French mistakes helped create Africa’s coup belt
Al JazeeraAug 15, 2023
Macron's Africa Comments Spark Controversy
story
Above: On Jan. 7, 2025, France's President Emmanuel Macron took part in a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Islamist attacks on Charlie Hebdo and the Hypercacher Jewish supermarket in Paris. Image copyright: Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP/Contributor via Getty Images
The Facts
French Pres. Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the French ambassadors' annual conference on foreign policy in Paris on Monday, declared that Sahel states had "forgot[ten]" to "thank" France for its military intervention against Islamist militants.
Macron said France was "right" to intervene in the Sahel region, beginning in Mali in 2013 and later expanding to neighboring countries, including Niger and Burkina Faso.
This comes as French troops have been withdrawing from multiple African nations, including Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and are currently departing from Chad, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. Addressing this, Macron said France is reorganizing its regional strategic priorities, refuting claims of a compelled retreat from Africa.
The Spin
Narrative A
France's military intervention in the Sahel region was crucial for maintaining sovereignty and fighting terrorism, but as the landscape has changed, so, too, must France's strategy — which is exactly why Paris is removing its troops. The withdrawal is simply a strategic reorganization, not a forced retreat.
Narrative B
France's presence in Africa has primarily served its own strategic interests without delivering lasting development benefits to local populations. The decision to end military partnerships stems from sovereign nations' independent choices, and France must learn to respect African autonomy.
