Chad condemns Macron’s remarks on African “ingratitude”

Chad's Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah has strongly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's recent comments, accusing him of showing "contempt" towards Africa.

The remarks, made on January 6 during a speech to France's diplomatic corps, came after Macron stated that African leaders had "forgotten to say thank you" for France's role in combating jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"The government of the Republic of Chad expresses its deep concern following the remarks made recently by the president of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, which reflect a contemptuous attitude towards Africa and Africans," Koulamallah said in a statement broadcast on state television. "The French leaders must learn to respect Africans," he added, underscoring that while Chad had "no problem" with France, the French attitude toward Africa was increasingly problematic.

Koulamallah also reminded France of the significant role Africa and Chad played in the liberation of France during the two world wars, an effort, he argued, that "France has never truly recognised." His remarks come amid increasing tension between France and its former African colonies, particularly in the wake of the withdrawal of French troops from the Sahel region.

The Chadian diplomat went further, criticizing France's historical and ongoing role in the country. He stated that France’s military presence in Chad had largely been driven by its own "strategic interests" rather than a genuine effort to contribute to the development of the Chadian people.

"France’s contribution to Chad has often been limited to its own strategic interests, without any real lasting impact for the development of the Chadian people," Koulamallah asserted.

Chad recently ended its defence and security agreements with France, which had been in place for decades. In a move that symbolized the changing dynamics, the Chadian government called the agreements "obsolete" and announced the withdrawal of French military personnel, with around 1,000 troops stationed at French military bases in the country now in the process of leaving.

Macron’s comments earlier this week were part of a broader defence of France’s military interventions in the Sahel, where French forces intervened in Mali in 2013 to repel jihadist insurgents. Macron stated that without this intervention, no country in the Sahel would have been able to maintain its sovereignty. However, as France shifts its military presence in Africa following the expulsion of its forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—countries now ruled by military juntas hostile to Paris—the sentiment in the region has soured.

Senegal and the Ivory Coast have also followed suit, requesting that France withdraw its military bases from their territories. Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, echoed Koulamallah’s sentiments, denouncing Macron’s characterization of African leaders as "ungrateful." In a statement on social media, Sonko rejected Macron’s claims and stressed Senegal's sovereignty in its decision-making.

"France has neither the capacity nor the legitimacy to assure Africa’s security or sovereignty," Sonko said. He also dismissed as "completely false" Macron's assertion that the withdrawal of French forces from Senegal was the result of negotiated discussions about a reorganization of France’s military deployment in the Sahel. "No discussion or negotiations have taken place and the decision by Senegal stems from its own determination as an independent and sovereign country," Sonko clarified.

By Khagan Isayev