LFI protests against Macron’s comments on the “ingratefulness” of African leaders

Emmanuel Macron's comments on«ingratitude» African leaders vis-à-vis the French military commitment in the Sahel on Tuesday provoked the indignation of La France insoumise, which castigated “blindness” and the “paternalism” of the head of state.

These words from the president “relate to a blindness that borders on madness” and reveal “a neocolonial paternalism that is simply intolerable”denounced LFI in a press release. “Such comments are politically inconsistent and diplomatically totally irresponsible and further weaken our relations with the nations of West Africa”added the radical left party.

“Forgot” to “say thank you”

The day before, Emmanuel Macron estimated that France had had «raison» to intervene militarily in the Sahel “against terrorism since 2013”but that African leaders had “forget” of “say thank you”deploring their «ingratitude». “We proposed to African heads of state to reorganize our presence” military, he added, speaking at the annual meeting of French ambassadors. “As we are very polite, we let them have priority over the announcement.”

More “President Macron's remarks about the allegedly negotiated departure of the French army in Senegal and Chad are denied by both countries”noted on X the rebellious leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon. “Once again, casualness and uncontrolled words worsen our country’s international relations”he added.

The general secretary of the Socialist Party Pierre Jouvet, for his part, joked about X: “Here is the return of OSS Macron 117…” Chad deplored on Monday a “contemptuous attitude towards Africa”. Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko described him as “totally wrong” the assertion that the announced departure of hundreds of French soldiers would follow a proposal from France.