The Future of Françafrique: Neocolonialism in Africa and the War on Terror

Abstract

Françafrique refers to the complex system of political, economic, and military relationships between France and its former colonies in Africa, characterized by neocolonialism, paternalism, and corruption. This paper aims to analyze the history and future of French geopolitical activity in Africa, including its motivations, strategies, and impacts. We first establish the background of France’s complex relationship with Africa, beginning with French colonialism in the region and decolonization. Next, we look at the period of close ties France maintained with most of its former colonies in Africa throughout the late 1900s. Additionally, we discuss the effects on French and American geopolitical power in developing regions that the “Global War on Terrorism’’ has had through the examples of operations Barkhane and Freedom’s Sentinel. Lastly, this paper looks to the future and identifies several trends and challenges that have impacted France’s power in Africa, and how these trends will continue into the future.