Paris (EFE) French military on that continent.
In a speech at the Elysée ahead of a four-country tour of central Africa, Macron admitted that France had made mistakes in the past and at times assumed “exorbitant” military responsibilities, putting his country in a difficult position. position that makes it easy for her to be turned into a “scapegoat”.
In this sense, he used the example of Mali, where the authorities ended up asking for the departure of the French special force deployed to combat jihadism in the Sahel. A similar decision was adopted at the beginning of this year by Burkina Faso.
Macron defends a new link between France and Africa
“Indeed, there is a too installed idea that France is responsible for everything and when there is a disappointment people come and say ‘it’s your fault’. No, it’s not our fault, ”she stressed, while continuing to specify her“ pride ”for the leading role that France has adopted in the battle against terrorism since 2013, something that no other country has done.
“Our sons have died in Africa fighting terrorism there. But France alone cannot fight terrorism in Africa. There is a disappointment there but because there is a kind of misunderstanding. If the African governments do not play their role, if they somehow transfer everything to the French presence, we will never succeed, ”he argued.
Given the push of the influence of China and Russia, Macron defended a new link with Africa that goes from a “logic of aid” to one of “solidarity and collaboration investment”, extended to areas beyond security, such as culture , climate, sport and innovation.
“The competition in which I do not want to participate is that of the military presence,” stressed the French president, who described as “anachronistic” the notion of measuring “influence” in terms of security operations.
Thus, Macron advocated a new approach to Franco-African relations, in which the security paradigm goes to the background.
“We are in a position that is not on the right track and it is largely our fault,” he acknowledged.
Remodel military bases
This will translate into a remodeling of the French military presence, which will rethink its military bases on African soil and reduce the number of troops sent by Paris, in exchange for increasing local participation.
This will lead to jointly managed military bases or even to their transformation into training schools, in other cases.
For Macron, this presence had become a propaganda “pretext” for “many enemies” and also an excuse for “not dealing with the problems” from a political point of view within the country itself.
This new bilateral approach, Macron frames it in a new model of North-South relations, based on “fighting together for common causes”, such as climate change or inequality, without Western countries dictating a “development” path.
It is a position of “humility” with which France does not renounce the defense of democracy, Macron said, but it does privilege the idea of accompanying societies in their transformation, rather than imposing it.
He also advocated a more respectful relationship, including by French companies doing business in Africa.
Macron Tour for Africa
The French president will leave on March 1 for a tour that will take him to Gabon, Angola, Congo-Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with an agenda that includes environmental, scientific and cultural aspects.
Regarding this last area, Macron emphasized the initiatives for the restitution of African cultural heritage in the hands of France and advanced that his Ministry of Culture will soon present a bill to regulate them to the Legislative Branch.
The French president’s trip is part of a framework of growing Chinese and Russian influence on the African continent.
In the first case, it translates above all into financial dependence, but in the second it includes an increased military presence, in particular with the Wagner paramilitary group, and a very visible political rapprochement with Moscow in the context of the invasion of Ukraine.