Africa: Focus on the French parliamentary report on relations between France and Africa

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly has examined the information report on relations between France and Africa, drawn up by two members of parliament.

In essence, this report talks about the under-utilisation of France’s tools of influence, which would be at the root of the deterioration of its policy in Africa to the benefit of China, the United States, the European Union, etc.

By way of recommendation, these parliamentarians asked the French government to use all the tools at its disposal to get back into the race by stepping up its influence in Africa.

The release of this report is proof enough that France has missed a chapter. There is no longer any question of influencing any African country.

Today, the African people are ready to confront anyone who comes to Africa with a backward-looking neo-colonial mentality.

Apart from certain heads of state who are suggestible and influenced, and a few pseudo-elites who are visibly neo-colonised and think they owe their lives to France, no one is prepared to suffer an affluence from anyone.

From now on, relations with Africa, whoever the partner, must be seen in terms of a win-win relationship rather than a horse-and-rider relationship.

Everyone must realise that what past generations accepted, even to their detriment without protest, cannot prosper today.

So those who think that imperialism still has a chance in Africa need to seriously reconsider.

Yann ETERNEL