Published On 19/11/2025
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Last update: 07:12 (Mecca time)
French President Emmanuel Macron will embark on a new African tour extending from 20 to 24 November 2025, which includes four main stops: Mauritius, South Africa, Gabon and Angola, as part of efforts to reposition France on the continent after the decline of its influence in recent years, especially in areas that were traditionally considered within the vital sphere of Paris, according to what the “Africa Report” report stated.
Macron will begin his tour with a visit to Mauritius on the 20th and 21st of November, before heading to Johannesburg, South Africa, on the 22nd of the same month, where he will participate in the first G20 summit held on the continent.
The French President will continue his trip with a visit to Gabon on November 23, concluding his tour in Angola on the 24th of the same month, in the context of an increasing French trend towards English- and Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa.
The rupture speech… unfulfilled promises
Since his famous speech at the University of Ouagadougou in 2017, in which he acknowledged the “crimes of European colonialism,” Macron has sought to present himself as a different French president in his dealings with Africa, pledging to end the traditional policy that characterized Paris’s relations with its former colonies, the report said.
Macron made a series of promises that included returning looted heritage, declassifying the archives of the assassination of Burkinabe leader Thomas Sankara, and strengthening academic partnerships, but these initiatives quickly gave way to a series of statements that were considered condescending and insulting in the African context.
During the same speech in Ouagadougou, Macron joked with the audience by saying that his then-Burkini counterpart “left to fix the air conditioning” after he temporarily left the hall. This phrase was interpreted in Burkina Faso and Africa generally as a belittlement of the host president, and reflected what was described as a paternalistic French style.
In the same context, Macron sparked widespread controversy during his visit to a maritime rescue center in the French region of Brittany in June 2017, when he sarcastically said, “The Quasa boat does not catch much, but rather brings Comorians,” referring to irregular migration boats from the Comoros to the French island of Mayotte.
The statement was considered insulting and belittling a human tragedy, especially since these boats are known locally as “death boats” due to the large number of drowned people on board, which later prompted the Elysee to admit that they were an “unsuccessful joke.”
Symbolic steps in memory file
Despite these missteps, the Elysee took symbolic steps in the file of historical memory, most notably Macron’s acknowledgment of the killing of communist activist Maurice Audin at the hands of the French army during the Algerian War, the return of the skulls of Algerian resistance fighters that were preserved in French museums, as well as the return of royal treasures to Benin, and the recognition of France’s responsibility in the genocide of Rwanda in 1994, according to Africa Report.
However, these initiatives, despite their symbolism, did not translate into an actual transformation in relations, and they continued to face criticism accusing Paris of continuing to deal with the continent in a superior manner.
Montpellier summit…dialogue without leaders
In October 2021, France organized the Africa/France Summit in Montpellier without inviting any African heads of state, preferring civil society representatives chosen by French embassies, which was considered an insult in several capitals, according to the report.
Three years later, this initiative resulted in only two cultural institutions, while the French style was still described as superior and authoritarian, and did not succeed in breaking the stereotype of the relationship between Paris and Africa.
The coast…withdrawal under pressure
In recent years, the Sahel region has witnessed a series of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, accompanied by escalating popular anger against France, which led to the successive withdrawal of French forces from these countries, as documented by the Africa Report.
Even Chad, a historical ally of Paris, demanded a renegotiation of the French military presence, while Senegal and Ivory Coast called for the departure of French forces, each in its own way.
Double standards and erosion of credibility
At an ambassadorial conference held on January 6, 2025, Macron sparked a new wave of criticism when he said that African leaders “forgot to thank France” for its military interventions, sparking angry responses from the presidents of Senegal and Chad, the report said.
He was also accused of double standards, as he strongly condemned the Sahel coups but supported a military transition in Chad after the death of Idriss Deby, and sought to build close relationships with coup leaders in Gabon, as well as clinging to relationships with veteran presidents such as Alassane Ouattara in Côte d’Ivoire, Paul Biya in Cameroon, and Denis Sassou Nguesso in the Congo, in stark contrast to his reformist rhetoric in Ouagadougou.
Betting on non-Francophone Africa
Since the beginning of his term, Macron has bet on diversifying partnerships with countries that were not subject to French colonialism, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda, as Africa Report reported.
This policy has achieved some economic results, most notably that Nigeria has become France’s first economic partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with trade exchange with Angola increasing by 227%.
Total Energies also pledged to invest $1 billion annually in Nigeria, and Nigerian banks opened branches in Paris, an indication of a gradual economic transformation.
Economic outcome: limited growth and relative decline
Although trade exchange between France and Africa grew by 33% between 2017 and 2024, France’s share of the continent’s total trade declined from 5.5% to 3.2%, according to figures reported by the Africa Report.
Between the rhetoric of estrangement and the continuation of political realism, the “transformational agenda” promoted by Macron remains an incomplete project that reflects a decline in French influence and opens the way for new international powers such as Russia, Turkey, and China.