During his appearance on the morning show Salam Senegal on Radio Senegal, Dr Adama Sadio, political analyst, discussed the presence of French military bases in Africa. This discussion took place in the context of recent statements by French President Emmanuel Macron criticizing what he described as the ingratitude of certain African leaders. According to him, these leaders owe their retention in power to the French military intervention, which provoked a strong reaction, in particular that of the Senegalese Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko.
A controversial military presence
Dr Sadio stressed that, in countries like Mali, Niger and Chad, the departure of French troops was often difficult and fraught with tension. These situations demonstrate, according to him, a generalized questioning of the usefulness and legitimacy of French military bases on the continent.
“If we look at the political trajectory of those who are in power in Senegal today, they had already denounced the presence of these bases, affirming that it is not a guarantee of sovereignty,” recalled Dr Sadio. However, this debate is not recent.
A questioning that began in 2010
In 2010, former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade expressed his wish to see the French army leave Senegal. A position shared by other African leaders, notably Idriss Déby of Chad, who also criticized this military dependence.
Dr Sadio highlighted a paradigm shift: “This shift stems from a lack of awareness among Western countries, which continue to perceive Africa through the prism of the 1960s. This persistent condescension ignores the profound transformations that have taken place. on the continent. »
The end of submission diplomacy
The analyst also recalled that there was a time when African leaders in search of international legitimacy went to France to receive tacit approval. This era, marked by diplomacy centered on the economic needs of France, seems to be over.
Today, criticism extends to the role of the Francophonie, the CFA Franc, and the French military presence, considered as tools of cultural and economic domination.
A sovereignty to rebuild
For Dr Sadio, the rise of popular and political protests against France marks an important turning point. These struggles reflect a growing aspiration of African peoples for true sovereignty, free of all foreign influence.
He concludes by emphasizing that this debate, although difficult, is essential to redefine relations between Africa and France: “It is now up to African leaders to build a sovereignty that reflects the aspirations of their people and to move beyond the inherited framework of colonization. »
