France-Africa Relations Under President Macron 2017-2022
In African Affairs seminars,the exchanges are highly animated when participants are asked to evaluate the policies of the government of Emmanuel Macron between 2017 and 2022.One group of observers argue that there were no significant changes and they cite the rise of anti-French sentiments in countries like Guinea,Mali,Burkina Faso and Senegal.While another group of participants will pinpoint the change in the institutional framework and the waves of cultural and economic events that focused on Africa since the beginning of the mandate in 2017.
A photo exhibition on Algeria between 1961-2019 at the Arab World Institute
The mandate of audacious initiatives
The creation of the Africa presidential council(Conseil présidentiel pour l'Afrique)an advisory body at the beginning of the mandate and the setting up of the Benedicte Savoy and Felwine Farr Commission on the restitution of African Arts were some of the early ambitious initiatives of the mandate.In the mission statement to the Committee the president indicated I am committed to the idea that from now and within a period of five years,we must create temporary conditions favourable to the restitution of African Arts.
Berville,Felwine and Duclert reports
While museum curators,art historians and art dealers were debating the consequences of the restitution on the activities of museums.The inauguration of the Vincent Duclert Commission charged with the responsibility of investigating and making proposals to the government on the role of France in the genocide of Rwanda was the climax of a bold action in the light of the denial of the genocide by the Paul Quiles report and the lobby of France has no responsibility in the genocide.In short,before these two reports the Hervé Berville report submitted to the government of Édouard Philipe was another project that proposed a new phase in France-Africa relations.
Improved Cultural relations
The visit to Nigeria by president Macron at the beginning of his mandate already marked a transformational phase in France-Africa relations and in a country famous for the organisation of music festivals.The organisation of Africa 2020 or Africa Cultural Season dedicated to exhibitions on African fashion,sculpture and arts in cultural institutes,museums and libraries between 2020 and 2021 was the most popular cultural event to promote Africa in any European country since the signature of the Treaty of Rome in 1957.
Finding new paths in France-Algeria relations
Lacerating criticism of the colonial system during a visit to Algeria,the acknowledgment of the responsibility of France in the 1957 disappearance of (Maurice Audin)the anti-colonial activist in Algiers.The proposals of the Benjamin Stora report covering how to revive the links between the two countries were sufficient leverages for reconcilation due to the factor of geographical proximity but there were no bridge-builders capable of taking giant strides on both sides during the first mandate.
Diplomacy lForeign policy making |France-Africa- relations part two