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Business Insider
a minute ago
- Business Insider
From endless interference to silent retreat, how France has shifted its tone about West Africa
The difference between January and July, for France, concerning its military ties in the West African region was the few French military bases that still existed. However, in mid-July, France handed over its last remaining military facility in Senegal, the Camp Geille in Ouakam, Dakar, to local authorities, the last post France held in the Sahel region. Barely a month later, Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, France's Minister Delegate for Francophone Affairs and International Partnerships, noted that the security challenges in West Africa no longer concern France. "I'm sorry to say, but it no longer concerns us,' he said to a reporter from Reuters when asked about the ramifications of France's military withdrawal from the Sahel He made this point during a phone briefing with journalists in South Africa while attending G20 development discussions. This is a far cry from when French President Emmanuel Macron denied that Paris had been thrown out of the Sahel, claiming that the country had instead opted to restructure its approach. "No, France is not on the back foot in Africa, it is just lucid and reorganizing itself," Macron had said, alongside a few inflammatory comments. France's losing grip in West Africa: from influence to irrelevance For decades, France has maintained a strong security presence in West Africa, deploying soldiers, supporting counterterrorism operations, and consolidating its historic influence in its former colonies. However, in 2025, France has now been officially kicked out of the region completely. The change has been both symbolic and geopolitical, revealing a divide in how France and its former colonies see security, sovereignty, and postcolonial ties. One by one, countries that once relied on France for military support, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, Gabon, and most recently, Senegal, have asked French troops to leave for good. For these nations, France's involvement no longer symbolized partnership but an outdated, paternalistic presence that failed to solve their worsening insecurity. France's defensive tone turned resigned In January, President Emmanuel Macron, once seen as the polished diplomat intent on "resetting" France's relationship with Africa, struck a defensive tone. As anti-French sentiment swelled across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, Macron remarked, "I think that they forgot to thank us, but that's ok, it will come in time." He went on to say, 'None of them would have a sovereign state if the French army had not deployed in this region.' While Macron insisted France was not 'on the back foot in Africa,' but instead 'lucid and reorganising itself,' his words did little to reverse a wave of expulsions. In a sharp contrast, as mentioned above, Thani Mohamed-Soilihi recently noted that security issues in the Sahel no longer concern France. He also stated France is "looking for other ways to maintain ties that are not necessarily military," suggesting a shift in approach. As for his take on the effects of France's expulsion from the Sahel region, he stated, "That's a shame, because everyone can see the difference between now and then." West Africa at war, and a pivot for new partnerships The Sahel, a fragile region between the Sahara Desert and tropical savannas, has become a hotspot for ideological struggle and geopolitical ambition. According to The Washington Post, religious radicals, military personnel, and Russian mercenaries are increasingly targeting this weak region. With national forces unprepared to deal with insurgencies and popular faith in institutions weakening, military coups have grown widespread, providing rapid, if contentious, answers to turmoil. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are at the center of this turmoil, boasting some of the world's highest terrorism indices in 2024 and 2025. These three countries have also witnessed military coups in recent years and have rejected France's security umbrella. In its stead, they've turned to Russia, notably the notorious Wagner Group, which has been largely rebranded as the Africa Corps. Wagner forces are involved in at least six African nations, supporting leaders, training local soldiers, and conducting propaganda efforts to turn public opinion against the West. In exchange, Wagner and its affiliates are said to have acquired lucrative mining and security contracts, combining geopolitics and profit. A reckoning for France, and a new era in West Africa This new age has challenged France's longstanding leadership in Africa while also eliciting strong reactions from African leaders. Following Macron's words, Burkina Faso's president replied sharply: "(Macron) has degraded all Africans. This is how this dude perceives Africa and Africans. He does not see us as human beings." Such sentiments reflect widespread unhappiness across the continent. For many African leaders, the French military presence made little difference in their nations' serious security concerns. The military departure is viewed as a necessary break from a cycle of reliance and humiliation, rather than a risk. Yet, France is not completely retreating. Analysts suggest that while visible military bases may vanish, French interests in resource-rich nations will persist. This was also highlighted by Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, who, as mentioned earlier, noted that the French government is "looking for other ways to maintain ties that are not necessarily military.' Burkina Faso's president is however, is not completely sold. He still believes that France will always look for a way to be militarily involved in African affairs, as reported by Anadolu Agency back in January. 'They will not leave certain countries... They will set up security companies to secure their companies, which are in these countries,' the president of Burkina Faso warned. 'But the soldiers will be there. You will no longer see them in uniform or gathered in bases.'
San Francisco Chronicle
20 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
India says 3 militants behind Kashmir shooting that sparked tensions with Pakistan have been killed
NEW DELHI (AP) — India's home minister said Tuesday that three suspected militants who were killed in a gunfight in disputed Kashmir a day earlier were responsible for the gun massacre in the region that led to a military clash between India and Pakistan earlier this year. Amit Shah said the three men were Pakistani nationals who were killed in a joint operation by the military, paramilitary and police Monday on the outskirts of Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. Shah made the remarks in India's lower house of the parliament, and The Associated Press couldn't independently verify the details. Shah said the bodies of the men were identified by people who had provided food and shelter to them before they carried out the massacre in April. He cited a forensic report and said the rifle cartridges found at Monday's gunbattle site matched those used during the attack. The April gun massacre killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation. It led to tit-for-tat military strikes by India and Pakistan that brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of their third war over the region. Dozens of people were killed on both sides until a ceasefire was reached on May 10 after U.S. mediation. The four-day fighting between the nuclear-armed rivals was their worst in decades. Before the April gun massacre in the Kashmiri resort town of Pahalgam, fighting had largely ebbed in the region's Kashmir Valley, the heartland of anti-India rebellion and mainly shifted to mountainous areas of Jammu in the last few years. India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. India describes militancy in Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan denies it. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Iran Says US Plotted to Overthrow Government
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Iran's top spy agency on Monday accused the United States and Israel of plotting to install a puppet government in Tehran led by the exiled son of the last Iranian monarch. The alleged operation in June, which coincided with Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear enrichment sites, was part of "a premeditated and multifaceted war," Iran's Intelligence Ministry said, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department and Israel's Foreign Ministry for comment. Why It Matters Tehran is intensifying efforts to root out alleged espionage following its two-week missile war with Israel. It said the conflict was publicly centered on Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities, with a parallel objective of regime destabilization in line with longstanding U.S. and Israeli interests. Tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated sharply despite the ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump. Iran claimed political and symbolic success by surviving the Israeli attack, while the Israeli and U.S. militaries said their bombing campaign dealt significant damage Iran's strategic infrastructure, setting back its nuclear ambitions for years. Iranian worshippers chant slogans as they hold up posters of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli protest after their Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 25, 2025. Iranian worshippers chant slogans as they hold up posters of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli protest after their Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 25, 2025. Vahid Salemi/AP Photo What To Know The Iranian Intelligence Ministry said the United States and Israel attempted to deploy armed security forces to Tehran as part of the "regime-change scheme" to put in power Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of Iran's last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. A CIA-backed coup in 1953 had restored the pro-Western shah, only for the 1979 Islamic Revolution to topple the monarchy and usher in the current theocracy. Mohammed Reza Pahlavi fled the country that year, while U.S.-based Reza Pahlavi has long pushed for non-violent regime change, but has limited support inside Iran. "The U.S. and the Zionist regime plotted to install a puppet exile government headed by the disgraced Pahlavi heir, coordinating closely with known Zionist operatives," Iran's spy agency said. The ministry said it seized arms including rocket launchers, explosives and U.S.-made weaponry in its border areas, and alleged that Israel had coordinated with separatist groups, including ISIS elements, to spark internal unrest. Tehran said it arrested dozens of people accused of participating in the plot, "disguised as civil or religious groups," seeming confirming the wider security crackdown on alleged Mossad agents following the 12-day conflict, in which Israel attacked nuclear and military sites across the country and killed top Iranian commanders and scientists. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei avoided assassination by relocating to a fortified underground bunker during the Israeli strikes. Israeli defense chief Israel Katz publicly acknowledged that Israel had intended to kill Khamenei. Israeli media said this week that Iranian authorities arrested at least 35 Jews suspected of spying, including two Americans. What People Are Saying Iran's Intelligence Ministry said via the Tasnim news agency: "The war preparation included deceptive negotiations, misuse of international organizations, illegal resolutions from the IAEA Board of Governors, media propaganda, and intelligence operations by [U.S. Central Command], the Pentagon, and Zionist-linked corporations utilizing advanced satellite and cyber technologies. "However, Western intelligence agencies, relying on delusional analysis and misinformation from anti-Iran groups, underestimated Iran's resilience. The enemy's strategy, modeled on failed U.S. regime change operations, was crushed by Iran's unified defense." Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in June: "If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out. Khamenei understood this, went very deep underground, broke off contact with the commanders…so in the end it wasn't realistic." U.S. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social in June: "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" What Happens Next The United States has supported European demands for Iran to demonstrate compliances with nuclear regulations or face new sanctions at the United Nations.
