... another debacle suffered by French diplomacy on the African continent, these sentiments seemed more like an attempt to save the blushes by presenting the erstwhile neocolonialism clothed in a more alluring mantle.
Useful recalcitrance
Alexei Chikhchev:
France and Africa: Another Fresh Start?
Setting the French leader’s speech in a broader context, it is appropriate to recall that reflecting on the desired structure of the international system is not something new either to the foreign policy of the Fifth Republic ...
... to what once were its African colonies. The Sahel region of Africa is a region filled with natural resources like oil, gold, salt, diamonds, copper, uranium, petroleum, fisheries, and other resources. During the nineteenth century’s “Scramble for Africa”, France was considered one of the most prominent colonisers alongside the British, Italians, Germans, and Spanish. However, French influence in the Sahel was present long before it officially became its colonizer. Since the early seventeenth century, French ...
... of development. Besides, it allows to extract considerable economic benefits from its monopoly access to natural resources that are very important for the modern French economy. What the second European giant, Germany, has to buy for hard currency, France takes in Africa practically for free. In other words, if we can talk about the relationship between the West and most of the world as a neo-colonial domination, then French influence in part of Africa is not much different from simple colonialism. Even the system ...
... opposition and civil society and conveying its views through African intellectuals and opinion leaders. Not only the eternal problems of Paris’ continental strategy should resonate in public space, but also all kinds of success stories when, thanks to France, African descendants become prominent figures in science, art or sports (following the example of football player K. Mbappe).
Besides, Macron drew attention to the economic return of the Fifth Republic to the continent. In this regard, it is proposed ...
... prospects for Russia-Europe cooperation
On October 29, 2021, RIAC held the second webinar to analyze the challenges in Central Africa and the Sahel region and to discuss the prospects for Russia-Europe cooperation. CONFLITS, the French magazine, is RIAC’s ... ... Foundation; Daniel Dory, former Vice Minister of Territorial Planning of Bolivia, Associate Professor, La Rochelle University (France); Wolfgang Pusztai, Senior Advisor at the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) in Vienna.
Russian ...
The latest Africa-France Summit reflects the desire to manifest a possible Africanisation of Africa-France relations rather than a unilateral “francisation” of relations.
On October 8–9, the
New Africa-France 2021 Summit
was held in Montpellier. Partially covered ...
... with his sentiments echoed to varying degrees by each of his successors, whose proclamations were always coupled with certain symbolic gestures and initiatives. Emmanuel Macron is no exception here, as was demonstrated by his appearance at the latest Africa–France
Summit
in Montpellier on October 8, 2021. Once again, the event proved that Paris is trying to move beyond the outdated African strategy and diversify this policy case, both in terms of partners and in the scope of topics on the agenda.
The Context ...
... having an exclusive responsibility to protect friendly African nations whenever necessary. The country’s ability to intervene in Africa is a big part of France’s great power identity, since, as Jean-Yves Haine rightly notes, “without Africa France would be a medium-power”. Secondly, France has come to see some African regions—namely, North Africa and the Sahel—as the “
southernmost border of French territory
” with clear implications for French security at home....
... present shape is not viable in the long term.
The Libyan war practically deregulated the entire system of relations in North Africa, exposing previously latent conflicts and removing any barriers to the spread of small arms across the borders. One manifestation ... ... territory with astonishing speed. There was a real threat that the central government would fall. It was at this point that France, the former colonial leader, stepped in. Operation Serval was carried out in January–February 2013 (officially it ...
After being told by Henry Kissinger that it was time to “modernize” FIFA president Sepp Blatter has turned football into a money machine that is expanding in Africa the Middle East and Asia, and maintaining a profitable scenario for marketing partners in a troubled global economy.
Reflecting on how football has become a global force during his long tenure as FIFA president, Blatter tweeted on March 23rd ...
