During the next four days, the President of the Republic will visit Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau.
Three months after his re-election, Emmanuel Macron returns to Africa, one of his diplomatic priorities, visiting for the first time Cameroon, a heavyweight in Central Africa, Benin, facing security challenges in the Sahel, and Guinea. -Bissau. This four-day trip will allow the French president to reaffirm his “commitment to the process of renewing France’s relationship with the African continent“Explains the Elysée.
During his first term, Emmanuel Macron favored visits to the countries of the Sahel – anti-jihadist struggle obliges – and non-French-speaking countries in Africa such as Nigeria, Ethiopia or South Africa. It has thus abandoned those of the former French precarious in Central Africa including Gabon, the DRC or Cameroon which, at the same time, have developed their political and economic relations with other powers such as China, Russia or Germany.
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Political priority
But, with this visit, the first outside Europe since his re-election in April, the president intends “send a signal of political priority given to the African continent“says the Elysée. It comes as Emmanuel Macron announced last week his desire to “rethink the whole thing by the fall“of the military devices of France”on the African continent“, while the anti-jihadist force Barkhane completes its departure from Mali.
Saying they wantless posed and less exposed devices“, the president judged that it was about a “strategic necessity“. This question will be discussed in particular in Benin which, bordering Burkina-Faso, has suffered jihadist attacks, and to which France is ready to provide “concrete support“, particularly in intelligence or air support.
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The Sahel issue will also be discussed in Guinea Bissau, whose President Umaro Sissoco Embalo is preparing to take the helm of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in the front line against the Malian junta.
In Cameroon, talks with President Paul Biya, 89, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly 40 years, should also focus on the threat of Boko Haram in the north of the country and the conflict between Northwest and Southwest for more than five years from armed separatist groups to law enforcement.
Do not set yourself up as a “lesson giver”
Emmanuel Macron had provoked the indignation of power by declaring in 2020, after being arrested by an opponent, that he had “put pressure on Paul Biya“on the violence”intolerablein these regions. During the visit,governance issues and the rule of law will be dealt with at each stage, without media injunction but in the form of direct exchanges with their counterparts“, underlines the Elysée. For who “the French president’s line is in no way to set himself up as a lecturer“.
In Yaoundé, Emmanuel Macron will debate with young people who participated in the Africa-France summit in Montpellier (south), prepared by Professor Achille Mbembe, who will be present with in particular the artist Greg-Belobo, the former coach of the Cameroon selection. Claude Le Roy and former French rugby player Serge Betsen.
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Discussions will also focus on the food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and the Farm initiative launched in March with the European Union and the African Union to increase agricultural production. France intends to support projects in Cameroon, which has many assets in this sector. Wednesday in Benin, Emmanuel Macron should be hailed for having allowed the restitution last year of 26 works of the royal treasures of Abomey (south), looted in 1892 by the French colonial troops.
The Head of State will be accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Armed Forces, Catherine Colonna and Sébastien Lecornu, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Olivier Becht as well as the Secretary of State for Development, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou.
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