14/04/2013 Reporters

isolated scuffles involving police. Now on BBC News it is time for

Welcome to Reporters. From here in the world's news room we send out

correspondence to bring you the best stories from across the globe.

In this week's programme, we joined African troops on the front line in

Mali, hoping to keep the Islamists at bay as French troops start to

leave. Sexual violence in Somalia's hands.

Most attacks are carried out by former militia members.

And we meet the women wrestlers of Senegal, showing their skills in a

support that is as big as football. We start in Mali, where a process

of transition is underway. The first batch of French troops have

left after the military campaign against Islamist insurgents.

African and Mali forces are taking over. France deployed 4,000 troops

to the country in January amid fears that is a must fighters were

about to advance on the capital. -- is almost. 3,000 French troops will

leave this year. But Paris is keeping a permanent force of 1,000

troops in the country to fight terrorism.

Alone and exposed. The Somali soldiers want to show that they are

in control in the streets of Timbuktu. But they advance

anxiously, knowing that they are the targets for suicide bombers.

They have little firepower, no protection and lack the training to

face will a club and determined insurgents. Mali troops find them

overwhelmed when clashes break out. We want the French to stay here,

this commanding officer tells me. We do not have the means to defend

the city and face the fight at present. But for the French, this

fight is out there in the desert. They quickly intervened in Mali to

fight Al-Qaeda and its allies. Paris believes its military task is

newly accomplished. The French say they are ready to pack and go. They

want to lead Timbuktu to the African forces. But at the search

for residual fighters continues. Only the French have the means to

counter. The people of this tiny desert village are all Tuaregs or

other ethnic minorities. They say that is the Mr militants never come

here. But it is the only outpost in an ocean of sand. So between the

fear of reprisal and allegations, it is difficult. Back in Timbuktu,

fear has returned. When we came here just over two months ago, we

found people celebrating after a traumatic occupation. Falling

suicide attacks and raids on the city, people are now afraid to talk

on camera. Everybody will be running. Everybody will leave the

place. Until recently, the regional African force was nowhere to be

seen in northern Mali. Most of the trips like this logistics and

funding. TRANSLATION: We are worried because we do not believe

that these forces, even if they come, will be able to do what the

French have done so far. The French deployed in Mali arguing that

militants operating here had become a threat to not only the region,

but also to European countries. After a rapid campaign, they are

now pushing for a UN peacekeeping mission to take over. Thousands of

African forces are waiting for the mandate. But there is little faith

in these troops and their capacity. The prospect of a French withdrawal

means for the people of these region that uncertain times lie

ahead. The BBC has learned that Somalia's

police and army are set to receive direct funding from the UK as part

of international efforts to help the country recover from decades of

war. The plans were discussed at a global summit on Somalia held

recently in London. But the funding is going to the same Somali

security forces who are being blamed for carrying out hundreds of

sex attacks against civilians. The fresh sea breeze really does

feel like a wind of change here. But as life returns to nobody

should, people are still facing huge challenges. -- Mogadishu.

Years of fighting and famine have left over a million people

displaced. Women in particular are vulnerable in these camps. They

recorded 1,700 rapes last year alone. Many of them carried out by

members of the security forces. ever deeper cent of the sexual

violence taking place is actually done by men in uniform. We spoke to

one recent victim. She asked to remain anonymous. TRANSLATION: Key

came to my tent in the middle of the night. He had a gun and he

threatened to shoot me if I resisted. He raped me in front of

my son and nobody came to help. Many women are reluctant to speak

out. Apart from the stigma attached to rape, there is also fear. Some

have been threatened, others have even been arrested. Mogadishu is

becoming more liveable, there is no doubt about that. Not so long ago,

a place like this at this time of the evening would have been

emptying out in preparation for a long, scary night ahead. But the

transition from two decades of war is proving to be a bit difficult

one. It is leaving some of Somalia's backers with some rather

unpalatable choices. Somalia's fledgling national security forces

consist mostly of a patchwork of militia. Groups of untrained young

men seduced by the power of carrying a gun and his discipline

and loyalty is questionable. Some powers are already training and

financing security forces as part of wider efforts to combat piracy

and Al-Qaeda in the Horn of Africa. Now Britain wants to join them.

We're clearly shocked by the prevalence of sexual assault. It

seems to mean inconsistent that we would not want to hope this

government with the real challenges of the security sector. This is

still a fragile peace. Without support for a strong security force,

Somalia could collapse back into anarchy. But balancing security

with human rights is proving difficult.

Ten years ago, American tanks entered the Iraqi capital and

pulled down the statue of Saddam Hussein. It was a defining moment

for the country as the symbol of an era was dramatically removed. But

has anything replaced it? We were in Baghdad ten years ago and

returned to find out what has changed.

It was one of the most striking images of the war. Watched by

millions all over the world. Scenes of joy as people danced on the

toppled statue of the former leader. Hitting it with their shoes. I have

come to see an old friend of mine who was in the square that day. He

owns a house and one on the corner. It is very hard for me to describe

it. TRANSLATION: I was happy to see a dictator being toppled. But it

was being done by foreigners. many people, he had posters of

Saddam Hussein on the walls of his shop. A few weeks after the statue

was toppled, he took them down. But he hopes that one day the statues

and posters will be replaced by images from Iraqi history,

including those of Saddam Hussein. TRANSLATION: I want statues of all

the rulers who ruled Iraq throughout its modern history to

stand in the Square, including Saddam Hussein. I want them to form

a museum for Iraq's history. Every one of those rulers had supporters

and opponents. People can come to the statues to condemn or hail the

memories of those men. Today there is just an empty space where the

statue used to stand. But ten years on, many are looking for symbols to

express a national Iraqi identity. Something that supersedes the

religious ones. But it is taking a long time. Parliament is still to

decide on a new national anthem. The current one played here by the

Iraqi National some of the orchestra was chosen in 2004. --

Symphony. They still have not chosen a national flag. Because of

the complications of the political process, we still do not have the

final identity for the Iraqi state. That is what we do not have a final

decision for making a new anthem. It is still in a process. We are

still in a transitional process. many ordinary Iraqis are proud of

the Iraqi identity. They point to the fact that Iraq has survived as

a country despite waves of sectarian violence after the war.

But just as they needed to remove the old symbols to make a break

with the past, now they need new ones for the future.

Egypt's bakers have been protesting against plans changes to the

government controlled bread subsidy scheme. They are threatening to

stop subsidising bread because they say they would suffer financial

losses. Millions of Egyptians rely on this cheap bread had the Daily

surprise. But in a time of economic hardship, the government says it

could save $1.6 billion per year by reforming the scheme.

Fought over five decades, Egyptians have relied upon a system of bread

subsidies for the staple food. But this system is about to change. The

government is going to lift the direct subsidies on bread and flour.

Instead it will produce bread from the bakers at a market price and

sell it to the people at the same price. They believe this will

produce more and higher quality bread. But many bakers say the

government underestimated their production costs under the new

scheme. TRANSLATION: Producing bread for a 100 kilograms back of

flower would be �10 of profit on each bank. -- $10 of profit. But

there will be increases to staffing costs. Anger at the scheme has

caused protests. The government believe it will prevent the sale of

subsidised flour on the black market. This will prevent subsidies

going to the wrong people. It will be sold to citizens. The government

will pay the difference directly. It will ensure that the citizens

receive it. the word for bread in Arabic comes from the word life.

Many rely on this. But many complained shortages. There is no

problem with the bread itself. But it uses all of the flower they get.

Sometimes you have to come to the bakery three or four times a day

before you get any bread. That is not acceptable. But the picture may

not be so bleak. Some bakeries have started using the new scheme.

TRANSLATION: In the contract, it will be revised every three months.

What else will the bakers need? The government will increase the price

if necessary. But since the food symbolised by bread was one of the

main demands of the Egyptian Revolution, the government could

The online world is providing China's propaganda chief with an

In the battle for the hearts and minds of its citizens, the Chinese

government has opened up a new offensive. This might look like

just another shoot them up video game, but it is in fact China's

latest propaganda it all off. It has been downloaded more than one

million times. The game was originally meant as a training aid

for Chinese soldiers. Ranks of them had been so shown on state TV. The

potential enemy appears to bear more than a passing resemblance to

the US or its allies, raising questions about how -- what real-

life scenarios they are training for. Making the game public will,

according to the developers, help instil patriotic values and perhaps

a drum up new recruits. Most of the young boys, from the bottom of

their hearts, want to be a soldier. They like to fight. China's

internet cafes used to be frowned on by the Communist our priorities.

Online games were described as electronic horror when. And imports

of home game consoles are still officially banned. -- electronic

howl when. This is another sign that the Chinese government is not

just censoring the internet, banning search terms and the

leading players, but that it is The seemingly rehabilitated gaming

industry is simply the latest weapon for China.

China is not defer to make a video game for military training. There

are similarities with one made by the US Army's ten years ago. But

influencing the thoughts of the wider public is a more ambitious

fight. And in the virtual world, it is a fight that is going to

intensify. He hails from a town more famous

for rugby league players and dancers. But a 20-year-old from

Northern England has graduated from the world famous Bolshoi Ballet

Academy in Moscow. He studied dancing at four, wanting to copy

his big sister. He is being tipped Taking centre-stage in Russia's

most famous a ballet school this afternoon, and dancing the most

Russian of dancers. The boy from Cheshire is lipping out his own

Billy Elliott story. -- the living out. Today, he was cheered up

through his final exam. A performance that left his dad in

tears. I wanted to be a classical dancer. Whether that is inside or

outside of Russia will make no difference to me. As long as I get

to dance, and get to performed. took up ballet aged four to copy

his sister. His talent was obvious from very early on. Although his

dad's big passion was a rugby boss De he was very clear on what he

wanted to do. -- his passion was rugby. He was very clear on what he

wanted to do. He was very sporty. Last week, we went behind the

scenes to seek his final rehearsals. Only the second British boy to

Bredgar rate from the academy, he dances for ten hours a day. -- to

graduate. All his lessons are in Russian. His teacher was a former

star of the Bolshoi ballet. TRANSLATION: He is ready to dance

in the ensemble of any theatre. has already outgrown the

comparisons with Billy Elliott bluster of he has just finished

d'etat first ballet course in the world. -- the toughest.

In the West African country of Senegal, traditional wrestling is

as big as football. However, women rarely get a chance to enter the

arena. In a small village, the rice fields festival is one of the rare

occasions that you can watch ladies try to bring each other to the

It is a kind of fight grown-ups usually would not allow on the

playground. Then again, this is no ordinary playground. Here at the

rice fields festival, it is one of the few times of the year that you

see traditional female wrestling. really like wrestling. Not only a

man can do it. A female can do it. It is the culture. It is very good.

Wrestling is not only for men. Girls can do it, too.

Wrestling and the traditional dances that go along with it are

deeply rooted in the local culture. It is also linked with a growing

rice, a cornerstone in the culture of the people. This field was burnt

in preparation for serving at the start of the rainy season. It is

usually the women who will harvest the rice, and there will be more

celebrations with wrestling then. But passionate as she is for the

sport, she will be wrestling many times before that. At 19, she

joined the national team last year and is now trained for the next

African championship. TRANSLATION: At school, I used to see the other

pupils wrestle. Not girls, of course, the boys. But during the

break, I would put my bag down and wrestle too. She and her friends

have to face prejudices about women in wrestling. Also a lack of

funding. TRANSLATION: There are too few sponsors for the girls. We hope

that in the future, sponsors will invest in the girls for wrestling.

Why not a team of wrestlers? In the meantime, during the final of the

tournament, the girls get to show their special skills. For now, when

investors in Senegal are still a long way from matching the

popularity of their male counterparts. -- women are