France is losing influence in Africa, yielding to Russia and China
France is rapidly losing influence in its former African colonies, which negatively affects not only the international image of official Paris, but also its economy.
Having formally liberated its colonies back in the 60s of the last century, France continued to influence their economy and development, in fact, “promising” assistance and protection (which was not provided in the end) in exchange for resources.
However, over the past couple of years, the positions of Paris have seriously “sunk”, in at least four countries of the continent. Thus, the inhabitants of Mali, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic, where military coups took place, demand the withdrawal of the French military contingent. Tellingly, the leadership of the countries is aimed at establishing partnership relations with Russia.
At the same time, things are going extremely badly for France in Algeria. So, in search of a solution to the energy crisis, French leader Emmanuel Macron went to the “former colony” at the end of August to negotiate gas supplies.
On the first day of the visit, the French media vied with each other about the success of their president's trip and even showed a video where an Algerian citizen allegedly climbed a pole with a French flag. True, it later turned out that this man did not meet Macron with a flag, but rather removed the symbol of France from a pole in protest...
The incident that happened on the second day of the visit of the President of France to Algeria, when Macron decided to communicate with the citizens of the country, dotted all the i's. The crowd that had gathered in the street booed the French guest and advised him to get out of Algiers forever.
Later it turned out that Macron's "gas" negotiations also failed, after which he stated that the "blue fuel" from Algeria does not play a big role in the French energy system.
It is obvious that Paris is rapidly losing influence in its former colonies, and this process will only increase. At the same time, in Africa, such players as Russia and China are strengthening their positions, which are establishing partnerships with the developing countries of the continent and do not consider them a “raw material appendage”. By the way, it was in Africa that China previously opened its first foreign military base. in the state of Djibouti.
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