French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks during a meeting with his country's diplomats heightened tensions between France and Africa. The suggestion that African leaders were ungrateful for French military operations in the Sahel, launched in 2013 to combat terrorism, was interpreted as a gesture of disdain and disregard for the countries of the region.

In both Chad and Senegal, leaders responded swiftly. Chadian Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah described the statements as demonstrating a “attitude of contempt towards Africa and Africans” and Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko rejected Macron’s words, stressing that Senegal is a free and sovereign country.

The outrage generated by these statements was not limited to the African continent. In addition to reigniting historical wounds, this incident brought a critical debate back to the fore: to what extent can the military presence of a former colonial power be seen as genuine support and not as a perpetuation of hegemonic interests?

Even within France, politicians and analysts called the comments “irresponsible” and “disrespectful,” raising questions about the future of French influence in Africa and the impact of its foreign policies, often accused of neocolonialism.

At the annual meeting with ambassadors in France, held this Monday, January 6, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France “had reasons” to intervene militarily against terrorism in Africa and lamented that “African leaders have forgotten to say thank you".

Macron justified his position by stating “we did the right thing”, he said about the military mobilization, adding that “none” of the states in the Sahel region would be today “sovereign” without this intervention.

“We left because there were coups d'état, because we were there at the request of sovereign states that asked France to go.”

“France had no reason to stay there because we are not assistants to coup plotters,” Macron added.

France intervened in Mali in 2013 to repel an offensive by jihadist rebels, eventually deploying troops in several other Sahel countries, maintaining its presence until it was expelled from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger by the reigning military juntas, following coups d'état in those countries.

This action prompted other countries, such as Senegal, Chad, and Ivory Coast, to also ask France to abandon military bases on their territories and withdraw all its troops from the region. France currently still has 600 troops in Ivory Coast, 350 in Senegal, and 350 in Gabon, as well as approximately 1.500 in Djibouti.

Internal Reactions

In France, the far-left party France Unbowed (LFI) said in a statement that the president's comments “are politically inconsistent and diplomatically, totally irresponsible” and that can potentially “further weaken France's relations with West African nations".

The leader of LFI, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, added:

“Once again, casualness and uncontrolled speech are worsening our country's international relations.”

A French diplomatic source, who asked not to be named, said Macron's quote was taken "out of context" and targeted the countries where the coups took place, especially Mali, rather than Chad or Senegal.

The French Ministry of Defense has clarified that the role of French troops in Africa is to train local soldiers and strengthen their capabilities to combat extremism, primarily in peacekeeping, intelligence, and logistics. But critics say that "keep boots on the ground” also allowed Paris to maintain its political influence and protect regimes favorable to France.

Senegal and Chad's Reactions

In Chad, the response to Macron's statements was immediate and forceful. The country's president, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, accused Macron of being "in the wrong era“, and expressed his indignation at the comment.

“Macron’s statements reflect an attitude that borders on contempt towards Africa and Africans.”

His Foreign Minister, Abderaman Koulamallah, also deeply regretted the French President's tone.

“Chad has no problem with France, but its leaders need to learn to respect Africans.”

“Africa and Chad played a decisive role in the liberation of France during both world wars, and this has never been truly recognized.”

Koulamallah said in a statement broadcast on state television. For the minister, France's contributions to Chad over the past 60 years have been largely limited to its own strategic interests, with no significant impact on the development of the country's people.

In Senegal, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko also did not hold back in his criticism of Macron. In a blunt tone, Sonko described the statements as “totally wrong” and rejected any suggestion that the Senegalese government had negotiated the departure of French troops.

“The decision to reorganize the military presence in Senegal is the sole responsibility of Senegal, as a sovereign country,” he said.

Sonko also recalled the historic role of African soldiers in World War II.

“If African soldiers, often forcibly mobilized, mistreated, and betrayed, had not been mobilized to defend France, perhaps France would still be German today,” he stressed.

For the Prime Minister, Macron's statements ignore African sovereignty and perpetuate an outdated view of international relations.

Macron's statements come at a time of significant change in the political landscape of the Sahel. In recent years, France's influence in Africa has been declining considerably.

Several former French colonies, including Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, and Senegal, have demanded the withdrawal of French troops from their territories. These movements reflect a growing rejection of French influence, considered by many to be a vestige of colonialism.

In the case of Chad, relations with France began to deteriorate at the end of 2023, when the country decided to end a defense agreement that had been in force for more than 60 years.

“The time has come for Chad to assert its full sovereignty and redefine its strategic partnerships based on its national priorities.”

Chad's Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said.

Similarly, Senegal, one of France's historic allies in Africa, announced that it will no longer allow the presence of foreign military forces on its territory by 2025. The decision, made without negotiations with Paris, is seen as part of a political agenda that seeks to diversify international partnerships and break with the former colonial power's historical dependence.

“France has neither the capacity nor the legitimacy to guarantee the security or sovereignty of Africa.”

Said Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.

The decline of French influence in the region is even more evident when considering the rapprochement of some African countries with Russia, seeking to strengthen ties with Moscow after the withdrawal of French troops. For many analysts, these changes indicate a profound transformation in the relationship between Africa and the West.

Emmanuel Macron's statements and the reactions of Senegal and Chad expose the underlying tensions in relations between France and its former colonial territories. For many Africans, the French president's words demonstrate disrespect for the sovereignty and historical role played by the African people.

This episode also highlights a broader shift in Africa, where more and more countries are reaffirming their independence and rejecting policies they consider neocolonialist. For France, the challenge now is to rebuild these relations in a way that respects African sovereignty and promotes truly balanced cooperation, if that is still possible.