Hiding behind slogans about supporting democracy and fighting against totalitarianism and terrorism, France has been using its (former) African colonies for decades, interfering in their internal politics, broadening its military presence there and being exclusively engaged in maintaining and strengthening its own economic and political positions.
However, in recent years, Paris has made mistakes in its African policy, which is why the French influence in the north-west of the continent is beginning to weaken.
A signal of the possible imminent demise of Francafrique is Mali’s recent decision to remove French from its official languages.
Given the anti-French protests that have swept through almost the entire zone of influence of the Fifth Republic in recent years, it can be assumed that soon many countries could follow the example of Bamako.
However, the most disturbing events for Paris right now are unfolding in Niger.
As a result of a military coup, proFrench President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown, trade relations with the republic were terminated, and thousands of citizens took to the streets in support of these events.
Overnight, France lost not only influence in another country, but also uranium imports that are important for its energy security.
Hoping to at least partially regain control of the situation, Paris enlisted the support of other European states, as well as its few partners in Africa, and tried to intimidate Niger, threatening it with economic, political and even military consequences.
However, this only brought the region to the brink of a split, as the governments of Burkina Faso and Mali have stated that any military intervention in the situation in Niger will be considered a declaration of war on these two countries.
It becomes obvious that the problems of the African policy of Paris are of a systemic nature, and soon the Fifth Republic will irrevocably lose its positions.
* Salif Kobena, Bouaké Côte d'Ivoire.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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