President Emmanuel Macron recently adopted a strikingly candid tone to describe the state of France’s relationship with the Sahel’s military regimes. His assertion that Paris was «repaid with ingratitude» signaled, in an unusually direct manner, the conclusion of a diplomatic era spanning over a decade. This unequivocal declaration specifically targeted the ruling juntas in Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey – three capitals that have progressively communicated an end to bilateral military cooperation with France.
Presidential critique solidifies Sahelian rupture
The French President’s assertive language contrasts sharply with the diplomatic caution typically exercised when addressing African partners. By emphasizing France’s substantial human and financial sacrifices, Emmanuel Macron aims to place the onus for this diplomatic breakdown squarely on the transitional authorities that emerged from the coups in 2020, 2022, and 2023. This message also resonates with a domestic audience in France, where the Sahelian developments are often perceived as a significant strategic setback since the forced withdrawal of Operation Barkhane in 2022.
Nevertheless, the President’s pointed remarks risk further exacerbating an already fragile situation. In both Bamako and Niamey, the official narrative has been built upon condemning a French presence deemed intrusive, even neocolonial. Every grievance-laden statement from the Élysée inadvertently fuels the sovereignist rhetoric championed by leaders such as Colonels Assimi Goïta, Ibrahim Traoré, and Abdourahamane Tiani. European diplomatic missions, closely observing these developments, express concern that such direct language could also complicate their remaining channels of communication with Sahelian capitals.
The Alliance of Sahel States and the French withdrawal
Since the establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023, which evolved into a confederation by July 2024, the three military regimes have rapidly accelerated their diplomatic reorientation. Their actions include withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), forging closer ties with Moscou through the Africa Corps (succeeding Wagner), and opening dialogues with Ankara and Téhéran. This geopolitical realignment by Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey is proceeding at an accelerated pace. Consequently, France, which previously held significant economic influence through entities like the franc CFA, Orange, TotalEnergies, and Eramet, now observes its leverage diminishing.
On a practical level, the announced departure of the last French troops from Tchad and Sénégal by the end of 2024 signifies the completion of Paris’s military disengagement from the Sahelo-Saharan region. The French presence in West Africa, which numbered over 5,000 personnel in 2020, has now shrunk to a residual footprint, primarily focused on training and intelligence. This substantial reduction fundamentally alters France’s long-standing model of influence, which was historically underpinned by force projection.
Paris’s rhetoric: a double-edged sword
By publicly citing the «ingratitude» of African partners, Emmanuel Macron risks reinforcing a postcolonial narrative that has already gained significant traction among Sahelian populations, particularly urban youth. Irrespective of intent, the term evokes a paternalistic undertone that the French executive had actively sought to dismantle since the Ouagadougou address in November 2017. The stark contrast between initial pledges to renew Franco-African relations and the current reality of a profound rupture is now undeniable.
Furthermore, the President’s remarks come as Paris endeavors to reconfigure its African partnerships, focusing on what it considers more stable nations, ranging from Maroc and Côte d’Ivoire to Bénin and Mauritanie. This strategy of bypassing the Sahel necessitates carefully calibrated public statements, lest it undermine the broader spectrum of diplomatic ties. Several African diplomats, even from allied nations, have privately voiced discomfort with what they perceive as an overly personal approach.
In capitals like Dakar, Abidjan, and Nouakchott, these developments are being closely watched, highlighting France’s struggle to cleanly conclude one chapter without reopening old wounds. The critical question remains: how can Paris re-establish its credibility as an attentive partner on the continent while simultaneously navigating a Sahelian legacy it believes has been unfairly perceived? These statements by Emmanuel Macron appear to mark yet another step in the symbolic closure of France’s engagement in the Sahel.
