Macron calls for an “equal relationship” between France and Africa

Paris: From Algeria to Rwanda via the coast, French President Emmanuel Macron defended his diplomacy in Africa in an interview published this Friday by the magazine “John Africa”, condemning at the same time the “strategy” of Russia and Turkey to arouse anti-sentiments. -French on the mainland.

Macron said: “I think there should be a love relationship between France and Africa,” and called for the establishment of “an egalitarian relationship and a true partnership.”

The first French president born after decolonization indicated that to achieve this, “we must not be prisoners of the past”, especially the “taboos” that date back to colonial times.

But he added: “There is a strategy that is being followed, sometimes implemented by African leaders, but mainly foreign powers such as Russia and Turkey, playing on post-colonial resentment” in French-speaking African countries that have recently witnessed limited demonstrations against the reissue of the magazine “Charlie Hebdo”. Caricature representing the prophet Muhammad.

Macron said: “We must not be naïve. Many of those who speak out and film videos and those present in the French-speaking media are being bribed from Russia or Turkey.”

These two countries, in addition to China, are trying to consolidate their influence at the expense of Western powers in Africa, in search of their natural resources.

In response to the magazine’s question about the re-election of the 78-year-old Ivorian presidents, Alassane Ouattara, and the 82-year-old Guinean Alpha Conde, in two events that caused unrest in both countries, the French president stressed that “France does give lessons “.

He expressed understanding for the case of Ouattara, considering that he was “running out of service” and invited him to “take initiatives of opening”, while the electoral crisis left 85 dead in three months in Ivory Coast.

On the other hand, Alpha Conde was accused of “organizing a referendum and changing the constitution just to stay in power.” For this reason, “I have not yet sent a message of congratulations”, considering that the situation in Guinea is “dangerous”.

The French president considered that the situation in the two countries reflects the “relative failure to renew generations” in the political world of Africa, which is the youngest continent.

In the November 16 dialogue, he sought inspiration from figures such as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won the Nobel Peace Prize but was recently criticized for launching a military operation against the authorities in the northern region of Tigray.

On the other hand, Macron praised his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, who “contributed a lot to moderate Rwandan political discourse towards France in recent years.”

He said he hoped to visit this country in 2021 to mark the return of warm relations after decades of tension over France’s controversial role in the 1994 genocide.

Algeria is another priority for Emmanuel Macron, who said he would do “everything in his power” to “help” President Abdelmadjid Tebboune “succeed” the change that began in 2019 with the popular protest movement.

On Algeria, Macron said that there are also “things that do not conform to our standards and we would like to see them change”, but indicated that “we will not change the power structures in a few months.”

Asked about his position on the “challenge of memory” posed by the Algerian war, the French president stressed that the important thing is “to do a historical job and reconcile the two memories”, not to “apologize.”

Regarding the Sahel region, Macron revealed that “in the coming months measures will be taken to evaluate Operation Barkhane”, in which 5,000 French soldiers are participating.

He reiterated France’s total opposition to negotiating with the jihadists, in light of the discussion of the issue in the region, especially in Mali. “With the terrorists we do not talk, we fight,” he said.

The next Franco-African summit will be held in July 2021 in Montpellier (southern France).

Macron said the meeting “will illustrate the shift in approach” that he expressed in his speech in Ouagadougou three years ago. He added that “we will not organize a traditional summit to which the leaders of the countries will be invited”, but rather that “people who embody the renewal of generations will be highlighted.”