Recent events have highlighted the upheavals in relations between France and its former colonies in Africa, marking a major shift in Paris’ influence on the continent for decades.
As France developed a new military strategy that would significantly reduce its permanent presence in Africa, two of its closest allies dealt a blow to this vision.
The government of Chad, considered France’s most stable and loyal partner in Africa, announced on its independence day that it was ending defense cooperation in order to redefine its sovereignty.
However, in an interview published a few hours later by Le Monde, Senegal’s new president said it was “obvious” that French soldiers would soon no longer be present on Senegalese soil.
“The French have been here for centuries since the time of slavery, but that does not mean that it is impossible to change things,” said President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
The announcements come as France has been trying to revive its influence in Africa. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was wrapping up a visit to Chad and Ethiopia, and President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged for the first time the massacre of up to 400 West African soldiers by the French army in 1944.
For nearly 24 hours, French officials remained silent after Chad’s announcement, finally declaring that they were in “close dialogue” about the future of the partnership.
“Chad’s decision marks the final blow to France’s post-colonial military dominance across the Sahel region,” said Mucahid Durmaz, a senior analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, referring to the arid region south of the Sahara.
The Senegal and Chad decisions are part of a broader structural transformation of France’s engagement in the region, where Paris’s political and military influence continues to wane, Durmaz added.
They follow the expulsion of French forces in recent years by military governments in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, where local sentiment has soured after years of French forces fighting alongside local forces against stubborn Islamic extremist insurgencies.
What is France’s new strategy in Africa?
Jean-Marie Bockel, Macron’s personal envoy for Africa, presented Macron last month with his report on the evolution of France’s military presence in Africa.
This was part of the “renewal of our partnership with African countries” that Macron announced in a 2017 speech in Burkina Faso at the start of his presidential term.
Details of Bockel’s report have not been made public. However, three senior French officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive discussions with the countries concerned, said France aims to significantly reduce its military presence at all its bases in Africa, with the exception of Djibouti, a Horn of Africa nation where Macron is expected in the coming days.
The officials said this does not necessarily mean a reduction in military cooperation, but rather a response to the needs of the countries concerned. It could mean providing specific training in airspace surveillance, drones and other aircraft. France could also temporarily deploy troops.
The officials declined to confirm the number of troop reductions, but called the reduction significant.
Earlier this year, the French military also set up an Africa Command, similar to the United States’ AFRICOM. The newly appointed commander, Pascal Ianni, specializes in influence and information warfare — a necessity underscored by Russia’s growing presence in Africa.
“You can continue your military cooperation as many countries do. But the idea of having permanent military bases, which can then be used as political ammunition against you and used in a disinformation war, is perhaps not the best way to go about it,” said Will Brown, a senior fellow at the European Center for Foreign Relations.
Meanwhile, France is trying to strengthen its economic presence in English-speaking African countries such as Nigeria, analysts said. Already, its two largest trading partners on the continent are Nigeria and South Africa.
At the time of the Chad announcement, Macron was meeting with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
Where does France have troops in West Africa and why?
Since the independence of French colonies in Africa, France has maintained a policy of economic, political and military influence called Françafrique, which has included maintaining thousands of permanent troops in the region.
France currently has 600 troops in Ivory Coast, 350 in Senegal, 350 in Gabon, and about 1,500 in Djibouti. It had 1,000 troops in Chad.
The French Defense Ministry has said the role of French troops in Africa is to train local soldiers and build their capacity to fight extremism, primarily in peacekeeping, intelligence, and logistics. However, critics say that keeping troops on the ground has also allowed Paris to maintain its influence and protect political regimes that favor France..
“The countries of Francophone Africa want a change in this relationship,” said Gilles Yabi, director of the West Africa Citizen think tank.
Are West African countries turning away from France? This development could well mark a turning point in the relations between France and its former colonies, offering new insights into power dynamics in Africa.