The Decline of French African Policy

The article is dedicated to the interaction of France with the former colonies of Africa. The conceptual foundations of French African policy were laid by Charles de Gaulle in the middle of the last century. Subsequent leaders of the Republic made adjustments to them, trying to keep African countries dependent. During the presidency of E. Macron, France’s relations sharply deteriorated with countries such as Mali, Chad, Niger, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Gabon and others. In the politics of the ruling elites of these countries, there is a protest against the presence of France in their countries, as well as a tendency towards independence and the choice of new partners, among which Russia is a priority. The reason for the change in the mood of African politicians lies in the fact that the so-called paternalistic relations that France maintained with African countries for a long time have not brought benefits. Problems such as poverty, ethnic and religious conflicts, and terrorist threats still remain unresolved, although France continues to assert itself as a reliable partner. E. Macron, like his predecessors, has attempted to rehabilitate African politics. However, the new approaches differ little from the previous ones. Their content testifies to the continuation of de Gaulle’s policy of “leaving in order to stay”. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do this. New players have entered the continent with more attractive offers of cooperation, for example, China. The author argues that France’s African policy does not stand the test of time. In the era of global restructuring of international relations, its influence on the African continent has significantly weakened.

France, Africa, politics, former colonies, conflicts, terrorist organizations