Africa: Macron’s Africa ‘Reset’ Stumbles As Leaders Call Out Colonial Overtones

French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to “reset” France’s relationship with its former African colonies appear to be faltering. Seven years after coming to power with promises of reform, a growing number of West African nations are asking for French troops to leave, signalling a breakdown in relations.

Seven former French colonies have changed their cooperation policy with France in recent months. Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon made the move in the past three years, followed by Senegal, Chad and Côte d’Ivoire in recent weeks.

Some have gone as far as demanding a complete withdrawal of French forces.

During his annual address to ambassadors this month, Macron criticised what he called African nations’ “ingratitude” toward France. He said leaders had failed to say “thank you” for France’s military interventions, including the 2013 operation in the Sahel.

“It’s no big matter, it will come with time,” Macron said, adding that without France’s counterterrorism efforts, “none of them” would be governing a sovereign nation today.

Angry reactions

The comments drew sharp rebukes from African leaders.

Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, called Macron’s remarks an insult. “To him, we are not human beings,” Traoré said.

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko also criticised Macron, reminding him that African soldiers had fought for France during World War II. “It was thanks to our ancestors that France exists today,” Sonko said.

Macron also claimed that the recently announced withdrawal of French troops from Chad and Senegal had been negotiated. However, leaders from both nations have publicly denied this, calling his statements inaccurate.

The loss of influence in Chad, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire – long considered French allies in Africa – marks a significant shift. Chad has played a central role in French military strategy in the Sahel, while Senegal has been one of West Africa’s most stable democracies.

Senegal and Chad rebuke Macron over ‘inaccurate’ French troop withdrawal claims

Policy backfire

Experts argue that anti-French sentiment in Africa is not new but has intensified in recent years.

In November 2024, Macron’s new envoy, Jean-Marie Bockel, told RFI that none of these African partners wanted the French to leave. The following weeks proved him wrong.

“Hostility towards the former colonial power has been shaped by a history of domination, arrogance and indifference,” said Senegalese economist Ndongo Samba Sylla.

In a recent report, he argued that resentment has been building for decades over what many see as exploitative and dismissive French policies.

“Longstanding resentment towards former colonial powers in francophone African countries has been shaped by a history of oppressive rule and disregard for local populations,” he wrote.

France’s reliance on military interventions has been described as a major policy backfire.

Thierry Vircoulon, an Africa researcher at the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI), added that Macron’s unfiltered remarks often worsen diplomatic tensions.

“He is very much used to speaking his mind publicly, which of course is not a good idea,” he said. “The problem is that, with social media now, these kinds of little sentences become the main argument.”

Roland Marchal, a researcher at CNRS and Sciences Po in Paris, told RFI: “In Mali in particular, when the French mission left, the security situation had deteriorated significantly. It was a failure, in all honesty.”

Other analysts, such as Gilles Holder, say France’s reliance on military interventions has alienated local populations.

“Unlike the British, France has not invested enough in economic and cultural fields since independence,” Holder told Le Monde.

Economic pivot

Faced with deteriorating relations in francophone Africa, France is pivoting toward stronger economic partnerships with Anglophone nations like Nigeria, but also Morocco and Angola.

Africa and defence specialist Jonathan Guiffard, of Institut Montaigne, said France cannot afford to abandon all ties in West Africa but may need to reduce its military presence.

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“France will keep ties with these countries but will have to leave Chad, as the fall-out is too deep,” he said.

Experts agree that France needs to rebuild its African partnerships with less focus on military interventions. Antoine Glaser, a specialist on African politics, said France’s reliance on security pacts was anachronistic.

“France must recognise that it has remained present for too long by replacing African armies in terms of security,” Glaser told RFI.

Vircoulon said the historical reasons for France’s military presence in Africa have largely disappeared.

“Instead of demilitarising the relationship, the French government is trying to invent a new model of military partnership that is politically risky,” he said.

Marchal warned that as Sahel states transition to civilian rule, France risks missing an opportunity to build a different kind of relationship with these nations – one that is peaceful and finally more respectful.

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