After the glorious re-opening of Notre Dame de Paris, France’s president Emmanuel Macron has been facing several significant challenges.
In his visit to cyclone-struck Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, when confronting the boos of furious and disenfranchised locals, Macron responded snappily, in frustration: “I’m not the cyclone. I’m not responsible.”
Thousands have been left vulnerable, without access to water, while rescue efforts continue. Macron brought four tons of food and health aid with him from France. He also promised to rebuild the islands.
Meanwhile, The Elysée Palace has firmly denied the allegation that in 2023, President Macron said that “the problem with emergency wards in this country is that they’re full of Mamadous” (a common West African name).
Macron is pretty unpopular right now, especially following some internal strife — particularly from the dissatisfied left — as regarded his choice of prime minister recently. But worse for him, he is the head of state at a time when any remnant of control France might have still had over Africa is disintegrating for good.
At the end of November, Chad announced the end of decades-long military cooperation agreement with Paris, with longstanding partner Senegal doing the same several hours later.
Chad was of enormous importance to France’s military strategy in Africa, linking it to Libya, Central Africa, and the Sahel Region. So 2024 was a very bad year for France.
Military coups in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso show an equally shaky situation.
And who have the African countries turned to now?
Russia.
Today, Macron is visiting France’s last untouched military base in the Horn of Africa: Djibouti, the largest base outside of France proper.
