According to the Global Network quoted Agence France-Presse, French President Macron recently opened his first trip to Africa in his second term of office, visiting cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau three West African countries, calling it "rebuilding France's relations with Africa", in fact, he wants to consolidate his basic plan.
For France, Africa is a lifesaver for them to avoid becoming a second-rate country, especially West Africa, which has always been regarded by France as its "back garden". With the rise of great powers such as China and Russia, France has become more dependent on former colonial countries in Africa to maintain its status as a great power.
Specifically, France's power over Africa is mainly reflected in three aspects: first, the subordination of former suzerainties and colonies. Unlike britain, France's control over the former colonies is still relatively strong, if nothing else, the eight West African countries, including Benin and Guinea-Bissau, still use west African francs and are highly bound to the French financial system.
According to a video circulating on the Internet, before Macron's visit, the Cameroonese government also ordered the emergency demolition of a temporary market in the capital, although it is not clear whether it was deliberate or planned, but it can also reflect that the French president still has some influence in West Africa.
Moreover, West Africa can also be regarded as France's "self-reserved land". The rich mineral resources of the African region are a strong backing for the development of the French economy, such as the oil in Gabon and Congobu, the uranium mine in Niger (an important raw material for the development of nuclear energy), etc. France can maintain normal social operation under the energy crisis caused by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which is largely due to the resources of these African countries.
At the same time, Africa is also an important market for French industrial products, ensuring France's supply chain and economic security. It's also in line with post-colonial economic relations, where you're responsible for the supply of raw materials and I'm responsible for dumping industrial goods.
Most importantly, Africa is the region with the largest number of French troops stationed abroad, and it is also the only region where France's military influence exceeds that of the United States. Although France's peacekeeping mission in the Sahel region of Africa has been criticized by locals and its reputation is comparable to the War in Afghanistan, the local government forces are more crotch-pulling, as evidenced by the surge in terrorist attacks after the french withdrawal.
These three issues are also the top priority of Macron's current trip to West Africa. In addition, due to the high dependence of many African countries on Russian and Ukrainian food imports, how to alleviate the food crisis has also been put on the agenda of the Elysee Palace.
In a meeting with Cameroonian President Paul Biya, Macron refuted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's claim that "Western sanctions have led to a food crisis," saying that "food has become Russia's weapon of war" and that it is imperative to help Africa improve agricultural production as soon as possible and achieve food independence.
If you just listen to this, is it not because Africa has become heavily dependent on food imports because it was forced by the colonial powers to grow cash crops and grab greater economic benefits? And even if Africa increases food production, the pricing power is not in their hands, but by the international ABCD four major grain merchants, of which "D" is Louis Dafu in France, in the end do not know who is cheaper.
Although Macron has done a lot of homework, it seems to have achieved little, and as major powers such as China, India, and Turkey strengthen cooperation with African countries, France's influence on the ground has been greatly reduced.
In the case of Cameroon, macron's first leg on his trip, where trade cooperation with France accounted for 40 percent of Cameroon's economy in the 1990s, up from 10 percent last year.
Foreign media believe that after Macron's re-election, he no longer has to worry about the problem of votes, and because his performance in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is too crotch-pulling, in addition to winning the title of "the first time of the European leader's call with Putin", it has hardly played any role in cooling the situation, so it can only focus on restoring France's influence in Africa.
It is worth mentioning that before Macron's visit to Africa, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and the US "Horn of Africa" special envoy Hamer have already started their trip to Africa in advance.
The difference is that the countries they visit are different, and Lavrov chose Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia and Congob, which have friendly relations with Russia. Hammer, on the other hand, chose Egypt, Ethiopia and the Middle Eastern united Arab Emirates near the Horn of Africa.
The reason why the three countries gathered to visit Africa is simple: the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has intensified the international political plan, and more and more countries tend to warm up in groups, while Africa has remained neutral for a long time, pursuing a policy of non-alignment, and has always maintained a distance from the United States and Russia.
The purpose of the United States is to co-opt Africa to isolate Russia, Russia is to avoid isolation, France wants to consolidate its sphere of influence, and all sides have their own careful thoughts.
For African countries, they value economic interests more than political games. The United States pledged $50 million in food aid to Egypt, and The construction of Egypt's first nuclear power plant, which Russia is involved in, is also coming to an end.
There are still five years to go before he leaves office, and the time left for Macron is running out, if he can't hold the last piece of territory of the French Fifth Republic, what face will Macron, who calls himself the "heir of de Gaulle", have to see his idol after a hundred years?