Game Over for France in Africa

The end of France's neocolonial empire and widespread loss of influence implicates more than just Paris.

by Ronan Wordsworth
January 16, 2025

“I think someone forgot to say thank you.”

This loaded statement, made by French President Emmanuel Macron at the 30th annual Ambassadors’ Conference in Paris, reveals much about the state of French foreign policy toward Africa. Not only does it signal the end of Macron’s revitalized outreach to France’s former colonies, but it also all but confirms what many already knew — that French influence in Africa has been all-but wiped out.

Marcon’s line is the culmination of a series of rebukes by West and Central African nations that, over the past year or so, have taken steps to remove French military assets from their territories. The situation, however, is more complex than it appears. This more than just a matter of former colonies throwing off the yolk of a colonizer. Many of the countries once close to France have turned to Russia for their security needs, much to the chagrin of other Western powers that continue to search for long-term viable and reli…