During the 30th conference of ambassadors, organized on January 6 and 7, 2025 at the Élysée, Emmanuel Macron addressed several major subjects of French diplomacy. In front of France’s representatives stationed around the world, the president spoke at length about relations with Africa, a continent where the French presence is evolving significantly.
“France is not in decline in Africa”
In his inaugural speech, Emmanuel Macron made a point of denying criticism of France’s decreasing role in Africa: “No, France is not in decline in Africa, it is simply lucid, it is reorganizing itself. »
Referring to the recent departures of French soldiers from Senegal and Chad, he insisted on the necessary nature of this strategic repositioning: “We chose to move because we had to move. »
“We forgot to say “thank you””
The Head of State recalled France’s crucial role in the fight against terrorism on the continent since 2013. “We were right,” he said, while regretting a lack of recognition: “I believe that we forgot to say “thank you”. It doesn’t matter, it will come with time. »
He then sent a clear message to African leaders: “Ingratitude, I am well placed to know, is a disease that is not transmissible to humans. But I say this for all the African leaders who did not have the courage to face their public opinion: none of them would be with a sovereign country today if the French army did not was not deployed in this region. »
The reasons for the military withdrawal
Macron explained that recent coups in Africa had changed the situation: “We left because there were coups, because we were there at the request of sovereign states. From the moment there were coups d’état, when people said “our priority is no longer the fight against terrorism”, France no longer had its place. »
The president also justified the reorganization of the French presence, specifying that it had been done in consultation with local leaders: “We proposed to African heads of state to reorganize our presence. As we are very polite, we let them have priority in the announcement. But make no mistake: sometimes you had to push them. »
“It’s not because we’re polite…”
Faced with accusations of “forced withdrawal”, Emmanuel Macron defended the French posture: “It is not because we are polite, correct, and reorganize ourselves, that it should be turned against us by saying: “They are driven out of Africa. » »
He made a point of recalling that certain decisions had been difficult for the countries concerned: “I can tell you that in many of these countries, we did not want to remove the French army or even reorganize it. But we took it on together. That’s partnership. »
An assumed reorganization
Insisting on the importance of respectful and thoughtful cooperation, Emmanuel Macron affirmed that France continues to play a major role in Africa, but in a different form, more focused on partnerships than on traditional military presence.
