Emmanuel Macron plans ‘noticeable reduction’ of French troops in Africa
- France is seeking to counter China and Russia’s growing influence in the region, but anti-French sentiment is running high in some former colonies
- Russia’s Wagner group, infamous in Ukraine, is said to be active in Mali and the Central African Republic and to be seeking to implant itself in Burkina Faso
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announced a “noticeable reduction” of French troop presence in Africa, where anti-French sentiment is running high in some former colonies.
He was speaking in Paris ahead of a four-nation tour of central African countries from Wednesday, as France seeks to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence in the region.
Macron is to visit Gabon for an environmental summit, followed by Angola, then the Republic of Congo, or Congo-Brazzaville, and finally the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Paris has fallen out with new military authorities in Mali and Burkina Faso, withdrawing its troops from both former French colonies after years helping the authorities there battle jihadists.
France still has thousands of troops in the wider Sahel region, including in Niger and Chad, but is seeking to tone down its presence on the ground.
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Macron described this as a “reorganisation” of French military presence, rather than a withdrawal.