President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of feeding anti-French propaganda in Africa to serve “predatory ambitions” in troubled African nations, where France has suffered military setbacks and a wider loss of influence over recent years.
Speaking on the sidelines of a summit of French-speaking nations in Tunisia, Macron was asked to respond to critics who say France exploits historic economic and political ties in its former colonies to serve its own interests.
“This perception is fed by others, it’s a political project,” Macron told TV5 Monde in an interview. “I’m no fool, many influencers, sometimes speaking on your programs, are paid by the Russians. We know them,” he said.
“A number of powers, who want to spread their influence in Africa, are doing this to hurt France, hurt its language, sow doubts, but above all pursue certain interests,” he added.
France, the former colonial power in most of Western and central Africa, has longstanding military ties across Francophone Africa and French troops were stationed in Mali for a decade as part of a counter-terrorism operation.
Critics describe France’s operation as a failure and blame it for destabilizing the region further.
On Sunday, Macron said Russia’s behaviour was “predatory.”
“You only have to look at what’s going on in the Central African Republic or elsewhere to see that the Russian project under way there, when France is pushed aside, is a project of predation,” Macron said.
“It’s done with the complicity of a Russian military junta,” he said.
