Sebastien Lecornu slams Black Panther Wakanda Forever
A high-profile French politician has criticized Marvel Studios Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Film charged with “false and misleading representations” of the European country’s armed forces.
A scene from the film, released in November, shows French mercenaries being brought before an international hearing accused of stealing from the fictional country of Wakanda. A journalist who tweeted the clip this weekend pointed out that the film’s actors wear costumes similar to the uniforms worn by troops in Operation Barkhane in Mali.
Operation Barkhane was launched in 2013 with the aim of stemming the advance of jihadist insurgents across the African nation. The campaign ended last year after 58 soldiers died during the intervention.
Defense Secretary Sebastien Lecornu slammed the scene, tweeting on Sunday: “I condemn in the strongest terms this misleading and misleading portrayal of our armed forces.”
Noting the sensitivity of the issue, Lecornu added: “I think and pay tribute to the 58 French soldiers who died defending Mali at pleas against Islamist terrorist groups.”
According to Bloomberg, an official at France’s defense ministry said the tweet reflected the minister’s personal views, adding that it was his duty to speak up for the French armed forces when there was misunderstanding around them. The official added that France has no plans to request the film’s withdrawal.
The French embassy in London and Disney – which owns Marvel Studios – did not respond immediately wealth when you are contacted for a comment.
This was announced by the French ministry of the news agency AFP that “no revisionism can be admitted regarding the recent actions of France in Mali: we have intervened at the country’s own request to fight armed terrorist groups, far from the story told in the film, namely a French army coming to plundering natural resources.” The agency added that people close to the French minister said he was “angry to see the film”.
relationship with Mali
The minister’s comments come after French military experts said the country’s relationship with the Malian military remained “in tatters” following Operation Barkhane in the Sahel.
Elie Tenenbaum, a defense specialist at the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI), told the BBC: “The initial goal was to stop the spread of jihadism in the Sahel and forge a strong partnership with the Malian army. Today, that strategic partnership lies in tatters… as jihadism spreads further into the region and ingrained deeper in society.”
Former Africa reporter Patrick Robert summarized the topic in Le figaro in August last year: “If France is there, they will be accused of meddling. If it’s not there, it’s accused of abandonment. Whatever it does, France is wrong.”
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