Emmanuel Macron says France saved Africa’s Sahel countries from falling into the hands of militants. Therefore, he needs to be given his flowers. Wait, but did France really help win the war over the militants, or were they just in for the gold? And other natural resources.
Africa’s Sahel states are the countries that lie in the stretch across the continent just south of the Sahara Desert. The region spans from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east and serves as a transitional zone between the desert in the north and the savannas in the south.
The key Sahel states are Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. France had military bases in all of these countries until recently, when the citizens decided they had had enough of them, so they booted them out of their country.
But Macron seems not to have received the MEMO these countries sent him, neither is he still not yet satisfied with all they have taken from these countries; now he wants a ‘THANK YOU to cap it off.
Macron said on Monday, December 6, that he was still waiting for Africa’s Sahel states to thank Paris for stopping them from falling into the hands of militants, and he dismissed suggestions his country had been forced out of the region. Quote…
“I think that they forgot to thank us, but that’s ok, it will come in time,” Macron said ironically.
Speaking to French ambassadors at an annual conference on foreign policy for 2025, Macron said France had been right to intervene in 2013 to fight Islamist militants even if those same states had now moved away from French military support.
“None of them would have a sovereign state if the French army had not deployed in this region,” he added.
Macron’s remarks are set against the backdrop of France’s military involvement in the Sahel region, primarily through operations like Operation Barkhane, which began in 2014 as part of France’s counter-terrorism efforts.
Macron claims these interventions were crucial for maintaining the sovereignty of these states.
However, the effectiveness of these operations has been debated, with some arguing they did not fully address the root causes of instability like poverty, governance issues, and inter-ethnic conflicts.
Recently, there has been a growing anti-French sentiment in several former French colonies, fueled by perceptions of neocolonialism, economic exploitation, and political interference. This has led to France’s influence waning in several of these Sahel countries, leading to the withdrawal of French troops from these nations.
But Macron has dismissed the notion that Paris had been kicked out of the region, saying it had decided to re-organize its strategy.
“No, France is not on the back foot in Africa; it is just lucid and reorganizing itself,” he said.
French troops are in the process of withdrawing from several countries, including Chad, Senegal, and Ivory Coast, following earlier exits from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger after coups, which have seen these countries pivot towards other international partners like Russia, particularly through the Wagner Group.
Macron’s call has been criticized, with many describing it as condescending or out of touch with the realities these countries face, suggesting that the narrative of France saving Africa overlooks the complex historical and current socio-political contexts.
Macron’s statement is part of a broader narrative where France’s role in Africa is being re-evaluated. It underscores France’s challenges in maintaining influence in former colonies amid changing geopolitical landscapes, rising anti-French sentiments, and the strategic maneuvers by other global powers like Russia and China.
