Sakorzy announces France-Afrique concept rubbishing

But some Cameroonians who staged demonstrations in Paris Saturday, criticised France for eternally propping African dictators

courtesy, Ntaryike Divine, Jr
The Herald

French President, Nicolas Sarkozy last week announced he was verging on taking to pieces all military and defense accords linking his country to some fifteen African states. But the announcement made in front of South African MPs is being taken with varying pinches
of salt by doubting Thomases.

Last Saturday, and 48 hours after the declaration that spiced his African tour that began in conflict-ridden Chad, scores of Cameroonians staged demonstrations in front of the French Embassy in Brussels . They denounced France ’s continuous support to dictatorial
African regimes, including that of their native Cameroon .

Moise Essoh, one of the organizers of the manifestations that convened placard-wielding
affiliates of various patriotic organizations, said it was thanks to the French backing for African tyrants that Cameroon witnessed nationwide bloodshed the same week. He said until words were transformed to action, the French president’s declarations would remain mere words.

Nonetheless, Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated the time had come for all defence accords linking his country to Africa to be negotiated. France currently has military and defence cooperation ties with some 15 African countries dating back to the dusk of the colonial era. While some of the accords stipulate direct French backing in case of aggression and technical military assistance, others have been firmly cloaked in secrecy.

It is such confidentiality that irks Africans, especially when France steps in to prop contested
regimes in the face of adversity like Idriss Deby’s Chad, or its meddling in internal affairs in the
Ivory Coast . But Sarkozy told South African MPs and President Thabo Mbeki that even the entire
France-Afrique umbilical cord sustained by covert networks and secret defense accords will be rubbished under his mandate.

He said the new approach in France-Africa relations had been announced when French troops who number about a thousand in Chad were told to stay off confrontations that erupted in February between the government and rebels. «Africa has to address her security problems,» he said, adding it was a major turning in relations between France and her former colonies. But critics who point to a recent French television broadcast of a probe into the assets of some African leaders in France say honesty warrants that such be seized, sold and proceeds pumped into stagnating African economies. Many are thus still waiting to see how far the French
president can go. Some say he may be stepping on the toes of powerful lobby groups with deep roots in Africa and behind corrupt leaders whose stay in power guarantees their endless sources of wealth.

France counts some 9,000 men in Africa alongside permanent military bases in Djibouti , Gabon and Senegal plus two others in Chad and the Ivory Coast . Some eight countries including Cameroon, Gabon , Senegal , Djibouti , Togo , Central African Republic , the Ivory Coast and the Comoros are involved in the accords renegotiation which Nicolas Sarkorzy said will be published for the sake of transparency. He however said any African countries willing to engage new
security-oriented partnership with France will be welcome.