Despite the “anti-French speeches”, Paris wants to remain a “relevant partner” in Africa

2023-06-07 08:29:30

Speak here to be heard there. France intends to remain a “relevant partner” in Africa despite the “anti-French speeches”, declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna while presenting Tuesday evening before the Senate the country’s foreign policy in Africa.

While the population of the African continent, which already has 1.1 billion inhabitants, is expected to double by 2050 according to the United Nations, African youth have issued a challenge to France: “to renew ourselves, to change our how to do it, ”noted the head of French diplomacy, stressing that Paris had heard the message of young people. Two and a half years ago, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron had a dialogue with the youth of Africa during a summit in Montpellier.

In recent years, difficult cases have piled up on the offices of the Quai d’Orsay: visa crisis with Moroccotensions with Algeria – which explain that President Tebboune has still not scheduled a visit to France -, break with Mali. France is determined “to build a new, balanced, reciprocal relationship” with the countries of Africa, “this is how France will remain a close, relevant partner in this continent called upon to occupy such a central position in the balances of tomorrow’s world,” added the Minister.

The minister did not elude “headwinds” and in particular “the dissemination of anti-French speech in some French-speaking African countries. Probably targeting Algeria and Mali, she considered that these speeches “are partly linked to the heritage of history, partly to the frustrations of young people, partly also to hostile companies, particularly from Russia. “.

France, second foreign investor on the African continent

Africa is at the heart of international struggles for influence which have intensified since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Many African countries are dependent for their food on grain imports from Russia and Ukraine. Moscow has multiplied initiatives on the continent in recent years, aiming to pose as an alternative to the former colonial powers.

In certain areas, it let the paramilitary group Wagner prosper, particularly in the Central African Republic where the firm had one of its own adviser on the security of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra appointed, mounted a praetorian guard putting down the “rebellion” and captured the riches of gold and diamonds. It is no coincidence that a Russia-Africa summit is announced on July 26 in Saint Petersburg, city of Putin, of the leader of the Wagner Yevgeny Prigojineand now headquarters of the militia, who opened his headquarters there on November 4th.

“Nothing is more wrong, and for a long time” than to think that relations between France and its African partners are self-evident in an “ever more competitive” world, admitted the minister to the senators. “With the continent’s ever-increasing participation in the global economy, these are markets for our businesses to consolidate or invest in,” she continued.

France is the second largest foreign investor on the African continent after China. In fifteen years, the number of subsidiaries of French companies has doubled on the continent, as have investments, detailed Catherine Colonna.

For his part, the Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu noted that over time, African countries had “decided to diversify their partnerships” and to “put them in competition” including in terms of defence. “This brings the challenge of being more attractive vis-à-vis old partners with whom we are in affective relations”, he explained, also recalling that the African continent is “subject to tensions between authoritarian models and democracies”.

Lecornu evokes “emotional relationships”

With regard to the terrorist threat, it has evolved in ten years: today, “it is more fragmented, more diffuse, more endogenous, more difficult to detect and inform”, explained Sébastien Lecornu, stressing that it was necessary therefore think about new methods of combating terrorism. He also pleaded for “a more transparent approach to the missions” of the French bases, and said his desire to welcome many more cadets or non-commissioned officers in France. The Minister will thus continue discussions with his counterparts to propose a “new training catalog” to prevent countries from turning in particular to the Russian offer.

“We have to work twice as hard,” he continued, stressing the need “both to fight terrorism and to honor our word sometimes given by defense agreements” signed decades ago. .