By Enyichukwu Enemanna
French State Minister for Ties with Francophone Countries and International Partnerships, Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, on Friday said insecurity challenges in West Africa are no longer of concern to Paris.
Mohamed-Soilihi’s comment comes a week after Paris handed over control of its last major military base in the region.
He spoke to journalists in a phone conversation in South Africa, where he attended the G20 top economies’ week of discussions on global development.
“I’m sorry to say, but it no longer concerns us,” Mohamed-Soilihi said in response to a question on the risk posed in the region as a result of France’s military absence.
“That’s a shame, because everyone can see the difference between (now and then),” he added. “But we are looking for other ways to maintain ties that are not necessarily military.”
France has in the last three years pulled out its military presence from its African former colonies, where for decades it had fought against jihadist militants and arrested armed criminals.
Since 2022, Paris has withdrawn its soldiers from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, after military coups brought in leaders who did not want the presence of French military.
Chad, which is also fighting jihadists in the Sahel, had in November last year abruptly ended its security cooperation with its former colonial master.
More than a decade of insurgencies in the Sahel have displaced millions and created economic challenges, with violence pushing further south towards West Africa’s coast.
