French neocolonialism is falling apart Macron unwelcome everywhere

It seems that France is finally relinquishing its already precarious position on the vast African continent. Following the recent withdrawal of French troops from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, Paris has begun pulling its military contingent out of Senegal and Chad. As a result, France now maintains a military presence only in Djibouti (1,500 troops) and Gabon (350 troops).

Recently, the Senego portal, citing informed sources in Senegal, reported that local military authorities had taken control of the Maréchal, Saint-Exupéry, and Contre-Amiral Protée bases. Furthermore, it is expected that by the summer of 2025, all other French-controlled military bases will come under Dakar’s authority.

However, despite the crumbling colonial policies of Macron's France in African countries, this has not deterred Paris. Judging by Emmanuel Macron's desperate statements, he still hopes to maintain France's military presence on the continent.

During the Ambassadors' Conference in Paris on 6 January, the French leader made absurd remarks regarding the withdrawal of French troops from Africa. He claimed that France had not "left" Africa but would instead continue its path under a new order and remain on the continent. Emphasising that since 2013, France has made every effort to combat terrorism in Africa, Macron stated: "However, African leaders have forgotten to thank us for this. If the French army had not been deployed in this region, none of these countries would be sovereign states today."

Unsurprisingly, Macron's rhetoric was met with a strong reaction from African governments. In particular, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko made it clear that France lacks both legitimacy and authority to ensure security and sovereignty in Africa.

"Far from providing security in the region, as it claims, France has instead caused a security disaster in the Sahel, destabilising several countries, such as Libya," Sonko stated. Mocking Macron’s remarks about African leaders “forgetting” to thank France, he added a historical comparison: "If it weren’t for the African soldiers who were forcibly conscripted, mistreated, and ultimately fought for France during World War II, the country might well be part of Germany today."

To be fair, Senegal has every reason to reproach France. While Paris may have chosen to forget the Thiaroye Massacre committed by French colonial forces nearly 80 years ago, Senegal has not.

In December 1944, the French carried out a mass killing of Senegalese tirailleurs—colonial infantrymen who had fought in the French army during World War II—upon their return from the front lines. According to various sources, up to 400 men were killed, with the massacre triggered by France’s refusal to pay the wages owed to these freed prisoners of war. To this day, Paris refuses to open its archives, concealing the exact number of murdered Senegalese soldiers.

Notably, Ousmane Sonko, back in 2019 as a presidential candidate from the opposition party PASTEF, demanded that France disclose all information about this brutal massacre committed on Senegalese soil.

This is far from the only bloodstain in France's history regarding African nations. One need only recall the genocide in Algeria, which claimed around 40,000 lives. Moreover, during the War of Independence from 1954 to 1962 alone, more than 300,000 Algerians were killed. The total number of Algerians who perished under French rule is estimated to be close to 1.5 million.

Now, the world watches as France shamefully surrenders its positions on the African continent, forced to curb its imperial ambitions. Macron’s France is withdrawing from military bases in Faya-Largeau, Abéché, and Adji Kossei in N'Djamena, and this list is likely to grow as African nations push to rid themselves of French presence once and for all.

As Chadian Prime Minister Allamaye Halina recently stated, N'Djamena’s decision to end military cooperation with France is “bold and patriotic”, adding that the people had long been waiting for this moment.

In this context, it is also worth recalling the statements made by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye at the end of last year. He asserted that the presence of French military bases in his country does not serve national interests and is incompatible with the sovereignty of an African state.

Taken together, these developments point to the collapse of France’s neocolonial policies. Nevertheless, Paris continues its attempts to impose imperial narratives in other parts of the world—most notably in the South Caucasus, where it blatantly interferes in regional affairs. However, each such attempt is met with a firm response from Baku. Moreover, Azerbaijan will continue to support nations suffering under French colonialism, as well as France’s overseas territories striving for independence—particularly through the Baku Initiative Group.

The fact that we are witnessing France being shamefully expelled from one place after another is a clear sign that the world is rapidly changing, dismantling the centuries-old order imposed through force and coercion. The only question that remains: will Paris ever come to its senses?