Between 1991 and 2002, the small West African nation of Sierra Leone was ravaged by a decade of war, which left between 50,000 and 200,000 people dead. The conflict was also marked by rapes, mutilations and the forced use of child soldiers in both the rebel and regular armies. Twenty years on, the country is still trying to recover from the civil war, one of Africa's most brutal. Sierra Leone remains deeply divided and plagued by corruption. And despite its many riches, it is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Revisited

Two decades on, Sierra Leone still scarred by civil war

As the Taliban once again take control of Afghanistan, we take you to a place where their members have often found refuge. Located on the Afghan border, the tribal areas of Pakistan have long been destabilised by radical Islamist groups who operated there with impunity, since Pakistani law did not apply in the region. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the tribal zones became one of the key challenges of the "war on terror".

A long road to peace: Pakistan's tribal areas

The Great Green Wall was officially launched by the African Union in 2007. It aims to fight desertification by creating a huge strip of vegetation across Africa, from Dakar in the west to Djibouti in the east. The Wall would be eventually more than 8,000 kilometres long, crossing 11 African countries. Since 2007, the project has evolved, with the goal of creating millions of jobs. But critics say progress has stalled. Our correspondents report from Senegal and Nigeria. 

A fragile Great Green Wall for Africa

Huge twin blasts in the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020 left more than 200 people dead and 6,000 injured. The source of the disaster was 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a compound used as a fertiliser that is also a very powerful explosive agent. It had been stored at the port with no precautions for more than six years. The tragedy soon became a symbol of Lebanon’s years-long political, social and economic crises. Despite promises of change, wounds left by the explosion have yet to heal.

One year after deadly blast, Beirut struggles with ‘trauma after trauma’

India's small western state of Goa is probably one of its most widely visited tourist spots, with 7 million visitors in 2019 alone. But few people know that it was the only Indian state to live under Portuguese – not British – colonial rule. Goa only joined independent India in 1961, 14 years after the rest of the country. Long famous as a hippie paradise, today Goa still attracts dreamers from all over the world and remains a cultural melting pot of Indian and Portuguese traditions. 

Indian state of Goa continues to attract dreamers from around the world

The Ogoniland area of southern Nigeria is one of the most polluted places on Earth. The crops are burnt to a cinder, ash and tar smother the land and the wells are polluted with oil, making the water totally undrinkable. Entire communities have suffered as their way of life has been destroyed by the oil industry. Our reporters take you to Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta, where pollution has become the norm.

Polluted by the oil industry: Life in Nigeria's Ogoniland

On April 16, 2014, the MV Sewol ferry capsized near the southwestern shores of South Korea, with 476 passengers on board, including 325 pupils on a school trip. Very few of them survived because they obeyed the order to stay in their cabins while the ferry was sinking. Beyond the human tragedy, with 304 lives lost, the disaster sparked widespread social and political upheaval in South Korea. Seven years on, FRANCE 24's team reports on how the terrible event has changed the country.

South Korea's Sewol ferry disaster, a tragedy that traumatised a generation

The name of Codogno may not sound familiar, but the town in the northern Italian region of Lombardy was the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak in Europe. The first coronavirus cases were detected there at the start of February 2020. A little over a year later, our correspondents returned to Codogno to take stock of how the town is faring.

Covid-19 in Europe: Codogno, the Italian town where it all began

In February 1960, France carried out its first nuclear test in the Algerian desert, codenamed "Blue Jerboa". Three more atmospheric tests and 13 underground tests followed, until 1966. The consequences for humans and the environment were disastrous. More than 60 years on, the after-effects are still visible and the victims of nuclear tests are struggling to be heard. FRANCE 24 reports from both sides of the Mediterranean: with former French conscripts who performed their military service in Algeria and are trying to receive compensation, and Algerians, who feel abandoned to their fate.

Sixty years on, Algerian desert region still struggles with effects of French nuclear tests

When the Syrian uprising began in 2011, few would have guessed that it would become one of the bloodiest conflicts of our time. Ten years on, our reporters returned to the northeastern city of Idlib. It's the only Syrian city not yet under government control, but where thousands of families are anxiously awaiting to learn the fate of loved ones who have disappeared. By crosschecking photographs with witness statements, an aid group tries to help them identify their missing family members.

Syria: Searching for Idlib’s lost ones

On the evening of April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris went up in flames and its burning spire crashed through the roof. Firefighters battled into the night to save the 850-year-old edifice. As the flames spread, Notre-Dame was at very real risk of collapse but luckily it remained standing. 

Rising from the flames: Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral, two years on

Built by the US over a 30-year period, the strategically located Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. On January 1, 2000, Panama regained sovereignty over it, 85 years after its inauguration. Prior to that, the area around the canal had been a US colony: some 1,400 square kilometres, nicknamed "La Zona". Since its handover to Panama, most Americans have left this narrow strip of land. Our reporters Laurence Cuvillier and Matthieu Comin met those who have stayed behind, maintaining American traditions but with bitter memories for some Panamanians.

The children of the Panama Canal

Back in 2011, FRANCE 24 followed Sam and his men fighting Muammar Gaddafi's forces in the streets of the Libyan capital Tripoli amid the whirlwind of the Arab Spring. Ten years on, our reporters caught up with Sam, now known as Hussam Najjair, to see if he thought the fight was worth it. They also went to the eastern city of Benghazi to meet supporters of strongman Khalifa Haftar. Gaddafi may now be just a memory, but Libya remains deeply divided. 

A fractured country: Libya, 10 years after Gaddafi

On February 11, 2011, after almost three decades in power, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned following 18 days of mass protests. But 10 years later, the ideals of the revolution have given way to another authoritarian military regime. On the emblematic Tahrir Square, where thousands of protesters once gathered, even taking out a camera is now forbidden. Meanwhile, NGOs estimate that at least 60,000 political prisoners are languishing in Egyptian jails. Our Cairo correspondents Edouard Dropsy and Claire Williot report.

Egypt, 10 years on: From revolution to counter-revolution

In Tunisia, ten years after the revolution, the transition to democracy has not been easy and many Tunisians wonder what they have gained or lost in the past decade. In the city of Sidi Bouzid, where the self-immolation of street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi on December 17, 2010 sparked the Arab Spring, those who were wounded in the 2011 protests lament the lack of justice and official recognition from the state. Our correspondents report on the bittersweet legacy of Tunisia's revolution.

Tunisia: Ten years on, a bittersweet legacy for the birthplace of Arab Spring

We return to places which have been in the news - often a long time ago, sometimes recently - to see how local people are rebuilding their lives. Sunday at 9.10 pm. Or you can catch it online from Friday.

hubhopper

Revisited

hubhopper