From March 1 to March 4, 2023, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, officially visited four African Countries to rebrand the image of France in that part of the world.
This Initiative, according to BBC, was taken from 2017 when the French President declared in Burkina-Faso that his country would no longer deal exclusively with African governments, but will equally include African civil societies in the partnership between their countries and The Hexagon.
On Wednesday, President Macron kicked off his African political and economic tour in Gabon. During his stay in Libreville, the French President, along with his Gabonese counterparts co-organized a summit on the environment. The summit they called “One Forest Summit” aims at reinforcing the protection of African tropical forests.
According to TV5 Monde, the protagonists’ vocation is to implement the objectives set by the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate as well as the Montreal COP15 on biodiversity. The first aims for carbon neutrality in 2050 and the second tends to preserve 30% of the planet by 2030. That is to protect the land, the oceans and species from pollution, degradation and the climate crisis.
Aware of the recent unpopularity of “France-Africa” with its colonial legacy, Macron claimed that “the age of “France-Africa” is over. This claim comes after recent waves of Francophobic behaviors in West Africa have undermined the influence of the former Metropole on the continent. The “Anti-French sentiment” as witnessed in Mali, Burkina-Faso and Niger, is due to what most scholars and analysts perceive as “neocolonial arrogance” displayed by the Elysée due to Macron’s serial diplomatic blunders .
Gabon is a former French colony which has seen the Bongo dynasty rule over the country for decades with no intention of giving up anytime soon. Macron’s visit in Gabon sent mixed messages to a number of Gabonese who think France intends to maintain Ali Bongo in power.
Speaking to Reuters, a Gabonese citizen warned that “if Macron wants to support the Bongo family, we will rise up.”
On March 3, after Gabon, Macron headed to Angola, the second destination of his infamous African tour. Beyond the already existing oil-related French presence in the country, the French president emphasized on the promotion of economic partnership with Angola as part of the new French approach to the continent, he claimed.
According to aa.com, “Macron talked with French and Angolan experts and investors.” He announced a loan of over $150 that will be invested through “climate resilience, water security and revitalization of the coffee sector in Angola,” wrote Aurore Bonny of aa.com.
Beside economic talks, both Macron and Angolan president Joao Lourenco tackled the question instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Macron promised a potential de-escalation of the conflict in DRC, a question that will pretty much be at the center of his visit in DR Congo.
In Congo Brazzaville, Macron spent only about four hours. Answering journalists’ question, the French President revealed what their exchange With the Congolese dictator, Sassou Nguesso was about.
Both Presidents discussed plans to diversify the economy of the country by mobilizing international funds that will be invested in agriculture and the creation of small businesses. They also talked about Libya, the protection of forests as well as cultural and historical ties. Nguesso suggested Macron think about a longer trip in the future in order to visit some historical sites.
Due to the scrutiny from the French as well as international public opinion, any complicity between Macron and the Congolese dictator would trigger backlash from supporters of democracy. Which justifies his brief stay in Brazzaville.
Finally, the French President concluded his African tour in DR Congo. His visit was not without opposition as protesters took to the streets with Russian flags to show their disaffection towards France. According to the protesters, France is supporting the Rwandan army, which is allegedly behind the M23 Rebellion in the Eastern part of the Congo.
During the discussion of security issue in North Kivu, Felix Tshisekedi urged Macron to back sanctions against Rwanda. The latter said he would consider any step in that respect only until the end of the ongoing peace negotiation efforts.
Macron’s African tour concluded with a wish for renewing trust and resetting ties between France and African countries amid growing anti-French sentiment on the continent.