The President of the Republic estimated, Friday, that it was necessary to “change the logic that was ours in too many countries with installed bases which fueled ambiguities”, in reference to the anti-French feeling in former French colonies in Africa.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced Friday that the French base installed in Djibouti would be “reinvent” as “projection point” for «missions» in Africa, after the forced withdrawal of French forces from the Sahel. “Our role is changing in Africa (..) because the world is changing in Africa, because public opinions are changing, because governments are changing”declared the Head of State in front of the French forces stationed in Djibouti, before sharing a Christmas dinner with them.
“And because we sovereignly decided in February 2023, after several years of progressive change, to rebuild a partnership based on respected partners”, “to whom we must help with training, equipment, intelligence, for specific operations”he recalled.
Sentiment antifrançais
It was necessary “change the logic that was ours in too many countries of installed, plethora, permanent bases, which fueled ambiguities”he continued, in reference to the growing anti-French feeling in the former French colonies in Africa.
France has already been forced to evacuate its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger between 2022 and 2023 after military juntas came to power and moved closer to Moscow.
A first contingent of 120 French soldiers also left Chad on Friday, which made a similar request on November 29, as did Senegal, confirming a reorganization of the French system which benefits Russian influence.
“Indo-Pacific” Strategy
If Djibouti is above all focused on strategy “IndoPacific” of France, by contributing to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, “it is also, and will also have to be reinvented, a projection point for some of our African missions”he added without further details.
The Djibouti base, which hosts 1,500 soldiers, is the largest French contingent abroad and the only one not to be affected by the historic reduction in force planned on the African continent, after a series of disappointments in the Sahel in recent years. recent years.
France and Djibouti renewed their defense cooperation treaty (TCMD) in July. In addition to rent for the use of the base, which has been the subject of heated discussions, France provides air policing over Djibouti. A popular island of stability in a troubled region, this small East African country is located opposite Yemen, at the exit of the Red Sea, in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait where a large part of world trade passes. between Asia and the West.
World
