Macron accuses Sahel of being ‘ungrateful’ for fight against terrorism

French President Emmanuel Macron has insisted his country was “right” to intervene against Islamist militants in the Sahel region and has accused leaders of the countries concerned of showing insufficient gratitude for France’s intervention.

In a speech given to French ambassadors at the Elysée Palace in Paris on Monday, Macron said that countries in the Sahel would not still be sovereign nations had French forces not prevented Islamist militants from taking control of their territory — and he accused African leaders of not having the “courage” to take this view “in the face of public opinion”.

In response, leaders in Chad and Senegal accused Macron of arrogance.

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko issued a statement asserting that “France has neither the capacity nor the legitimacy to ensure African’s security and sovereignty.” Adding that “French leaders must learn to respect the African people and recognise the value of their sacrifices.”

Meanwhile, Chad’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abderaman Koulamallah issued a statement experessing “deep concern at recent remarks by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, which reflect a contemptuous attitude towards Africa and Africans”.

“French leaders must learn to respect the African people and recognise the value of their sacrifices,” he declared.

The government of Chad — once one of France’s most loyal partners in Africa — announced last November that it would be halting defence cooperation with France, which formerly had around 1,000 troops stationed in Chad. French jets and troops started withdrawing two weeks after the announcement.

However, Chad has expressed a desire to maintain good relations, with Koulamallah saying at the time that “this is not a break with France like Niger or elsewhere”.

Niger’s former president, Mohamed Bazoum — who was a French ally — was deposed by a military junta in July 2023. France has also pulled out of Mali and Burkina Faso following a string of military coups, and the French military is currently in the process of drawing out of Senegal, the Ivory Coast and Chad.

As France’s power in its former colonial sphere on the African continent declines, Russia, China and Turkey have all expanded their influence.

In his New Year’s speech, Senegalese President Bassirou Dioumaye Faye said that 2025 would see an end to all foreign military activity in the country. In late November, he declared that the presence of the French military in the country was incompatible with sovereignty.

Macron told his audience on Monday that “France is not on the back foot in Africa, it is just lucid and reorganising itself”.