According to Le Figaro, in a letter to President Macron, a group of 94 French parliamentarians expressed dissatisfaction with the failures of France's Africa policy. The senators accused the growing anti-French sentiment on the "dark continent" as a result of Paris's failure to cooperate successfully with countries on the military, political and cultural fronts.

Relations between France and its former African colonies have faltered in recent years, with Paris increasingly losing influence in the region. After nine years of fighting jihadism in the Sahel, France was forced to announce its withdrawal from Mali in February last year. The decision to withdraw came amid disagreements between France and the Bamako military government following a coup in May 2021. Paris has also withdrawn troops from the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso in recent times.

Along with the shrinking French military presence in Africa, Paris is also facing difficulties in improving relations with countries in the region. In a letter to President Macron, French politicians pointed out that the failure of Operation Barkhane (France's anti-jihadist campaign in the Sahel) has made the French military no longer welcome and a movement against French businesses has also emerged. "This movement in sub-Saharan Africa is spreading with anti-French protests and actions even in countries considered close to Paris, such as Côte d'Ivoire or Senegal," the letter said.

President Emmanuel Macron speaks at the Élysée Palace in February 2023, ahead of a visit to Central African countries. Photo: AP

In addition to the obvious increase in anti-French sentiment, the European power's economic relations with the "black continent" have also seriously declined. Over the past 20 years, the total two-way trade turnover between France and Africa has halved, to less than 30 billion USD, less than 50% of Germany's, while the figure for China is 255 billion USD.

Africa has always been one of France's traditional spheres of influence for decades, especially in West Africa and the Sahel. France's defense white papers in recent years have always considered Africa to be the second most strategically important region for France, after Europe. Therefore, maintaining good relations and protecting France's role in relations with African countries has always been one of the top foreign policy priorities of President Macron's administration. However, in recent years, relations between France and many African countries that were former colonies have not only not improved but have also deteriorated.

There has been much debate and analysis among French officials and scholars about why France’s influence in Africa is declining, even in countries that have traditionally been within France’s sphere of influence. French leaders have recently referred to the competition from other powers such as China, Russia, and even the United States and Germany to explain why African countries are being pulled away from France’s sphere of influence.

However, a core reason identified by experts is that the people of some African countries still have anti-French sentiment from the previous colonial period. In some countries, France is even seen as a factor hindering the democratic process in that country, as it always maintains close ties with long-standing governments or military forces. Therefore, fundamentally changing the perception of African governments and people about France's military presence is something that has been of particular concern to the country's authorities. In a letter to President Macron, 94 French parliamentarians called on the President to reassess the French Government's policies in Africa, in order to correct misunderstandings about Paris' role and presence in the region.

In addition, France also needs to take actions to convince African countries to believe in a truly equal and beneficial future of cooperation, not only in terms of economy but also in terms of defense and security, thereby eliminating prejudices about the decades-long "Françafrique" policy. This is the premise for France to gradually restore good relations as well as its role and position in Africa.

BAO CHAU

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