French "aid" in Africa: Is Paris really helping or just pulling the strings? Ghanaian press calls out Macron’s Mauritania water project fiasco

Ghanaian website Modern Ghana has slammed Paris for attempting to sway Mauritania with its so-called “assistance.” We’re bringing this bold critique to Caliber.Az readers.

The latest debacle surrounding the French Development Agency's (AFD) failed €22 million water project in Mauritania has raised serious questions about the true intentions behind France’s aid to African nations. What was meant to provide clean drinking water to 155,000 people has instead become an embarrassing failure: infrastructure remains incomplete, equipment is malfunctioning, and the promised water has never materialized.

This disaster calls into question whether France is genuinely helping Africa or simply pursuing its own political and economic agendas. Over the last decade, nearly €350 million has been poured into Mauritania, but instead of improving living conditions, the funds have yielded little to no real progress. The Aftout-el-Chargui water project, backed by AFD, was supposed to be a game-changer, but instead, it has exposed poor management and possible corruption.

The situation underscores the growing concern that French aid is more about serving the political and economic elites in Paris than benefiting the people of Africa. France has long used financial assistance as a tool to maintain influence over its former colonies, funneling resources to regimes that remain loyal, while cutting funds to nations pursuing independent development paths.

French aid is increasingly becoming a form of political manipulation, tying African governments to Paris by making them reliant on these funds. However, with the failures of France's military interventions in Africa, Paris is shifting focus from military control to “soft power”—financing NGOs, human rights organizations, and activists who push French interests under the guise of promoting democracy.

According to the BBC, French embassies across Africa have been channeling financial and legal support to local groups, subtly shaping public opinion in France’s favor. This shows that France's desire to control the region hasn’t disappeared—it’s simply taking a more covert approach.

The example of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which expelled French troops and is now building its own military force, proves that Africa can chart its own future without foreign interference. For this to become a reality, however, African leaders must recognize that French financial aid isn’t a solution, but a tool of manipulation. The continent’s future must be forged by Africans themselves, free from outside influence and political pressure.