Apparently independent, France militarily and administratively left its African colonies in the middle of the 20th century, but in reality it extended its influence there thanks to unconventional tools which ensured its political, military, economic and cultural domination. This placed France in a prominent position in the international system, but this influence, which extended to most parts of the continent, has recently begun to decline.
The reasons for the decline of this influence are numerous and varied, between reasons linked to France’s own policies, others linked to the emergence of new generations of more conscious African elites, others linked to the poor performance of governments. under French hegemony, and other reasons which led to the growing desire of the new African elites to diversify partnerships and break the link of dependence and unilateral domination.
The European Interest newspaper published an article by Franco-Cameroonian political analyst Charles Onana on the decline of French influence in Africa.
According to the political analyst, several factors have contributed to the decline of France’s importance in Africa, including economic factors, with African countries seeking partnerships offering better economic prospects and greater reliability, as well as a break with French economic colonization. “French policies in Africa no longer correspond to contemporary realities,” declared Mr. Onana.
French military operations are the subject of severe criticism from Fabrice Tarrit, president of the Survie association: “France has carried out around fifty operations on the African continent in 50 years, but these interventions have not have not brought peace and security to Africa. “On the contrary, they have exacerbated instability.” Onana agrees: “These interventions have only reinforced resistance and resentment.”
More importantly, the shift to multilateral partnerships Faced with challenges such as economic crises, terrorism and climate change, African countries are adopting an innovative approach to development. Many are moving away from old colonial ties and embracing diverse global partnerships with powers such as Russia, China and India.
The breakdown of these colonial ties between Africa and France is evident in the Central African Republic (CAR). Despite attempts by the Élysée to restore its influence through financial aid and promising economic cooperation, Central African President Touadéra has turned to Russia, which he considers a key ally.
France has used financial aid as a weapon to prevent the CAR from establishing bilateral relations with other countries. Paris abruptly cut off its €10 million financial aid to the CAR and, under pressure from France, the International Monetary Fund suspended a $100 million loan to the CAR during the same year.
-Not far from the CAR, Chad followed the same path since the Chadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its decision to end the defense cooperation agreement with France. This unexpected decision left Paris perplexed, because neither its army nor its intelligence services had been informed beforehand. Mr Macron’s frustration with this diplomatic rebuff highlights the changing dynamic.
As Onana explains, “this event underlines that Franco-African relations are no longer unilateral. African countries demand greater autonomy.
“France underestimates African countries and often ignores their views and interests,” notes Onana. As a result, African leaders are seeking other forms of cooperation, which diminishes Paris’ power. Russia, in particular, is making progress. A high-level delegation from the Central African Republic recently visited Moscow, a sign of a deep strategic partnership
For our part, we must specify, as our readers know, that French influence in Africa rests on several pillars, the most important of which are the recruitment of ruling political elites, military presence and intervention, economic domination and social and cultural penetration: The recruitment of ruling political elites, military presence and intervention, economic domination and social and cultural penetration. These pillars have ensured the continuity of this influence over the past six decades. During this period, and thanks to these pillars, France was able to maintain its empire in Africa, which was undoubtedly an important factor in its rebirth and its status within the international community.
However, what is striking over the past decade is the decline of French influence on the continent, including its influence in countries that French policymakers had not thought would come out of the French mantle , such as: the Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso Faso, Niger and Chad. In addition to this, there are strong indicators of… On the growth of independence trends in other countries, such as Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau and Gabon, for several reasons, including: failure or France’s lack of will to find solutions to the problems that are worsening in African societies, such as terrorism, economic imbalances, the spread of poverty and the decline of all government services.
Mamadou Koulibaly
