Emmanuel Macron “insulted all Africans” when he suggested some leaders showed “ingratitude” over the deployment French troops in the Sahel region to battle Islamist extremism, Burkina Faso’s military leader has claimed.
Speaking at a convention in Paris before this month, the French president said that Sahel’s nations, who had problems with civil conflicts and violent extremism, were sovereign because the French forces were present, according to CNN.
Macron also rejected the suggestion that French troops were driven out of the Sahel amid Bad with local leadership, a domain under the Sahara desert, telling the conference: “We had a modern security.
“It is in two folds: one our commitment opposed to terrorism since 2013. I think someone forgot to thank him. It doesn’t matter, he will come over time.
“Ingratitude, I am well placed to know, is a disease not transmissible to man.”
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His comments aroused criticism from Chad’s Foreign Minister, as well as Senegal Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, who said that in the past, France had helped “destabilize African countries such as Libya”, which caused “disastrous consequences” For security in the region, according to BBC News.
“France has neither the capacity nor the legitimacy to ensure Africa’s security and sovereignty”, he added.
Burkina Faso’s army chief, Captain Ibrahim Traore, has since presented his own comments opposed to Macron’s comments, saying at a public rite on Monday: “We want to decolonize our mentalities”
In comments to Macron, cited through Le Parisien and translated from French, Traore said: “He insulted all Africans (. . . ) This is how this gentleman sees Africa and Africans,” adding: “We are human beings in their eyes in their eyes “
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Relations between France and Burkina Faso have continued since Traré, 36, took over in September 2022.
French troops have already left Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which are allies, and all ruled by military juntas.
Since the independence of French colonies in Africa, Paris has maintained a policy of economic, political and military sway which at the time had been dubbed Françafrique, including having thousands of permanent troops in the region.
France’s Defense Ministry said the role of French troops in Africa is to train local soldiers and reinforce their capacities to fight extremism, mainly in peacekeeping, intelligence and logistics. But critics say keeping boots on the ground also has allowed Paris to retain influence and protect political regimes favourable to France.
Last year, Macron’s government announced its army presence on the continent, where it also has troops in Gabon and Djibouti that promise to be more sensitive to countries’ demands, according to VOA News.
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