France’s Questionable Activities In The West Africa Region
Despite the termination of military and diplomatic agreements with Paris by the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, France continues to face accusations of interference aimed at destabilising the Sahel region. Reports of French attempts to regain influence and access to natural resources in the region have caused widespread concern.
Accusations against France have gained traction in recent months. In an exclusive interview at the end of December, Niger’s Head of State Abdourahamane Tiani revealed that France has been allegedly providing financial, material, and operational support to terrorist groups in the Sahel. This claim underscores long-standing suspicions regarding foreign interference in the region’s security dynamics.
In late October, DGSE agents were uncovered in the Sahel, accused of supplying military and communications equipment to terrorist organisations as well as financing armed groups. In addition, French agents operating in Côte d’Ivoire were identified in Niger. These agents were reportedly providing information to combatants in order to support the difficult security situation in the region.
Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré has echoed similar allegations, accusing Côte d’Ivoire and Benin of hosting French-led operations aimed at undermining his country. He claimed evidence of French bases in Benin supporting terrorist operations, emphasizing that these activities threaten the sovereignty of Sahelian states.
However, a new front of French activity seems to have opened up to divide the citizens of the region. Information has emerged that Malian citizens living in Côte d’Ivoire are planning to hold a rally against Mali’s withdrawal from ECOWAS in front of the Malian Embassy in Abidjan on 11 January.
Meanwhile, a similar demonstration by Malians living in Senegal has also been reported. A protest against the decision by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to leave ECOWAS is scheduled for January 12 in front of the Embassy of Mali in Dakar.
Similar events have been held before. Members of a collective of Malian citizens in Côte d’Ivoire met in Abidjan in July 2024 to discuss their concerns about the decision of Mali’s ruling military to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
However, as it turned out, the Malians were not involved in the event. The Malian community living in Côte d’Ivoire reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Malian transitional authorities at a press briefing held on Friday 26 July 2024.
The attempt to stage a demonstration in Côte d’Ivoire on 11 January and in Senegal on January 12 looks suspicious to analysts, especially given that Abidjan is traditionally considered a French ally in the region. Such demonstrations look like a French attempt to sow discord among West Africans.Experts argue that maintaining instability in the region serves France’s strategic interests, ensuring continued economic and political influence.
Source: Coulibaly Mamadou/Contributor
