France´s new strategy in the Francophone countries of Sub-Saharan Africa as a reaction to the growing anti-French sentiment.
| Thesis title in Czech: | Francie a nová strategie ve frankofonních státech subsaharské Africe jako reakce na rostoucí protifrancouzské nálady |
|---|---|
| Thesis title in English: | France´s new strategy in the Francophone countries of Sub-Saharan Africa as a reaction to the growing anti-French sentiment. |
| Key words: | Francie, Afrika, strategie, Rusko, protifrancouzské nálady |
| English key words: | France, Africa, strategy, Russia, anti-French sentiment |
| Academic year of topic announcement: | 2022/2023 |
| Thesis type: | diploma thesis |
| Thesis language: | angličtina |
| Department: | Department of Political Science (23-KP) |
| Supervisor: | doc. Martin Riegl, Ph.D. |
| Author: | hidden - assigned by the advisor |
| Date of registration: | 17.08.2023 |
| Date of assignment: | 17.08.2023 |
| Date and time of defence: | 19.09.2024 09:00 |
| Venue of defence: | Areál Jinonice, C520, 520, seminární místnost IPS |
| Date of electronic submission: | 31.07.2024 |
| Date of proceeded defence: | 19.09.2024 |
| Opponents: | doc. Mgr. Bohumil Doboš, Ph.D. |
| Guidelines |
| Working hypotheses and Research Questions:
RQ: To what extent does Russian influence intensify anti-French sentiment in African French-speaking countries? Can France´s new strategy for Africa effectively counter its waning influence? Hypotheses: 1. France is losing influence in its former colonies due to their policy over the last 50 years. 2. Russia’s strategy and tools exacerbates this sentiment and are effective in chasing France out of Africa 3. The new French strategy can prevent spread of anti-French sentiment and help Paris stabilize its presence Methodology: 1) Output reviews of the Russian influence over the Francophone countries 2) Multiple cases study by the Most Similar Systems Design. Selection of 3 cases that are similar in many aspects (French colonies, French interventions…) but differ in terms of the outcome or dependent variable (the level of anti-French sentiment , the Russian implication, and the reasons behind it). 3) Policy recommendation from a realist perspective that promotes French interests in the long term. |
| References |
| - “Les dessous de la Françafrique”, by Patrick Pesnot, 2014, Nouveau Monde Eds, Porc Epic
- “L’empire qui ne veut pas mourir: Une histoire de la Françafrique”, by Thomas Deltombe, 2021, Seuil - “Russia’s “Great Return” to Africa ?”, by Arnaud Kalika, 2019, IFRI - Leonid Issaev, Alisa Shishkina & Yakov Liokumovich (2022) “Perceptions of Russia’s ‘return’ to Africa: Views from West Africa”, South African Journal of International Affairs, 29:4, 425-444 - Ovigwe Eguegu (2022) “Russia’s private military diplomacy in Africa: High risk, low reward, limited impact”, South African Journal of International Affairs, 29:4, 445-462 - Stefano Recchia & Thierry Tardy (2020) “French military operations in Africa: Reluctant multilateralism” Journal of Strategic Studies, 43:4, 473-481 - Allard Duursma & Niklas Masuhr (2022) “Russia’s return to Africa in a historical and global context: Anti-imperialism, patronage, and opportunism”, South African Journal of International Affairs, 29:4, 407-423 - Niagalé Bagayoko (2022) “Explaining the failure of internationally supported defence and security reforms in Sahelian states”, Conflict, Security & Development, 22:3, 243-269 - Elena Pokalova (2023) “The Wagner Group in Africa: Russia’s Quasi-State Agent of Influence”, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism - Isaac Mensah (2023) “A review of Mali’s counterterrorism approach in the light of African Union interventions”, Critical Studies on Terrorism, 16:3, 523-536 - “Tyrans d’Afrique”, by Vincent Hugueux, 2021, PERRIN |
| Preliminary scope of work |
| Poslední státní převraty v Mali, Burkině Faso a Nigeru jsou příkladem postupného úpadku francouzského vlivu ve frankofonní Africe. Historickou nabídku vojenského partnerství ze strany Francie nahradili noví hráči, například Rusko, které zintenzivnilo své vztahy v oblasti bezpečnosti - prostřednictvím Wagnera a poté prostřednictvím nového Afrického sboru. Toto odmítnutí Francie doprovází „protifrancouzské nálady“, které se rozvinuly díky antikoloniální a panafrikanistické rétorice, doprovázené dezinformačními kampaněmi a vměšováním, jež přicházejí především z Moskvy. Rusko nasadilo strategii vlivu, která byla v několika případech v celém regionu většinou úspěšná. Cílem těchto partnerství je zajistit vládnoucí elity a zároveň slibovat pacifikaci území, kde jsou tyto síly rozmístěny. Tato francouzská krize ve frankofonní Africe by se však neměla omezovat pouze na analýzu ruského působení, neboť tato nelibost pramení z vnitřních důvodů vztahu Francie k tomuto kontinentu. Tváří v tvář této krizi musí Francie radikálně změnit svoustrategii, aby se vypořádala s novou konkurencí, která přichází také z Pekingu, Ankary a Washingtonu. Tato realistická restrukturalizace se týká vojenské sféry - hlavní hnací síly protifrancouzských teorií -, diplomatické sféry a obnovení měkčího vlivu na kontinentě organizovaného kolem aktiv, která Paříž v Africe má. |
| Preliminary scope of work in English |
| The latest coups d'état in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are illustrations of a gradual decline in French influence in the Francophone Africa. France's historic offer of military partnership has been replaced by new players, such as Russia, which has stepped up its relations in the security field - through Wagner and then through the new Africa Corps. This rejection of France has been accompanied by an ‘anti-French sentiment’ that has developed thanks to anti-colonial and pan-Africanist rhetoric, accompanied by campaigns of disinformation and interference that are coming mainly from Moscow. Russia has deployed a strategy of influence that were most of the time successful in several cases across the region. These partnerships aim to safeguard the ruling elites while promising to pacify the territories where the forces are deployed. However, this French crisis in the Francophone Africa should not be limited to an analysis of Russian action, as this resentment stems from reasons internal to France's relationship with the continent. Faced with this crisis, France needs to change its strategy radically in order to deal with the new competition that also comes from Beijing, Ankara and Washington. This realistic restructuring concerns the military sphere - the main driving force behind anti-French theories - the diplomatic sphere and the renewal of a softer influence on the continent organized around the assets that Paris possesses in Africa. |