The Senegalese prime minister and the Chadian foreign minister have condemned claims made by Emmanuel Macron regarding negotiations about the withdrawal of French troops from several African countries, dismissing them as inaccurate.
Macron said during his discours that the announced withdrawal of French military bases had been negotiated between the African countries involved and France. He claimed it was purely out of convenience and politeness that France allowed these African nations to make the announcement first.
The remarks were made at the annual conference of ambassadors held this year on 6 and 7 January in Paris.
However, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko criticised Macron's remarks as "completely inaccurate," while Chadian Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah described them as disdainful.
Chad's position
Chad's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abderaman Koulamallah, dismissed the French President's remarks in a statement broadcast on national television.
"The Government of the Republic of Chad expresses its deep concern over recent comments by the president of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, which reveal a disdainful attitude towards Africa and Africans," Koulamallah said.
He added that, despite 60 years of presence in the country, France’s contribution has often been "limited to serving their own strategic interests, with little genuine or lasting impact on the development of the Chadian people."
He concluded by urging Macron to focus on “addressing the issues concerning the French people.”
Sonko responds
Sonko strongly dismissed Macron's claims about the position of France in Senegal too. "I must emphasise that, in the case of Senegal, this assertion is entirely incorrect," he wrote on social media.
"No discussion or negotiation [about withdrawal] has taken place to date, and the decision made by Senegal stems solely from its own will, as a free, independent, and sovereign country."
Both Chad and Senegal repeated that their respective decisions to ask French troops to leave were unilateral.
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Lack of gratitude?
Macron also criticised the "ingratitude" of certain leaders on the African continent - suggesting they would not be leading sovereign nations today if the French army had not been deployed there.
"Let us observe that France neither has the capacity nor the legitimacy to ensure Africa’s security and sovereignty," Sonko said.
"On the contrary, it [France] has often contributed to destabilising certain African countries, such as Libya, with disastrous consequences for the stability and security of the Sahel."
A staunch critic of the French presence in his country before coming to power last year, Sonko reminded President Macron that "if African soldiers - sometimes forcibly conscripted, mistreated, and ultimately betrayed - had not been deployed during the Second World War to defend France, the country might still be German today."
Koulamallah also highlighted the "crucial role" played by Africa and Chad "in the liberation of France during the two world wars."
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He called on "French leaders to learn to respect the African people and to acknowledge the value of their sacrifices."
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Diplomatic mistakes
The French president's African policy looks less and less readable, according to African affairs expert Antoine Glaser.
"Macron is making a serious effort to wipe the slate clean..." he told RFI, "across the entirety of French-speaking post-colonial Africa, with a desire to shift focus towards Nigeria and English-speaking countries in general. He has visited Ethiopia and South Africa."
According to Glaser, Macron seeks to demonstrate that he still holds influence over Africa's future. However, Chad and Senegal have forged new strategic and financial partnerships, particularly with the United Arab Emirates, as well as with countries in Asia and the broader Middle East.
