French president acknowledges foreign powers are competing for influence in Africa, but says Paris is committed to working with states on an equal footing
05 March 2023 - 21:04Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi speaks to French President Emmanuel Macron in Kinshasa, March 4 2023. Picture: JUSTIN MAKANGARA/REUTERS
At a joint press conference, Macron acknowledged France was among foreign powers jostling for influence in Africa, but said he was committed to working with states on an equal footing. France has endured a recent messy breakdown in relations with some former colonies in West Africa and his first-time visits to the DRC, Gabon, Angola and Congo Republic last week reflect Macron’s wish to turn the page.
“Francafrique is a thing of the past,” he said, referring to the murky links that sometimes saw Paris prioritise commercial gain and support autocratic regimes in former colonies. France’s new approach comes amid a deepening security crisis in West Africa’s Sahel region that has fuelled anti-French protests and brought juntas to power in Burkina Faso and Mali which have rejected long-standing military ties.
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