Africa-Press – Cape verde. Recently, France’s influence in Africa has faced the biggest challenges in decades, amid rising anti-French sentiment in its former colonies. Paris failed to maintain its military presence in two out of five countries in the Sahel region. In February, French troops were withdrawn from Burkina Faso, and last year from Mali.
Paris must demonstrate “profound humility” in Africa, and open a “new era” in its partnership with the continent amid “unprecedented” and “historic” challenges, said French President Emmanuel Macron during a Monday speech dedicated to France’s new policy on Africa.
Macron revealed that his government is planning to reorganize the presence of French troops in Africa under a “new security partnership” that would see a minimized number of French military personnel.
The French president said he believes the Paris should follow “another path” that would focus on “addressing African countries as partners with whom we share interests and balanced, reciprocal, [and] accountable responsibilities.”
Macron also claimed that Africa is no longer considered a “backyard”, adding that France’s military bases in Africa as they exist now are a “heritage from the past” and must see some change.
The French president stressed that “France’s role is not to fix all problems in Africa.”
Macron’s remarks come ahead of his scheduled trip on Wednesday to four central African states – Gabon, Angola, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The visit to Africa comes in the wake of the pullout of French troops from Burkina Faso earlier this month amid rising anti-French sentiment in the West African country, along with other countries in the Sahel region.
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