The fall of France in the Sahel

In recent years, political instability in many West African countries and the Sahel region has seen the fall of France’s popularity in its former colonies and a possible move towards Russia.

From Mali to Burkina Faso to Niger, soldiers have taken over the leadership of these countries. These soldiers have shown themselves as no fans of France and have shown their disenchantment by gravitating towards Russia.

For instance, Burkina Faso’s transitional government in December 2022 demanded that the French ambassador leave their country. It also expelled the embassy’s defence attache.

Mali did the same by expelling the French ambassador in 2022 amidst growing tensions with its former colonial lord.

The coup in Niger and the eventual withdrawal of French troops from the West African country was perhaps the last straw that made the French government realise it had lost in the region.

Just like its allies, Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger also expelled the French ambassador. The face-off with France has also led to the closure of the embassy in Niger.

Very recently, the West African country suspended all cooperation with the International Organisation of Francophone Nations (OIF), noting that it has always been used by France as “an instrument to defend French interests.”

“It is clear that France’s policy in Africa is failing and it will fail. In the interest of Africa, it will fail,” Owei Lakemfa, a Nigerian commentator on international relations, said, adding that France has lived on other people, especially African people.

He said the European country’s policies in Africa have been that of domination and exploitation.

Matter of fact, France has in my view been parasitic in its foreign and economic policy, the African labour unionist said.

“If France is working on a new policy, it has to be a policy that is not exploitative but if it is exploitative as I expect it to be, the prayer will be that France will fail,” Mr Lakemfa said.

France should look inward for means to develop itself rather than looking for African countries to exploit, he added.

Also, the Speaker of the ECOWAS parliament, Sidie Tunis, had called on the West African body to re-examine the relationship between its Francophone members and France.