Thursday, February 07, 2013

BBC World Service


I have had impossible internet connection for the last couple of days – therefore  have not yet been able to boast about my appearance on the BBC World Service’s radio  programme ‘Have your Say’ Tuesday  morning.  I was awoken from my slumber by someone calling from London saying that they had been reading my blog and wanted to know if I could take part in a panel discussion about the Mali situation, which would coincide with Tuesday’s big meeting in Brussels about Mali’s future. ‘Well I am not much good at this sort of thing’ I said. I am likely to freeze if I think I am talking alive to the whole world! Oh, but it is not the whole world, said the producer, it is only 200 000 000!
I agreed to take part..
 I am particularly  happy that I got the last say, just a minute from the end of the programme when I managed  to object to the BBC’s Mark Doyle’s  comment that ‘Mali now wants training for its Army in order to be able to ‘crush the North’ or something similar. I said that I didn’t think it was unreasonable for Mali to want a well trained army, and that it was  in order to be able to defend itself against possible future attacks from Jihadists, not to ‘crush the north’! I very nearly got an apology out of him! Anyway, it was fun...

And yesterday the air rather went out of the balloon- or the football!- for Mali as their team was defeated 4-1 by Nigeria in the semi final of the African Cup...

3 Comments:

Blogger Susan Scheid said...

I wish I could have heard you. I noticed a report in the New York Times about Timbuktu and thought, Sophie would have something to say to that, for sure! And here you are, not only the broadcast, but what you have written about Djenne, too. Such a remarkable place, and to think I most likely wouldn't have known of it, but for you.

2:29 AM  
Blogger toubab said...

Let's hope that one day soon when peace has returned to Mali again you will visit us Susan!
Sophie

2:33 PM  
Blogger Susan Scheid said...

How magnificent that would be. Something to dream on, for sure.

12:49 AM  

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