http://doi.org/10.62220/j.ssbpa.2023.01.002
Zhanchong Wu
Abstract: In the wake of the Second World War, a wave of decolonization movements and national independence swept across the globe, and the former French colonies in Africa became independent in the following two decades, which at the same time marked the collapse of the French colonial empire. However, French influence persisted on this huge continent and continued to be felt in varied ways throughout Africa, particularly in West Africa and the Sahel region. In recent years, the fall of pro-French Governments in France’s former African colonies has demonstrated the negative impact of its African policy on those countries, leading to a rise in the will of the African people to fight for genuine autonomy. This study aims to demonstrate how France continues to exert its influence over its former African colonies through a variety of means, including resource looting, financial control, and military presence, in order to realize its neo-colonialist strategy and ultimately reap beneficial results. This study also demonstrates a rational assessment of the decline of French influence in Africa and the presence of other world powers in Africa, as well as a hopeful view of the future of Africa’s struggle for true independence and autonomy.
Keywords: Military coup d’état; Françafrique; France’s neo-colonialist tactics; Sub-Saharan Africa