French military withdrawal signals waning influence in Africa
France has withdrawn its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. President Emmanuel Macron "will go down in history as the one who allowed the loss of French influence on the continent," said expert Dagauh Komenan, as quoted by "El Pais."
In recent years, Paris has withdrawn its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Currently, there are about 4,000 French soldiers in Africa, compared to 10,000 five years ago.
In the near future, the number is expected to drop below 2,000, partly due to the decisions by Chad and Senegal to close French military bases.
The decision of these two countries "was a blow to the national pride of the French and the international prestige of the state," Komenan assessed.
According to "El Pais," between 1964 and 2012, France intervened militarily in Africa as many as 30 times.
Africa has become another front in the struggle over influence between Russia and the West, as well as China. On this continent, the interests of the great powers clash. Moscow is trying to convince African leaders of its own worldview and gain support for its actions, including in Ukraine.
Putin corrects mistake
Remember that half of African countries view the sanctions imposed on Moscow sceptically. Key countries like Senegal or South Africa abstained from voting on a UN resolution condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine. Similarly, Algeria, Angola, and Ethiopia.
Russia has officially acknowledged that it will strive to reopen its diplomatic missions in almost every country on this continent. It was noted that closing embassies and consulates was a mistake.
This refers to the presidency of Boris Yeltsin, when over eight years (1991-1998), Russia closed nine embassies, three consulates, and 13 out of 20 Russian cultural centres in Africa, changing its strategy towards Third World countries. Today, Putin intends to correct that mistake.
