Five months after the start of the war in Ukraine, the French president continues to raise his voice against the policy of Vladimir Putin, affirming that “when we say things and try to qualify them”, “we give the means” to influence events. Since his arrival in Africa, in Cameroon on Tuesday then in Benin on Wednesday, he has thus multiplied criticism of Moscow while, at the same time, the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov, was also on an African tour to affirm his attachment to the continent. .
“Russia is one of the last colonial imperial powers” by deciding “to invade a neighboring country to defend its interests there”, said Emmanuel Macron during a press conference with his Beninese counterpart Patrice Talon in Cotonou. “I am speaking on a continent which has suffered from colonial imperialism,” he insisted.
“New Kind of Hybrid World War”
In Yaoundé and then in Cotonou, the French president sought to warn African capitals against the “new type of hybrid world war” being waged by Moscow, which “has decided that information, energy and food are military instruments used” for the war in Ukraine. The day before, he had bluntly denounced “the hypocrisy”, heard “especially on the African continent”, consisting in not clearly recognizing that Russia was carrying out “unilateral aggression” in Ukraine “because there are pressures diplomatic”.
Like Cameroonian President Paul Biya, several African leaders do not officially condemn the Russian intervention, which is also the case in the Middle East. The subject should be discussed at the dinner that Emmanuel Macron will share Thursday at the Elysee Palace with the strongman of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. Responding from a distance, Sergei Lavrov said in Uganda that Russia was not responsible for the “energy and food crises”, denouncing “a very noisy campaign around this”.
Russia is also targeted by Emmanuel Macron for his activism in Africa, in particular through the sulphurous paramilitary group Wagner, which, according to him, comes “in support either of weakened political powers which are struggling to take responsibility or to illegitimate juntas” in the Central African Republic and Mali.
“Uninhibited” relationships
Conversely, the French president promotes his new vision of relations between France and Africa, presenting Benin as one of the test countries of this desire to establish a “win-win partnership”. Relations with Paris “are uninhibited and rid of the heaviness of the past”, welcomed Beninese President Patrice Talon, not hiding the complicity established with his French counterpart.
The main factor in this improvement is linked to the return to Benin by France of 26 works from the royal treasures of Abomey (south), capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey, which had been looted in 1892 by French colonial troops. “These restitutions changed the image of France by showing that it was possible to establish a relationship of equals and to dispel the feeling of Beninese that the French still had a superiority complex”, explains José Pliya, advisor to Patrice Talon for heritage.
After visiting the exhibition of these treasures in Cotonou, Emmanuel Macron assured that this process would continue while Beninese would like the return to the country of other symbolic works, such as the sculpture of God Gou, held by the Louvre Museum.
France’s support in the face of jihadist attacks
He also said that France would “always be in support” of Benin for its security, particularly in terms of intelligence and equipment, to deal with the multiplication of jihadist attacks in the North, on the border with Burkina Faso. and Niger. But Patrice Talon urged Paris to “go faster” in the supply of equipment, including drones.
Anxious to highlight the role of regional organizations, Emmanuel Macron said he was “willing” to participate in a meeting of the “Accra Initiative” which brings together six West African countries in the anti-jihadist fight. With the same objective, he is expected in Guinea-Bissau to discuss Thursday with its president who has just taken over the presidency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).