Struggling Africa policy of France: How businesses adapt?
France's Waning Influence in West Africa: A New Era Dawns
France's influence in West Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, has experienced a significant shift. By mid-2025, French military forces have withdrawn from the area, marking the end of a decades-long security engagement.
The Sahel, encompassing countries like Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Chad, has seen a decline in France's presence. The military retreat is part of a broader strategic repositioning, as France faces rising anti-French sentiment and shifting alliances that have impacted its traditional dominance.
France's military campaigns, such as Operation Serval and Barkhane, aimed at counterterrorism, have faced increasing local resistance and failed to bring lasting security improvements. By 2023–2025, these efforts were replaced with withdrawal plans.
In response to these changes, France has pivoted towards strengthening ties with Morocco, recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara as part of a broader Eurafrique strategy. This move is intended to regain access and influence in the Sahel via Morocco’s expanded regional role.
However, the anti-French political dynamics in Sahelian states and competition from other powers have weakened France’s traditional Françafrique influence. The Francafrique policy, a neo-colonial framework, is no longer the uncontested external actor in the region.
Meanwhile, countries like China, Turkey, Russia, and Germany are advancing their positions in Africa. This competition has forced French companies to adjust their business policies. Major players in the mining industry, for instance, are now often from Australia or Canada, such as Toronto-based mining giant Barrick Mining Corporation.
To remain credible, French companies must prove they are co-constructing locally and sharing benefits, rather than going it alone with resources. They are likely adapting by diversifying their partnerships, engaging more in bilateral agreements via regional hubs (such as Morocco), and emphasizing economic diplomacy aligned with broader strategic shifts in France’s foreign policy.
The Afrocentricity Think Tank director, Yves Ekoue Amaizo, believes the gradual withdrawal of French companies opens the door for new alliances, as African countries now have the capacity to replace them. Energy giant TotalEnergies, for example, is trying to find a new footing in English- and Portuguese-speaking countries.
The fight against the Francafrique policy is challenging Paris' military, diplomatic, and economic footprint in Africa. In February 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron presented a new strategy, titled "Our Future The Africa-France Partnership," which offers new forms of partnerships and advocates for a transition from a logic of aid to a logic of solidarity investments and partnerships.
As the Sahel region witnesses a wider change, it is no longer considered as France's exclusive business playground. Competition in these countries is fierce, and France can no longer rely on a historical advantage. The era of Françafrique may be waning, but the opportunities for new partnerships and collaborations are abundant.
- The world is witnessing a shift in West Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, as the media reported France's military forces withdrawing by mid-2025, marking the end of a long-term security engagement.
- As the environment of West Africa changes, new players such as China, Turkey, Russia, and Germany are advancing their positions, challenging France's traditional dominance, with major companies like mining giant Barrick Mining Corporation from Australia or Canada emerging.
- To maintain its credibility and adapt to the changing landscape, French companies are diversifying their partnerships and engaging more in bilateral agreements, emphasizing local collaboration, and solidarity investments as per the new strategy presented by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2023.
- The Afrocentricity Think Tank director, Yves Ekoue Amaizo, suggests that the gradual withdrawal of French companies opens opportunities for new alliances, as African countries now have the capacity to replace them, with energy giant TotalEnergies attempting to find a new footing in English- and Portuguese-speaking countries.
