"With his tour of Africa, Macron puts a cynical spin on decolonisation"
Frank Gerits in The Conversation
French President Macron is touring through Africa this summer, visiting Cameroon, Benin, Guinea-Bissau and Algeria. In The Conversation, Associate Professor in History of International Relations Frank Gerits writes that Macron has an unstated aspiration: maintaining France's power on the continent.
Neo-colonialism
Three of the four countries Macron visits – Cameroon, Benin and Algeria – are former French colonies. Upon his visits, Macron has paid much attention to this painful past, although he had his sights clearly set on the future.
"Macron's visits tell a story of France atoning for its colonial crimes while trying to retain the influence it gained from colonialism," Gerits writes. In Cameroon, for example, he said he hoped historians from both countries would work together to examine 'painful moments'.
Apart from these collaborations, Macron wants to keep a firm foothold in Africa. In Benin, he reiterated France's continued commitment to the continent's security, and in Guinea-Bissau, France would continue to fight terrorism in the region, he promised.
"In my view, Macron is misusing the increased calls for a more fundamental decolonisation of African societies as a cover to continue to exert his influence on the continent," Gerits says.
Atonement
France is taking part in a larger European trend, Gerits signals. "Rectifying the colonial past has become a popular way for northern governments to pursue their diplomatic activities in Africa." Instead of a plea to forget colonial wrongdoings, as was once common among European countries, there is now an emphasis on acknowledging them.
The French president uses this trend to paint his country in a good light once more. Macron, for example, juxtaposes France with Russia, which he called "one of the last imperial colonial powers" for its invasion of Ukraine.
"This is all part of Macron's cynical spin on decolonisation and the desire to restore the old while reversing the case for decolonisation through intervention."
Weapon supply
Guinea-Bissau, the only one of the four countries that was not a French colony, currently leads the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This, according to Gerits, is why Macron also visited this country.
"Macron wants to interfere in the regional organisation," Gerits writes. "It is an easy way to reach different West African capitals without diplomatic commuting."
Unsurprisingly, it was here that Macron talked about a possible increase in French arms deliveries, now that Guinea-Bissau is also supplying weapons to Ukraine. "As always, it will be ordinary people who will pay the price because they are forced to live in increasingly heavily armed societies," Gerits concludes.