President Emmanuel Macron has adopted a remarkably candid tone to characterize the state of relations between France and the military regimes across the Sahel. Declaring that Paris has been “paid back with ingratitude,” the French head of state unequivocally marked the conclusion of a diplomatic era that began over a decade ago. This forthright statement squarely targets the ruling juntas in Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey—three capitals that have successively communicated to France their decision to terminate bilateral military cooperation.

Presidential remarks underscore a sahelian rupture

The language employed by the Élysée occupant stands in stark contrast to the diplomatic prudence typically observed when engaging with African partners. By asserting the significant sacrifices made by France, including substantial human and financial losses, Emmanuel Macron aims to place the responsibility for this diplomatic breakdown squarely on the transitional authorities that emerged from the coups d’état of 2020, 2022, and 2023. His discourse also resonates with a domestic audience, as the Sahelian sequence continues to be perceived in France as a major strategic setback following the forced withdrawal of Operation Barkhane in 2022.

Nevertheless, the presidential formulation risks further exacerbating an already precarious situation. In both Bamako and Niamey, the official narrative has been built upon denouncing a French presence deemed intrusive, even neocolonial. Each public utterance from the Élysée expressing grievances invariably fuels the sovereignist rhetoric championed by leaders such as Colonels Assimi Goïta, Ibrahim Traoré, and Abdourahamane Tiani. European chanceries, closely monitoring these developments, harbor concerns that such direct language could complicate their own remaining channels of communication with Sahelian capitals.

The Alliance of Sahel States pivots away from France

Since the establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023, which evolved into a confederation in July 2024, the three military regimes have dramatically accelerated their diplomatic reorientation. This geopolitical repositioning of Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey is proceeding at a rapid pace, marked by their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a growing alignment with Moscow through Africa Corps (the successor to Wagner), and an opening towards Ankara and Tehran. France, which once maintained considerable economic leverage through entities like the CFA franc, Orange, TotalEnergies, and Eramet, is witnessing its influence diminish.

Concretely, the announced departure of the last French troops from Chad and Sénégal by late 2024 completes Paris’s military disengagement from the Sahelo-Saharan front. The French operational footprint in West Africa, which numbered over 5,000 personnel in 2020, is now reduced to a residual presence, primarily focused on training and intelligence. This significant contraction fundamentally transforms France’s long-standing model of influence, historically reliant on force projection.

A double-edged rhetoric for Paris

By publicly invoking the ingratitude of its African partners, Emmanuel Macron risks reinforcing a postcolonial interpretation that has already gained significant traction among Sahelian public opinion, particularly within urban and youth demographics. The term, whether intended or not, harks back to a paternalistic lexicon that the French executive had ostensibly sought to deconstruct since the Ouagadougou speech of November 2017. The contrast between the initial promises of a renewed Franco-African relationship and the current reality of rupture is now striking.

Furthermore, this presidential declaration comes at a time when Paris is actively seeking to redefine its African partnerships around states deemed more stable, ranging from Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire to Bénin and Mauritania. This strategy of bypassing the Sahel necessitates measured public discourse, lest it contaminate the entire spectrum of its African relationships. Several African diplomats, even from allied nations, privately express their unease with what they perceive as an overly personal register.

In Dakar, Abidjan, and Nouakchott, this sequence is observed with keen interest, as it illustrates France’s struggle to cleanly conclude one chapter without reopening old wounds. The pertinent question remains: how can Paris restore its credibility as an attentive partner on the continent while grappling with a Sahelian legacy it believes has been unfairly perceived? The remarks from Emmanuel Macron signify another step in the symbolic closure of the French Sahel dossier.