Gautam Sen
France`s new president, Emanuel Macron, has just concluded his official visit to Africa. The significance of this visit lies in the fact that, it was undertaken within a week of his assumption of the presidency. The visit was to the Republic of Mali (earlier south Sudan), part the old Francophone colonial region of western Africa, where, more than 4000 French troops are deployed since 2013 in operations against Al-Qaida associated Islamic terrorists, in support of the established regime. The visit was to underscore commitment of the new French president towards combating international terrorism – in this case of the radical Islamic variety, and reaffirm his government`s institutional support to the French troops as their commander-in-chief. President Macron also intended to express solidarity with the former colonies of France and Africa in general, and convey gratitude for the support of the people of African origin, who endorsed his political outfit `En Marche`s campaign during the recent presidential elections advocating against restrictions on peoples` movements across borders driven by justifiable reasons.
There have been vicissitudes in Franco-African relations. The relations have come a long way since the tension of the 1950s and `60s, of the aftereffects of the war of attrition with the Algerian rebels and extremist colonial inclinations of sections of the French armed forces and its polity. President De Gaulle and the French Fourth Republic had heeded calls for reform in Africa, and even afforded representation to the people of its colonies in the French national assembly. France`s relations with its former colonies after their independence, had gradually taken on a dimension of equal partnership. Macron`s libertarian posture, his universalism and openness towards Africa as evident during the presidential campaign, from his description of France`s Algerian war as a `crime against humanity`, respect for fundamental democratic principles, and express intention to work with African Union (AU) and regional organizations, will enhance France`s image and geo-political status in Africa.
France`s position on Africa is expected to be strengthened by Germany`s focus towards the region, notwithstanding an element of competitiveness between the two countries in some trade and investment matters. Both the countries had extended complementary support towards the region, from within the European Union (EU) and G-20 and also bilaterally. President Emanuel Macron and German chancellor Angela Merkel seems to have also evolved a common approach towards Africa as is evident from the deliberations during their conducive bilateral meeting in Germany just before the French president`s recent visit to Mali. Towards this end, the economic partnership agreement signed between the EU and seven southern African countries in June 2016 should be a helpful instrument. There is an appreciation by both the leaders – Macron and Merkel, that Africa poses a substantial geo-political risk because of the widening gap between the rich and the poor in that continent, continuous migration of millions from their habitations owing to destitution, climate change and inaccessibility to food, and radical Islamic terrorism. It now depends on Macron how he is able to leverage EU and German support in regard to sharing part of the strategic commitment and burden on bolstering of regimes in western and southern Africa against armed depredation and insidious subversion of African societies in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Cote d`Ivoire (former Ivory Coast) , all of whom have special relationship with France.
President Macron recognizes that the substantial number of people from former French colonies of northern, western and southern Africa who have settled down in France, have been adding values to the French economy. The new French president seems to appreciate that, African countries channel more money to France than the aid they receive from the latter. The Macron presidency is expected to increase French foreign aid to Africa to 0.71 % of the country`s gross domestic product.
France may also withdraw the under-writing of the existing CFA franc currency by the French treasury, which was introduced after France joined the Breton Woods system post World War II as a protective measure for the African colonies but had subsequently been viewed as a neo-colonial appendage. Though most of the West African and Central African Francophone countries have left the CFA franc, which is guaranteed by the French treasury, Mali still uses this currency. The dependency link between the CFAs and the French treasury has not been objected to by the EU. There was however, an impression in the African countries which used the CFA that this militated against their true economic independence. The fact of the matter is that, the relative high value of the CFA currency in relation to the Euro tends to adversely impact African exports while making imports costlier. Interestingly, Mali, the country where the French government`s strategic commitment is the highest at present, had left the CFA in 1962 but, rejoined in 1984.
While trade and investment will continue to determine French policy in respect of its former colonies and Africa in general, the strategic involvement as in Mali, is expected to be a major driver of president Macron`s policy. The president has clearly indicated that, there will be no withdrawal of French troops from Mali. France under former president Holland had handed over control of the Malian Army to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) set up under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2295. President Macron is likely to adopt a multilateral approach under UN aegis for strengthening the political and socio-economic milieu and institutions in Mali, while retaining the existing French military expeditionary force as a back-up. The Macron administration would not like situation in Mali to slide back to instability. More than 300 Malians have been killed and two French journalists assassinated by the terrorists, in 2016. In this backdrop, the French president and his government are likely to work for broad-based support to the established regime in Mali by soliciting extension and augmentation of the mandate of the MINUSMA (the mandate expires on 30th June, 2017), while increasing the level of its socio-economic assistance with a view to strengthening basic minimum services – including education, and physical infrastructure. Macron has already indicated as such, before and after the presidential elections.
In so far as other countries are concerned, president Macron is likely work in closest cooperation with Germany, and may continue to do so provided Angela Merkel and her Christian Democratic Union wins the forthcoming German general election in autumn this year. France would also strive for a cooperative approach with the Trump administration of USA and to a degree with Russia, notwithstanding differences with Moscow on Syria, Ukraine, and UN intervention in north Africa. India, which has provided a nearly 7700-strong support contingent in MINUSMA of latter`s total force level of approximately 15000 personnel, and has broadly harmonious relations with AU and the African countries in general, can be a supportive partner to France. In the existing milieu in Africa and the overall geo-political environment, President Macron may be in a position to exercise a more meaningful role for France from security, trade and investment as well as African development perspectives. Both China and India may also have some opportunity for complementary roles apropos the policies and initiatives the new French regime is likely to adopt on Africa.
(The author is a retired IDAS officer, who has served in senior appointments with Government of India and a State Government.)
(The views expressed are the author`s own.)
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