Amélia Lakrafi has been a Renaissance MP for French people abroad since 2017 (Middle East and South Africa).
Everyone has in mind the French flags burned in Niamey at the end of July.
The tumults that France is going through with some of its African partners are known.
Highly publicized, what we call anti-French sentiment is however not a homogeneous reality and is very circumscribed.
In reality, only four of the 54 African countries express marked anti-French sentiment, and often due to anti-democratic putsches.
Last June, an IFRI report highlighted how conspiratorial rhetoric against France has taken root in people's minds.
Fanciful accusations and untruths are constantly brandished against France by a noisy minority who seek to exploit the populations and who claim to be their spokesperson.
Although these discourses are not new, they are no longer restricted to intellectual elites and affect the urban classes.
They are carried as much by leaders, who find there an easy explanation for their inability to respond to security and socio-economic challenges, as by thought leaders resorting to manipulation and defamation on social networks.
The Franco-Beninese Kémi Seba or the Swiss-Cameroonian Nathalie Yamb, nicknamed the “Lady of Sochi” for her connections with the Kremlin, are emblematic figures.
Nathalie Yamb continues to make absurd revelations about a supposed hidden agenda of France in the Sahel.
Shortly before the coup d'état in Burkina Faso this fall, she declared:
"If France loses Burkina, it will be an end to the protection of the terrorist traffickers it installs and the pillaging of our resources
. "
In the background therefore appears a new logic of predation and destabilization of the continent.
Democracies and civilian populations suffer the effects.
Amelia Lakrafi
France's adversaries from outside the continent have a preponderant role in the construction and amplification of the phenomenon.
In March 2022, the French army foiled an information maneuver by Wagner.
She films mercenaries creating a mass grave near the Gossi base in Mali, with the aim of blaming the French for it.
During each of these operations, “bots” are responsible for spreading them to ignite social networks.
In the background therefore appears a new logic of predation and destabilization of the continent.
Democracies and civilian populations suffer the effects.
In Niger, after its coup d'état, the junta justified France's responsibility to explain the deterioration of the security situation and legitimize its putsch.
These lies led to the ransacking of the French embassy this summer.
Even countries where democracy has taken root suffer from this populist disease.
In Senegal, Ousmane Sonko accuses Emmanuel Macron of preventing his accession to power and encroaching on the country's sovereignty, declaring that
"France must have the dignity to stand on its own two feet rather than sucking the blood of its ex- colonies
.
His lawyer Juan Branco, a fan of excesses, enjoys it.
The French suffer from misinformation on this subject.
Far-left and far-right political leaders do not hesitate to relay this “fake news” to receive media attention at little cost.
This is the case of Jean-Luc Mélenchon when he mentions
“the defense agreements, and in particular their secret clauses – which have the real objective of controlling popular movements for the benefit of dictators”
.
France's adversaries are not asking for that much.
Françafrique fizzled out and for a long time African leaders have had the whole world in their waiting room to use Antoine Glaser's expression.
In this context, France is one partner among others.
Amelia Lakrafi
If the insults received by France benefit from a magnifying glass effect, amplified by foreign “bots” and certain influencers, the challenge of public debate for free and reliable information is much broader on the scale of the continent.
One way to counter the manipulation of information by populists is to enter the arena.
French and African political leaders must not allow themselves to be intimidated.
We must not allow ourselves to be distracted by a minority which does not represent Africa in its diversity and complexity.
The idea is not to boast like OSS 117. Certainly, there were errors and misunderstandings.
But Françafrique fizzled out and for a long time African leaders have had the whole world in their waiting room, to use Antoine Glaser's expression.
In this context, France is one partner among others.
We must not be afraid to say that the relationship between France and African states is virtuous!
France is not pillaging the continent.
Where it is present, it participates in the creation of wealth.
When Bouygues, Alstom, Colas and Keolis join forces to build the Abidjan metro, they employ a large proportion of Ivorian workers and strengthen the country's attractiveness in the long term.
Our development aid is showing a strong increase, on healthier foundations and with an unprecedented effort aimed at African entrepreneurs and women.
In the same way, the French military forces are not colonial armies.
Their commitment serves to contain and combat Islamist activities in the Sahel.
They are present at the request of governments, as instruments of peace and cooperation.
Concerning the controversies associated with the CFA Franc, it has withdrawn from the governance bodies of the CFA Franc and member states can freely leave this space.
The recognition of France's responsibilities in certain dark pages of African history, in Rwanda, in Algeria, as well as the policy of restitution of cultural property, have shown our desire to look the past in the face and move forward with our partners. Africans.
Amelia Lakrafi
The president's speech of February 27, 2023 addresses with lucidity and voluntarism the need to adopt a balanced partnership policy with the countries of the African continent.
Since its election in 2017, France – in which some want to see a neocolonial power – has on the contrary made strong gestures proving the “reset” of the software of its relations with the African continent.
The recognition of France's responsibilities in certain dark pages of African history, in Rwanda, in Algeria, as well as the policy of restitution of cultural property, have shown our desire to look the past in the face and move forward with our partners. Africans.
This policy continued with the establishment of admirable artistic, heritage and museum cooperation, supported by a multitude of projects dedicated to cultural dialogue through the French-speaking world.
The creation of the international city of the French language in Villers-Cotterêts and the upcoming creation of the House of African Worlds, embodies this dynamic.
These projects are a continuation of a renewed dialogue with youth and civil society since the Africa-France summit in Montpellier.
These are all strong commitments, clear messages and resolute actions that the President of the Republic has made towards the African continent and which do the honor of our country.
We must be proud of this record!
We will not allow ourselves to be intimidated by African populism and its relays in France.