French President Emmanuel Macron has taken an unusually direct approach in addressing the deteriorating ties between France and the military-led governments of the Sahel. Describing the situation as a case of « receiving ingratitude in return », Macron has signaled the definitive end to a diplomatic era that began over a decade ago. His remarks leave no room for doubt, targeting the regimes in power in Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey—three capitals that have each terminated bilateral military cooperation with Paris.
Presidential remarks mark a definitive Sahel fracture
The language used by the French head of state starkly contrasts with the customary diplomatic caution exercised in dealings with African partners. By underscoring the sacrifices made by France—both in human lives and financial resources—Macron seeks to place responsibility for the breakdown squarely on the shoulders of the transitional authorities that emerged from the 2020, 2022, and 2023 coups. His words also resonate domestically, where the Sahel crisis is widely perceived as a strategic setback following the forced withdrawal of the Barkhane operation in 2022.
However, the president’s uncompromising tone risks further entrenching an already fragile situation. In both Bamako and Niamey, official narratives have been built around the rejection of what is framed as an intrusive, even neocolonial presence. Every public statement from the Élysée that emphasizes grievances only fuels the sovereignist rhetoric championed by colonels Assimi Goïta, Ibrahim Traoré, and Abdourahamane Tiani. European chancelleries, monitoring the developments closely, fear that such rhetoric may also complicate their own remaining diplomatic channels in the region.
The Sahel States Alliance’s response to France’s withdrawal
Since the establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023—later expanded into a confederation in July 2024—the three military regimes have accelerated their diplomatic realignment. Withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), growing ties with Moscow through the Africa Corps (replacing the Wagner Group), and expanding partnerships with Ankara and Tehran have reshaped Bamako’s, Ouagadougou’s, and Niamey’s geopolitical positioning at a rapid pace. France, which had retained significant economic influence through the CFA franc, Orange, TotalEnergies, and Eramet, now watches its leverage diminish.
Concretely, the withdrawal of the last French troops from Chad and Senegal, finalized in late 2024, completes Paris’s military retreat across the Sahelo-Saharan belt. The once-formidable French military footprint in West Africa—boasting over 5,000 personnel in 2020—has dwindled to a residual presence focused primarily on training and intelligence operations. This contraction fundamentally alters France’s long-standing influence model, which has historically relied on force projection.
A double-edged rhetoric for France
By publicly denouncing the « ingratitude » of African partners, Macron risks reinforcing a postcolonial narrative that has already gained significant traction among urban and youth demographics in the Sahel. The term, whether intended or not, evokes a paternalistic tone that the French executive had actively sought to dismantle since the Ouagadougou speech of November 2017. The gap between the initial promises of a renewed France-Africa relationship and today’s reality of rupture has never been more apparent.
The president’s remarks arrive at a pivotal moment, as Paris seeks to rebuild its African partnerships around what it deems more stable states, including Morocco, Ivory Coast, Benin, and Mauritania. This strategy of bypassing the Sahel requires measured public discourse to avoid undermining broader diplomatic efforts. Several African diplomats, even among allies, have privately expressed discomfort with a tone they consider overly personal.
In Dakar, Abidjan, and Nouakchott, the sequence of events is being closely watched, as it encapsulates France’s struggle to close a chapter without reopening old wounds. The question remains: how can Paris restore its credibility as an attentive partner on the continent while acknowledging a Sahel legacy it believes was undeservedly criticized? The president’s words mark another step in the symbolic dismantling of France’s Sahel dossier.