Tone Deaf

African leaders and activists strongly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron this week after he claimed that a number of countries in West Africa and the Sahel region owed their sovereignty to France’s military interventions, sparking accusations of neo-colonialism and dismissive rhetoric, Bloomberg reported.

During a speech to French ambassadors in Paris on Monday, Macron defended France’s presence in the Sahel and criticized what he called “ingratitude” from African governments.

Macron cited France’s military operations, beginning with its 2013 deployment in Mali to combat Islamist insurgents, claiming that “none of them would be a sovereign country today if the French army hadn’t deployed in the region.”

He accused African leaders of failing to acknowledge France’s role: “I think someone forgot to say thank you,” he remarked.

Macron also rejected claims that French troops had been expelled from the Sahel, attributing their withdrawal to coups in countries such as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, where anti-French sentiment has surged, CNN added.

His remarks received strong backlash from a number of African leaders, with Chadian leaders saying that Macron was “in the wrong era” and accused France of prioritizing its own strategic interests over long-term development in Chad.

Activists, including Togolese writer Farida Bemba Nabourema, condemned the comments as paternalistic and emblematic of neo-colonial attitudes.

Macron’s statements come as France has been withdrawing its troops from its former African colonies in recent years. In the past weeks, Senegal and Ivory Coast became the latest countries to demand the exit of French forces.

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko emphasized that Senegal’s decision to remove foreign military bases, including France’s, was unilateral and underscored the nation’s sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara said the country’s decision reflects the modernization of its armed forces and is part of a broader trend in the region.

While Macron insists that France is “reorganizing” its presence, analysts told Voice of America that the withdrawals are part of a broader strategy by African nations to “diversify their relations diversify their relations, especially with the countries of the global south … but also with Russia.”

Russian military support has become a favored alternative for Sahel nations that experienced coups, such as Mali and Burkina Faso, which have signed partnerships with Moscow and deployed mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group.

Wagner’s forces are also active in Equatorial Guinea and in the Central African Republic, where they dominate as the primary foreign force.