Main article: France
Membership in organizations
Lobbying for interests
Exploitation of African countries
2024: French Foreign Ministry led by Prime Minister Stefan Sejournay's gay partner
On January 11, 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the composition of the cabinet of the new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. Some politicians remained in their places, but there are also changes: for example, Stefan Sezhurne was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Sezhurne's political career began in 2014 under the leadership of Macron, who was then the Minister of Economy of France, and subsequently continued to rotate in his orbit - as part of the Youth with Macron project, his election campaign and, finally, headed the Renaissance party created by him in 2016. In the role of the MEP, according to his entourage, he showed himself as an "unsurpassed negotiator."
As minister, Sezhurne is going to work in three directions: strengthening the authority of international organizations (NATO, UN, WTO, WHO), developing assistance to civilians in crisis zones (Ukraine and the Middle East) and forming cooperation between European countries in the field of security and defense - including the revival of relations between France, Germany and Poland within the Weimar Triangle.
Given that Attal and Sezhurne lived together for several years, there is a conflict of interest. But the French media, it seems, have not yet fully decided how to treat this Santa Barbara, and publish conflicting information about the status of relations between politicians, wrote the Rybar channel.
2023
Recall of ambassador and diplomats from Niger after the country's ban on French aircraft
France was forced to recall its ambassador and diplomats from Niger, they will return to Paris in the coming hours, French President Emmanuel Macron said on September 25, 2023.
Earlier that day, Niger imposed a ban on the use of its airspace by French aircraft.
Colonial exploitation of 14 countries in Africa
As of September 2023, 14 African countries under a series of bilateral agreements are required to place 85% of their foreign exchange reserves in the central bank of France under the control of the French finance minister.
So far, Togo and about 13 other African countries have to pay off France's colonial debt. African leaders who refuse, die, face sanctions or fall victim to a coup. Those who submit receive support and reward from France in the form of a luxurious lifestyle, while their people live in extreme poverty and despair.
This vicious system is sometimes condemned even by the European Union (without any consequences), but the French authorities are not ready to abandon colonial relations.
African leaders are often accused of corruption and serving the interests of Western countries, but there is a clear explanation for such behavior. They behave this way because they are afraid of being killed or being the victim of a coup. They also want to be supported by a powerful state in the event of aggression or trouble. But, unlike the support of a friendly country, Western protection is often offered in exchange for refusing to serve the interests of their people.
The following are the 11 main components featured in bilateral agreements between France and former African colonies since the 1950s:
1. Colonial debt for the benefits of colonization
The new'independent' countries must pay for the infrastructure created by France in the country during colonization.
The total amount of "colonial benefits" and the terms of payment cannot be determined even estimatively, due to the large fragmentation and closeness of information.
2. Control and management of national reserves
Main article: Frank CFA
African countries should deposit their national cash reserves with the Central Bank of France.
Since 1961, France has kept national reserves of 14 African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Here is a quote from the representative of the Central Bank of France: "Monetary policy regulating such a heterogeneous unification of countries is not difficult, since it is actually carried out by the French Treasury without the participation of the central fiscal authorities of the countries WAEMU and CEMAC. Under the terms of the agreement on the establishment of these banks and the CFA franc, the Central Bank of each African country is obliged to keep at least 65% of its foreign exchange reserves in the 'operating account' in the French Treasury, as well as another 20% to cover financial obligations'.
The Central Bank of France also sets a limit on the provision of loans to each participating country, equal to 20% of the state income of this country for the previous year. Although BEAC and BCEAO have an overdraft credit line with the French Treasury, the use of these overdrafts is with the consent of the French Treasury. The French Treasury, which invests foreign reserves of African countries on the Paris Exchange on its own behalf, has the final say.
African CBs are African in name only, but do not have their own monetary policy. The countries themselves do not know and do not tell them how much of the pool of foreign reserves stored in the French treasury belongs to them as a whole or separately.
It is assumed that the proceeds from investing these funds in the pool of the French Treasury are added to it, but neither banks nor countries report the details of such changes. According to economist Gary K. Bush, a limited group of senior French Treasury officials who know what amounts are in 'operating accounts', where those funds are invested, and whether there are gains from those investments, it is forbidden to disclose any of that information to African central banks.
African countries don't have access to that money. The Central Bank of France allows them to use only 15% of funds per year. If they need more, then they are forced to borrow additional money from their own 65% from the French Treasury at commercial rates.
But there is more to come. The Central Bank of France has set a limit on the amount that countries can take from the reserve. The limit is set at 20% of the country's state income for the previous year. If countries need to borrow more than 20% of their own funds, France has veto power.
Former French President Jacques Chirac in an interview touched upon the topic of African countries' money in French banks. A brief summary of his speech: 'We must be honest and recognize that most of the money in our banks comes precisely from the exploitation of the African continent'.
3. The right to first buy out any raw material or natural resource discovered in the country
France has a primary right to purchase any natural resources found on the lands of its former colonies. It is only after France says' I'm not interested 'that African countries are allowed to seek other partners.
4. Priority of French interests and companies in public procurement and public bidding
When concluding government contracts, French companies should be considered first, and only after that African countries can look for other partners. It doesn't matter if African countries can get the best value elsewhere.
As a consequence, in many former French colonies, all major economic assets of the countries are in the hands of French expatriates. In Kot-d, for example, French companies own and control all major utilities - water, electricity, telephone, transport, ports and large banks. The same is true in trade, construction and agriculture.
There are also highly conflicting sentiments that just 450 French soldiers in Kot-d can control a population of 20 million.
5. Exclusive right to supply military equipment and training of military personnel for the country
Through a complex scheme of scholarships, grants and 'defence agreements', Africans must send their senior officers to train in France or to French training bases.
Now the situation on the continent is such that France has trained thousands of loyal troops who are ready to act in the interests of the metropolis when it is required.
6. France's right to preliminary deployment of troops and military intervention in the affairs of the country to protect its interests
According to the so-called "Defense Agreements," France had a legal right to military intervention in the affairs of African countries, as well as to permanently deploy troops at bases and military facilities in these countries, completely under the jurisdiction of the French.
When Kot-d 'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo tried to end the French exploitation of the country, France orchestrated a coup. In a lengthy process to overthrow Gbagbo, French tanks, helicopters and special forces directly intervened in the conflict and fired at civilians. In 2006, in a hurry leaving Abidjan, the French army dealt with 65 unarmed civilians and injured 1,200 people.
After a coup took place in the country and power passed to Alassane Ouattara, France demanded compensation to the French business circles for the losses suffered during the civil war. Subsequently, the Ouattara government paid them twice as much as they lost in leaving.
7. Commitment to make French the official language of the country and the language of education
An organization for the dissemination of the French language and culture was created called "Francophonie," overseen by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, there are many languages and dialects in the region, in which borrowed French words are present. The number of borrowings varies by region and the degree of isolation of local ethnic groups. But an important element of influence in this case is the very fact of the presence of French words in local languages. This creates the basis for the subsequent integration of local social and cultural life into the sphere of influence of France.
8. Commitment to use France's FCFA colonial money
This is a real cash cow for France, as it forces African countries to actually absorb some of France's domestic inflation.
9. Obligation to send an annual balance sheet and reserves report to France
No report - no money. The Secretary of the Central Banks of the former colonies, as well as the Secretary of the biennial meeting of the Ministers of Finance of the former colonies, is the Central Bank of France.
10. Refusal to enter into a military alliance with any other country without French permission
African countries as a whole have the least regional military alliances. Most countries have military alliances only with their former colonizers.
In the case of the former colonies, the representatives of France forbade these countries to seek other military alliances, in addition to the one that France offered them.
11. Commitment to alliance with France in a war or global crisis
More than a million African soldiers took part in World War II battles. Their contributions are often ignored or downplayed. However, it was in French equatorial Africa that the headquarters of de Gaulle and Free France were located, and tens of thousands of Africans played a significant role in military operations against the Vichy regime (although subsequently de Gaulle himself and the French elite ignored this fact in every possible way). At the same time, France understands that Africans can be useful in the event of armed conflicts involving the French army.
Training of pilots of Ukraine
As part of a tour of Europe to seek additional military assistance, Ukrainian President Zelensky visited Paris: on May 15, 2023, an agreement was reached there to train 6 thousand members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at training grounds in France and Poland.
However, an important subject of negotiations with Emmanuel Macron was also the training of Ukrainian pilots, which informally began back in 2022. According to the Rybar channel, about 30 representatives of the APU flight personnel are now undergoing training in the country:
- Part is located at 118 airbase near the city of Mont de Marsan and 133 airbase in Nancy-Osh. They take an accelerated three-month course on two-seat Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet and Mirage-2000B aircraft so that once completed, pilots can fly Mirage 2000D/-5 fighters.
- Training is also carried out at bases in Velisi and Romoranten-Lanten, but its exact details and scale are currently unknown.
Training of Ukrainian pilots in France, Britain and other states is part of the preparations for the transfer of Western-made combat aircraft to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Although no NATO country has yet agreed to give Ukraine fighters, this decision in the light of the sending of increasingly modern models of equipment is a matter of time.
The only question is what exactly and in what quantity the Ukrainian Air Force will be delivered. There are a lot of options here: from very old sides removed from service to newer F-16s of different modifications.
Spain and France strengthen cooperation in the field of defense and justice
The Council of Ministers of Spain in January 2023 authorized the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Spain and France, which strengthens strategic cooperation in issues such as defense, cross-border issues and justice, and also contributes to the development of relations between the two countries.
The text, which was signed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and French President Emmanuel Macron at a summit in Barcelona, is the first bilateral treaty to also address cooperation in areas such as economics, justice and education, among others.
The need to conclude a treaty of this nature and scope was resolved at the XXVI Spanish-French Summit, held in Montauban in March 2021, and since then both governments have been working on its formation.
By signing this treaty, Spain and France seek to systematize and institutionalize their bilateral relations, increasing the scope of their development and the degree of agreement in many areas of mutual interest, including bilateral coordination in organizations such as the EU or NATO.
Among the provisions of the treaty, it is worth highlighting the fact that for the first time a Franco-Spanish defense and security council is being created, which includes ministers of foreign affairs and defense, which will meet annually to consider issues of foreign policy, achievements in defense and security policy.
Cooperation in the fields of economy, industry, communications and tourism will also be developed by the relevant ministers, who will periodically meet to develop new cooperation and encourage the annual organization of the bilateral economic and business forum.
This agreement will also facilitate the transition to renewable energy, the development of interconnections between the two countries, and the coordination of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy.
2022
New loan to Ukraine for 100 million euros and delivery of 4 MLRS LRU
In early December 2022, it became known that France provided Ukraine with another 100 million euros of loans after 300 million in March.
France also sent 4 LRU MLRS (analogue of Himars) to Ukraine - there are only 13 of them in service, it was reported that there will be no more supplies.
Radar deliveries are being discussed.
As part of the training of 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the EU, 2000 will be trained in France (not counting CAESAR calculations and other weapons transferred by France).
Allocation of $0.23 billion as military assistance to Ukraine
2011: Assassination of another African head of state: Gaddafi in Libya
2005: Russian President Putin meets with French President Jacques Chirac
1947: Haiti pays billions for losses caused to French slave traders by abolishing slavery and freeing Haitian slaves
From 1804 to 1947, France forced Haiti to pay the modern equivalent of $21 billion (for 2023) for the losses caused to French slave traders by the abolition of slavery and the liberation of Haitian slaves.
1912: France establishes protectorate over Morocco
Officially, France established a protectorate over Morocco in March 1912. On paper, the country did not lose independence, and the sultan remained the official ruler. Spain received part of the territory - in the north and in the south.
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