94 ministers from all parties in the French parliament have called upon President Emmanuel Macron to clarify his position on the Sahara, amid concern over France’s diminishing influence in Africa.
This came in a letter drafted by the Morocco-France Friendship Group and published a few days ago by French newspaper “Le Figaro,” questioning Macron on France’s role in Africa.
The letter cites a laundry list of countries that have “rejected France, French forces, [and] French companies,” such as Niger, Mali, the Central African Republic, and Burkina Faso. It highlights the danger of the increased presence of the Wagner militias, which are “unconcerned about human rights or democracy, but perfectly aligned with all dictators or leaders who maintain power by uniting their populations against the old ‘colonial power.’”
It goes on to describe French “disappointments in North Africa,” remarking that Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune “blows hot and cold, sometimes speaking of rapprochement and an official visit” and other times calling France the “Great Satan” responsible for “all the evils of the Algerian people.”
Likewise, the letter notes, President Kaïs Saïed of Tunisia is turning more toward the United States, the European Union, and the Arab world, and less to France which has lost its “privileged” status.
Significantly, the letter warns that France’s “procrastination” in recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and the “balancing act” of the Quai d’Orsay with Algeria are pushing Morocco to look elsewhere than Paris for its military and economic partnerships. It also notes the significant decline in the use of the French Language relative to English across the continent.
The signatories suggest that Macron should review France’s vision of Africa, and its ties with France, now “when Africa, a friendly continent, no longer seems to understand France, and is increasingly contesting [France’s] role and its presence.”
The signatories conclude the letter noting that they are not resigned to France’s “gradual disappearance from the entire continent.”