Hi there,

There has never been a more urgent time for courageous, daily, independent news. Media is essential to the functioning of a democratic society. Can you support Democracy Now! with $15 donation today? With your contribution, we can continue to go to where the silence is, to bring you the voices of the silenced majority – those calling for peace in a time of war, demanding action on the climate catastrophe and advocating for racial and economic justice. Every dollar makes a difference. Thank you so much!

Democracy Now!
Amy Goodman

Non-commercial news needs your support.

We rely on contributions from you, our viewers and listeners to do our work. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution.

Please do your part today.

Donate

Emmanuel Macron Embarks on African Tour Amid Tensions over French Presence in Ex-Colonies

HeadlineMar 03, 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron declared Thursday the era of French interference in Africa is over, as he embarked on a four-nation tour of the continent. Last week, Macron pledged to reduce France’s military role in Africa, after recent withdrawals from Mali and Burkina Faso. France’s efforts to stem attacks from Islamist insurgents in the Sahel have largely failed. But Macron said France intends to maintain a presence in its former colonies “with a reduced footprint,” amid Western concerns of growing ties with Russia and China. In the Democratic Republic of Congo — a former Belgian colony — protesters gathered outside the French Embassy in Kinshasa this week. They condemned Macron’s visit and demanded France pressure Rwandan President Paul Kagame to stop supporting M23 rebels in the DRC.

Protester: “France finances terrorist groups here in Africa, in several African states, in the Congo. So, recently, Mr. Macron came to placate us, the Congolese, but the Congolese people are not duped. Never did he point a finger at Mr. Kagame. At no point did he condemn Mr. Kagame.”

The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Non-commercial news needs your support

We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work.
Please do your part today.
Make a donation
Top