French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Russia of using a «predatory» strategy to fuel anti-French sentiment in Africa due to the European country’s loss of influence on the continent in recent years.
«You only have to look at what is happening in the Central African Republic or elsewhere to see that the Russian project being carried out there, while France is on the sidelines, is a predatory project,» the president said in statements to TV5 Monde during the 18th Summit of Francophone Countries in Tunis.
Macron has pointed out that the French past is being «used by multiple foreign powers, which try to use their influence» to «damage France, damage its language, sow doubts», but «above all» because they have «certain interests».
«Thanks to social networks and disinformation, a political project financed by Russia and sometimes by others, the French are attacked,» the president assured.
The French leader thus responded to accusations that his country is exploiting historical economic and political ties in its former colonies to serve its own interests.
«This perception is fed by others, it is a political project», said the president, pointing out the Russian «complicity» in certain executives on the African continent.
France, a former colonial power with a presence in much of Central and West Africa, has military ties with French-speaking African countries, while its troops have been present in countries such as Mali.
In recent months, Paris has announced the withdrawal of its troops from Central African Republic or Mali, detailing that the new ‘roadmap’ for the Central African country will be «finalized within six months».
Macron’s executive has already made it clear on previous occasions that its commitment to the region, including the countries of the Gulf of Guinea, and to the fight against terrorism in particular, remains. For its part, Mali has hardened its message against Paris in the wake of the withdrawal of French troops, going so far as to accuse the French of collaborating with terrorist groups in a harsh letter sent to the UN Security Council.
