adilfc t1_ja9n85k wrote on February 27, 2023 at 9:25 PM

Reply to comment by Deicide1031 in Macron flies to Africa to counter waning French influence by HRJafael

The problem is that most of the leaders tend to go with best deals for them not for community.

Deicide1031 t1_ja9pmxk wrote on February 27, 2023 at 9:40 PM

Are we really acting like France doesn’t intentionally support those types? The CFA system promoted by France is also not in the best interest of the African participants.

What you’ve said is very much true, but this is very much a two sided issue with both parties not being good faith actors. The fact some of those African players are looking elsewhere after literally centuries depending on the country speaks volumes. If the relationships were that mutually beneficial there’d be no reason for them to look to Russia or China after all that time.

rtseel t1_jaauo86 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 2:29 AM

> If the relationships were that mutually beneficial there’d be no reason for them to look to Russia or China after all that time.

The relationships aren't mutally beneficial anymore. One of the major reasons is that the public opinion in France (and by extension the French government) has become much more sensitive to issues of corruption and sustainable development. There were many awful things that French companies and African elites did in the past that went with the blessing of the French government. Some African regimes miss that blessed period and just want a "protector" which would fund their lavish lifestyles and help them keep the power, but without imposing their ethics. That's why they don't go with Germany either, or Japan, even though Germany has no recent history with Africa and Japan never had, and both would be ideal candidates as healthier alternatives to France and the UK.