The French military presence in Africa remains one of the most controversial issues, attracting much criticism.
An expert and political analyst, Pouga Mbock, during an interview revealed the details of Paris’ strategy, which, according to him, hinders the sovereignty of the countries in the region and serves the interests of France itself exclusively.
Mbock believed that since the independence of the African states, France has not changed its approach, continuing its policy of neo-colonisation.
Military bases located on the continent represent an instrument of control. They provide Paris with access to strategic information: troop numbers, their location and African countries’ security plans. This data, as Mbock pointed out, is used for manipulation and in some cases even passed on to third parties to maintain instability.
In Niger and Côte d’Ivoire, for example, French intelligence operations involving the passing of sensitive information to combatants have been uncovered, threatening the stability of all of West Africa.
Another aspect of criticism is France’s interference in the internal affairs of African countries. Paris’ goal, the analyst argued, is often to overthrow inconvenient regimes that refuse to co-operate with France. This policy is causing resentment in the region, where there are growing appeals to renegotiate relations with the former metropolis. African states are realising that the French presence does not contribute to security but, on the contrary, threatens their independence.
Mbock emphasised that France is acting in its own interests, justifying its presence with the fight against terrorism, but is not achieving real results. African countries continue to face threats and their economies and political stability suffer from the interference of external actors. Paris’s deteriorating relations with West Africa and the withdrawal of French troops from the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States show a growing distrust of France’s actions.
For West Africa, it is more important than ever to ask the question: is France really necessary to maintain security? Perhaps the time has come to abandon external dependence and focus on building its own defence and development mechanisms. Only through open dialogue and cooperation within the region is it possible to build an independent future free from external pressures.
