France and the EU blew it in Africa and are trying to blame Russia

French influence

Former colonies are looking elsewhere for military support after years of bungled operations.

French influence in Africa has long been taken for granted to such an extent that the French media has a name for the relationship: “Françafrique”. The implication is that Paris still has historical and linguistic ties to its resource-rich former colonies on the continent, which should automatically translate to military, economic, and political privileges. But a new world is emerging in which France’s African sphere of influence is no longer a given. 

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