The rare 19th-Century “Ngi” mask which was made by the Fang people of Gabon was lying in dust in the attic of the couple’s holiday home in Gard, southern France. The couple had called the dealer as they had decided to sell their home. The wooden mask was found in a cupboard in the house that belonged to the man’s grandfather, René-Victor Fournier, who had been a colonial administrator in Africa in the early 20th Century. The dealer bought several items from the couple, including the wooden mask. It was six months later that the couple while reading a newspaper found out that the mask had been in action in Montpellier and that it was an artefact even rarer than a Leonardo da Vinci painting. The couple said they had “almost fallen off their chairs” when they recognised the photo and the auction catalogue said it was collected around 1917, in unknown circumstances by Fournier. The discovery prompted excitement among art dealers and media, with one expert telling a French TV that only 10 such items were made by Fang masters. “This type of mask is even rarer than a Leonardo da Vinci painting – we know of 22 paintings by the great master, but we only know of 10 to 12 masks created by the different Fang masters in Gabon,” the expert said. At an auction in March 2022, the mask was bought for £3.7m by an unnamed person bidding by phone after being initially valued at £2.6m. The couple later filed a civil suit against the dealer for giving them an unfair price and demanded the sale be annulled. During the hearing in an Ales court, the lawyers for the couple contended that the couple should receive the profits from action fairly after they unknowingly sold it at £130. “One has to be in good faith and honest; my clients would never have given up this mask at that price if they knew it was an extremely rare object,” their lawyer, Frédéric Mansat Jaffré, said this month to French outlets. Representatives of the Gabon government however said that the mask was stolen in the first place and should be returned. Solange Bizeau of the Collectif Gabon Occitanie said: “That mask was stolen at the time of colonisation … All these works of art – and so many that we see in museums – were taken, and the people who made them were told they were the devil’s work and they should instead believe in the Bible. And from that point on, these artefacts have appeared in Europe, enriching people who have made money from them for decades.” “This mask has a soul, it was used to establish justice in our villages. The discussion in court has been about morality, but what about the morality of the spoliation of works of art and our dignity? Where is the morality in that?” A decision by the court is expected in December. Read More US removes four African countries from trade deal for ‘gross human rights violation’ UN Security Council fails again to address Israel-Hamas war, rejecting US and Russian resolutions Putin’s warplanes ‘drop bombs’ on civilian shipping lanes as Kyiv advances - live Putin’s warplanes ‘drop bombs’ on civilian shipping lanes as Kyiv advances - live Israeli envoy to Russia says Tel Aviv passengers hid from weekend airport riot in terminal A media freedom group accuses Israel and Hamas of war crimes and reports deaths of 34 journalists

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The office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in Georgia has notified at least two witnesses to appear next week before a grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn election results in the state, the strongest indication yet that prosecutors are preparing to issue indictments in the coming days. Prosecutors will begin to present the case to jurors early next week. Former Republican Lt Governor Geoff Duncan said he has been requested to appear on Tuesday, 15 August. “I did just receive notification to appear on Tuesday morning at the Fulton County grand jury and I certainly will be there to do my part in recounting the facts,” he told CNN. “I have no expectations as to the questions, and I’ll certainly answer whatever questions are put in front of me.” Journalist George Chidi also has announced that he is preparing to testify on Tuesday. The case is the culmination of a wide-ranging investigation over the last two years following the former president’s pressure campaign targeting state officials to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state. Ms Willis opened an investigation shortly after news of Mr Trump’s call to Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the state’s top elections official, who was pressed to find “11,870 votes” – just enough needed for then-President Trump to beat Joe Biden in the state. A special grand jury previously heard testimony from 75 witnesses, including aides and former attorneys to Mr Trump. That jury concluded its report in January with recommendations for state prosecutors to bring charges that will soon be reviewed by the newly impaneled grand jury. The investigation is among several facing the former president, who was separately charged with three criminal conspiracies and obstruction in a federal case stemming from the US Department of Justice special counsel probe into his attempts to subvert the election outcome. Last year, Ms Willis’s office sent letters warning several people – including Rudy Giuliani and a slate of so-called “alternate” electors loyal to Mr Trump – that they could face charges in the case. She also may be considering a wider set of charges that Ms Willis has made a career out of bringing against dozens of others. The state’s anti-racketeering RICO statute – typically used to break up organized crime – has been used by her office in indictments against more than two dozen people connected to a sprawling Atlanta hip-hop empire, 38 alleged gang members, and 25 educators accused of cheating Atlanta’s public school system. The RICO Act allows prosecutors to bring charges against multiple people that they believe committed separate crimes while working toward a common goal. A grand jury was sworn in to hear the case last month. Jurors have convened on Mondays and Tuesdays. After a case is presented, members of the grand jury convene to deliberate the case and decide whether to vote for a “true bill” or a “no bill” indictment, the former meaning that there is probable cause to believe a person committed a crime. A “no bill” means jurors did not believe a person committed a crime or that there is not enough evidence to indict them. An indictment is then presented in open court. Mr Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, characterising the multiple criminal indictments against him in several jurisdictions as politically motivated “witch hunts” while lashing out at the Democratic elected prosecutors in Atlanta and New York City – both of whom are Black – as “racist”. News of the upcoming grand jury testimony came as Mr Trump arrived at the Iowa State Fair as he seeks the 2024 Republican nomination for president. In a brief appearance to supporters, he falsely claimed that he received “millions and millions” of more votes than Mr Biden in 2020 as a group of his congressional surrogates – including Byron Donald and Matt Gaetz – rallied alongside him in a crowded tent. This is a developing story Read More Trump hits out at Fani Willis as expected Georgia indictment looms after first Jan 6 DC case hearing - latest Trump lashes out at Fulton County DA over Atlanta crime as potential ‘CON JOB’ indictment nears Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump The Supreme Court has already rejected a key part of Trump’s defence