11/6/2023
By Mamadou Faye
BBC News Afrique
Africa gives France clout on the world stage it otherwise would not have as a "mid-sized power", argues Prof Tony Chafer, of the University of Portsmouth in the UK.
"In an increasingly multipolar and competitive global environment, France has a primary geopolitical interest in maintaining its military presence in the region," he says.
Being in Africa militarily "plays a key role in justifying France's permanent seat on the UN Security Council - France is an 'essential actor' when security issues in West and Central Africa are discussed at the UN or the international community", he adds.
France has carefully guarded its economic and diplomatic links with Africa too. These persist notably with the CFA franc currencies, that are tethered to the French treasury, and via cultivating close bonds with ruling elites.
Prof Chafer says if France still considers the African continent to be its "backyard" it is a product of its colonial history and how it negotiated its exit: "'Pretending to leave so they can dig in deeper', as some have said."
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