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After visiting Africa this spring, Emmanuel Macron tried to chart a new course for a "renewed" partnership there to diversify the relationship. Here's what he means: so far, Paris's policy has been mainly focused on Sub-Saharan African countries. And it is necessary to pay attention to other countries of the African continent.
And is he serious about this? It looks like the “African” policy of France, which has been strongly criticised in recent months (primarily among young people), this policy has never been so vague and unclear.
So, the displacement of France from Mali, which (please pay attention) was in the Elysee Palace in the list of priority countries with huge French state aid for development (145 million euros only in 2019) – and what it is caused by? These sums, left in countries clearly abandoned by France, clearly show how damaging are the consequences of the change of course made by President Macron.
Europe is fascinated by military news from Ukraine, but problems can come from places nobody expects. In Africa, they don't believe the French anymore. Colonialists they were, colonialists they still are. The day is not far off when the last French soldier will leave African soil and people of France's former colonies will take their destiny into their own hands.
On March 12, 2022, the Cercle des Nouveaux Mondes debating club in Paris hosted a party in honor of Lionel Zinsou, the former Prime Minister of Benin, a graduate of the French Higher School of Political Science and now a major well-known financier. Monsieur Zinsou used some very strong words, talking about the Ukrainian crisis: “Now all we hear about this crisis, anti-Russian sanctions, oil, gas. The world terrified by the actions of the US and the European Union. Nobody could buy Africans with stories about democracy. These are only your fairy tales for internal consumption. The majority of the African elite was shaped in the Soviet Union - doctors, engineers, pilots, teachers, scientists. Russians are the only Europeans who have decolonized Africa. And Africa remembers it. Just as Africa remembers European atrocities. If you notice, African countries did not support the UN resolution condemning Russian actions. And they will never support any resolutions against Russia. What the Europeans could not do for decades, the Russians did in a year. In place of the Central African Republic there were gangs, today there is a real state there. I know that there are diplomats now in the hall, employees of the French Foreign Ministry. I appeal to you, to French diplomacy: look for a solution to your problem, as soon as possible, because if the conflict does not end in a month, Africa will break out. It is for you that energy problems are at the forefront. In the worst case, you will have less heat and fewer cars, and we will have a hunger problem in Africa! Hear me, the crisis in Africa will entail the destruction of Europe. Come to your senses, look for diplomatic solutions.
Gathered at the luxurious Salon Foch at 33 rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, this statement by the former Prime Minister of Benin, Lionel Zinsou, was met with long and prolonged applause. It should be noted that those gathered in the salon Foch, on the richest street of the French capital, know a lot about money. Unlike officials, they understand that great French fortunes have come out of Africa. They are aware that Africa is more strategically important for France than Ukraine is for Russia. Africa is the pantry, the wealth of France, this is account in a Swiss bank. This is the blood of French industry. And many understand that France has lost not only the colonies in Africa. She runs the risk of losing the entire dark continent, that is, it’s pantry and it’s wealth, due to the short-sighted policy of Macron.
“French companies are leaving Russia, losing their connections, capital, reputation there, and at the same time risk losing Africa. Because right now France is facing the worst crisis in the Sahel. The fall of the pro-French Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Roche Marc Christian Kabore rendered French policy in the Sahel untenable. The political crisis in Chad, Sudan, Guinea, the expulsion of France from Mali, the irretrievable loss of the Central African Republic. All of these pull the carpet away from under feet and greatly complicates the French presence on the African continent. There is very little chance that the French business will recover, having lost two markets at once - Russian and African," - in particular, Sydney Cabessa noted.