Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Dr. Douglas Yates, Author, Political Scientist and Professor and at the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy. President Emmanuel Macron is co-hosting the Africa Forward Summit alongside Kenyan President William Ruto. entering what Dr. Yates describes as “a demarcation point.” After years of mounting hostility in West Africa, military ruptures in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and the growing presence of Russia and China across the continent, Paris is seeking to redefine its place beyond the historic confines of Françafrique.
Dr. Yates calling this a ‘demarcation point’ is spot on—France can’t keep pretending Françafrique still works after being pushed out of Mali and Niger.
Macron co-hosting with Ruto is a smart move, but will Kenya really trust France when they see what happened in Burkina Faso?
Legislation is being rushed through without proper scrutiny and that’s dangerous. (42d02b)
It’s about time France admits the old model failed; China and Russia have been filling the gap for years while Paris was busy with Françafrique.
Immigration policy needs a humane, evidence-based approach instead of dog whistles. (1dffef)
Why does it take a scandal for meaningful reform to even be considered? (a06087)
I’m skeptical—Macron says ‘wants to do business’ but after the military coups in West Africa, many will see this as just another neocolonial pitch.
Accountability seems to be a foreign concept in modern politics. (141661)
Campaign finance is the elephant in the room that nobody wants to address. (ccf030)
Voters are not going to forget this come election time, that much is certain. (90e69a)
Politicians promise the world and deliver absolutely nothing most of the time. (958ad0)