French President Emmanuel Macron said France no longer considers Africa its “backyard” as he hosted Kenyan President William Ruto in Paris, where the two leaders announced 11 bilateral agreements worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
This story is written and edited by Global South World
Speaking during a joint press conference on Sunday, May 10, Macron said France had changed its approach to relations with African countries.
“I want no longer France to consider Africa as our backyard… I believe that we need a well-balanced partnership,” Macron said.
He added that the “transformation” France has pursued over the past decade is based on “state sovereignty and territorial integrity” in its engagement with the continent.
Macron also defended the participation of West African leaders at the summit amid criticism that the region was underrepresented. He acknowledged that three countries were excluded following military coups.
The French president referred to France’s military withdrawal from Mali, saying the decision was made at the request of Malian authorities but argued it had not benefited the country.
“The events have shown that this was not the best solution or the best option for Mali,” he said, while paying tribute to French soldiers killed there.
This article was originally published by Global South World and is republished here with permission. View the original article.
Global South World was created to address the emergence of influential nations outside traditional power structures in geopolitics. Our mission is to amplify voices from the Global South and raise awareness of changes and trends in those countries.
