France will present a new economic and military strategy in Africa

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron will unveil his country’s changing economic and military strategy in Africa over the coming years on Monday as France’s influence on the continent declines substantially.

Macron is expected to call for a more balanced partnership with African countries in a speech at the Élysée Presidential Palace before he embarks on an ambitious Africa trip to Gabon, Angola, the Republic of the Congo and the Congo on Wednesday.

Monday’s speech came at a time when France’s influence on the continent is facing greater challenges than it has in decades.

Less than a year later, French troops have been forced to withdraw from Mali, which has instead turned to Russian military contractors, and more recently from Burkina Faso, which also appears to be increasingly aligned with Moscow.

Growing anti-French sentiment led to street protests in several West and North African countries against the former colonial power.

In addition, France’s historic economic ties to the region are threatened by the growing commercial presence of Russia, China and Turkey.

“This is not a trip whose purpose is to race to regain lost influence,” said a senior official of the French president. The trip is not aimed at “trying to go back in time. demand for partnerships, for relationships, but with new methods and a new approach,” he said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with the usual practice of the French presidency.

In particular, Macron is expected to detail the changes France will make to its military deployment in the Sahel region.

Last year, he announced the official end of the so-called Barhane military after France withdrew its troops from Mali. French operations against Islamic extremists in the Sahel region are currently focused mainly on Niger and Chad, where there are still about 3,000 troops in the country.

In recent years, Macron has insisted that any French presence in Africa must be based on a “partnership” in efforts to disengage from post-colonial interference.

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“Faced with upcoming strategic threats, be it a war in Ukraine, an economic shock, a pandemic shock, it is imperative that Europe and Africa are as aligned as possible and, shall we say, as intimate as possible in their dialogue,” the French official said. .

Macron, 45, is the first French president born after the colonial era. He had previously sought to expand France’s cooperation with English-speaking countries such as Ghana and Kenya and increase French investment in Africa’s private sector.

During this week’s tour, he will visit, among other things, Portuguese-speaking Angola to develop ties, especially in the fields of agriculture and food processing, as well as energy, including oil and gas.

Nevertheless, Macron’s tour of Central Africa this week is already raising questions.

Some opposition activists in Gabon condemned his visit, which they see as support for President Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose family has ruled since the 1960s, before presidential elections are scheduled for later this year.

Similar issues were raised in the Congo ahead of the December presidential elections.

“Before, during and after this trip, the President of the Republic, like all French authorities, will exercise strict neutrality with regard to these elections,” a senior French official said.

The Élysée Palace emphasized that Macron is coming to Gabon mainly to attend a major climate summit dedicated to the conservation of forests.

He will also seek to demonstrate France’s commitment to improving economic and cultural relations with the two French-speaking countries, neighboring Republic of the Congo and the Congo, not only through negotiations with the authorities, but also through establishing links with the local population, entrepreneurs, artists and activists. according to the Elysian.

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