France’s Macron on Africa tour

French President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day trip to Africa- Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti this week has more geopolitical than economic undertones. The primary objective of the visit as stated by the French official sources is to boost trade with Ethiopia and Kenya. As for Djibouti, a former French colony has continued its links and hosts France’s largest foreign military base. However, when one closely looks at the context, it is to be noted that the visit is taking place soon after the U.S. has announced its plans to scale down defense and anti-terrorism units across the continent. It is also happening against a backdrop of deepening French military involvement across West Africa. France has been accused of neo-colonial interference patronizing the shady network of money and power that’s widely known as Francafrique, and frequent military operations, in countries such as Chad, Mali, etc. Some activists group accuse France of supporting African dictatorships.

During Macron’s visit, France and Ethiopia signed a joint defense agreement to help strengthen French involvement in the region, including in the fight against extremism and maritime piracy in the Red Sea corridor to the Indian Ocean. In Djibouti, he assured the French support to boost the country’s economy.