In the last three years, a common thread has linked
coups in four African countries: All were once French colonies. Some, like Gabon, had continued warm relations. Gabonese President
Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose family has ruled the small oil-rich country for more than 50 years, last met with with French President Emmanuel Macron in June in Paris.
But a new strain of anti-France sentiment has emerged elsewhere.
Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group has cozied up to power brokers in places like Central African Republic. China has eclipsed France’s
economic influence in Africa. Some former French colonies are joining the Commonwealth, despite no past links to British rule.
For decades after decolonization, France continued to pull strings and reap benefits in Africa. At times, the heavy-handed influence sparked opposition, but French-backed leaders often returned to power.
Such efforts are now pulling back. Macron last year
withdrew French troops from Mali following tensions with the ruling junta after a 2020 coup, and more recently from Burkina Faso, for similar reasons. Both African countries had asked for the French forces to leave.
