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West Africa: France Loses Economic Grip on Region
RFI, 9 October 2022
France is under fire in parts of West Africa for its alleged "stranglehold" on the continent's economy. Anti-French sentiment in Mali has spread to Burkina Faso where opinion… Read more »
France's Image in Africa 'Deteriorating Year by Year'
France is under fire in parts of West Africa for its alleged "stranglehold" on the continent's economy. Anti-French sentiment in Mali has spread to Burkina Faso where opinion leaders accuse the former colonial power of profiteering.
The decline began in the early 2000s and, over the last two decades, France has been stripped of its title as the continent's leading supplier and investor. China began eating into France's market share in the early 2000s, and overtook it in 2007. China now has 17% of the African market - three times more than France.
More generally, accusations that France has too much control reflect multiple grievances that are not always related to the economy. According to the annual AfricaLeads survey of African leaders conducted by the French employers' association (Cian), France's image is deteriorating year on year.
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