Africa: Macron Seeks to Reset France’s Africa Policy Amid Shrinking Influence

President Emmanuel Macron has called for a “rebalanced”, “equal-to-equal” partnership between France and African countries, signalling a continued shift away from the military-heavy approach that long defined France’s presence on the continent.

Speaking at the Élysée Palace during France’s annual meeting with ambassadors on Thursday, Macron said French policy towards Africa had undergone a fundamental change since 2017, when he declared in Ouagadougou: “There no longer is a French policy for…