The involuntary military withdrawal first from Mali , from Burkina Faso and finally from Niger announced for late marks a historic turning point in Franco-African relations. The question is no longer whether relations between France and its former colonies will change; the real question is whether Paris will be able to shape this change or if it will be a mere bystander to a transformation that is largely driven by African actors.
Emblematic of this method was the new format of the traditional Africa-France Summit, held in Montpellier in October Contrary to diplomatic traditions, no African government representatives were invited, but only non-state and civil society actors. It remains questionable, however, to what extent this carefully selected circle of civil society figures represents broader societal currents in Africa, or whether it is able to exert political influence at home.
A reform initiative of potential significance was the announced abolition of the West African franc CFA currency. In recent years, the currency has become a focal point of resentment and social protest. Macron therefore links the reform above all to the goal of defusing the increasingly virulent criticism of France in the region.
However, the currency remains pegged to the euro and France continues to guarantee a fixed exchange rate. Sudan received pledges for far-reaching debt relief. Among other things, official development assistance ODA is to be increased and used more effectively. The government also plans to change its priorities. After years of increasing the share of ODA received by emerging economies, the least developed countries are to obtain greater support starting in In , the latter group was given The share of grants in bilateral aid is to be increased to 70 per cent by The main recipients are to be a group of priority countries and low-income countries, mostly in Africa.
Discrepancies persist, however. In , Paris is also striving for stronger political steering of development cooperation at the strategic level. Overall, the changes seem to point in the right direction. French aid has a reputation for being politically arbitrary and lacking effectiveness. Two issues are at the forefront. It has acted as a catalyst for debates in other European countries, not least in Germany. By tackling these issues, Macron followed up on statements made during his election campaign, when he described the colonisation of Algeria as a crime against humanity.
