Senegal and Chad have reacted strongly to comments by French President Emmanuel Macron about the ingratitude of African countries over France’s role in the fight against militant jihadist insurgencies.
On Monday, Macron said Sahel states “forgot” to thank France for its role amid the ongoing withdrawal of French troops from West African countries.
He said no Sahel nation would be a sovereign nation without the intervention of France, which prevented them from falling under the control of militants.
In response, Abderaman Koulamallah, Chad’s foreign minister, said Macron’s comments had revealed his contempt for Africa.
“Chad expresses his deep concern following the comments recently made by [the French president]which reflect a contemptuous attitude towards Africa and Africans,” he said in a statement on national television.
He said: “French leaders must learn to respect the African people and recognize the value of their sacrifices.”
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said France had in the past contributed to the “destabilization of certain African countries such as Libya,” which had “disastrous consequences” for the security of the region.
“France has neither the capacity nor the legitimacy to guarantee the security and sovereignty of Africa,” he said in a statement.
Macron made his comments at an annual ambassadors’ conference in Paris, saying France was reorganizing its strategic interests in the region and rejecting the idea that it had been forced to withdraw from Africa.
French troops were sent to Mali in 2013 in response to an Islamist uprising. A year later, the mission was expanded to other countries in the region, including Niger and Burkina Faso.
“We were right [to deploy]. I think someone forgot to say thank you. It’s okay, it will come with time,” Macron said on Monday.
“But I say this for all African heads of state who, in the face of public opinion, have not had the courage to entertain that opinion. None of them would be a sovereign country today if the French army had not deployed in the region. “
Sonko said Macron’s comments in the case of Senegal’s decision to ask French troops to leave were “completely wrong.”
He said there had been no negotiations with France over the decision to close its military bases in the country.
He said the decision stemmed from the “sole will of Senegal as a free, independent and sovereign country.”
Both Sonko and Koulamallah also mentioned the role of African soldiers in liberating France in the world wars.
“If African soldiers, sometimes forcibly mobilized, abused and ultimately betrayed, had not been deployed to defend France during World War II, they might still be German soldiers today,” Sonko said.
Chad, Senegal and Ivory Coast recently terminated security agreements with France, while Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have ordered French troops to leave following coups.
France’s influence in the region has been waning in recent years, amid accusations of neo-colonialism and exploitative relations with its former colonies.
The junta-led governments in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have drawn closer to Russia following the French withdrawal from their countries.
On Monday, Chad’s foreign minister said France’s contribution in the country was limited to “its own strategic interests,” even though Chad had faced instability and other issues during their 60-year partnership.
Chad ended its defense deal with France in November, saying it was “time for Chad to assert its full sovereignty and redefine its strategic partnerships based on national priorities.”
You may also be interested in:
[Getty Images/BBC]
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at BBCAfrica
