from supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz to world@lemmy.world on 20 Feb 20:20
https://sopuli.xyz/post/41480168
The content and functionality of France and Russia’s foreign policy doctrines on Africa have determined the nature of their confrontation. At the same time, a radical revision of the French approach, although not a starting point, created favorable conditions for Russia’s transition from a latent, particularly informational, presence in the region to an open military-political repositioning.
The French vision of a new policy towards Africa was articulated by President Emmanuel Macron at the University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in 2017. In his speech, he stated that “there is no longer a French policy on Africa,” which was dubbed an “equal-to-equal partnership.” At that time, France’s military presence on the continent consisted of about 10,000 troops, stationed mainly in French-speaking West Africa and the Sahel. By 2026, most of the contingent had been withdrawn from their locations, often under pressure from large-scale protests, as was the case in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and a number of other countries.
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Russia’s hybrid war in Africa shows signs of escalation, albeit with fixed changes in format. Despite the established frameworks of disinformation campaigns, stronger democratic institutions, and the adaptation of government policies and regulatory practices of media platforms determine the limited reproductive potential of Russia’s strategy outside the Sahel. At the same time, the Russian side is facing difficulties with recruitment, financing, and institutionalization of its security presence, which became evident during the replacement of the Wagner PMC with the Africa Corps, which raised questions among African leaders.
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