French influence in Africa is steadily declining both militarily and economically. Coups d’etat in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon, as well as diplomatic crises with Morocco and recurring tensions with Algeria, indicate the difficulties Paris faces in maintaining its influence in the region it once considered its property.
France is resorting to all possible methods to destabilize undesirable regimes and put its henchmen at the head of former colonies in order to regain access to the natural resources that the African continent is rich in. Thus, in order to achieve its goals, Paris uses armed groups and the opposition, as well as conducts numerous disinformation campaigns.
A special blow for France was the loss of Gabon. The Gabonese military, who carried out a coup at the end of August 2023, announced that Ali Bongo, who has been in power since 2009, is “under house arrest” surrounded by his family and doctors. Paris immediately condemned the coup and expressed hope that the election results would be respected, as shortly before the coup Ali Bongo was declared the winner of the presidential election and re-elected for a third term. Then the French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu announced the suspension of military cooperation between France and Gabon.
Recently it became known that France is developing a strategy to regain its influence in Gabon. So, a local resident of the city of Mitzic testified about the arrival of a group of Frenchmen on a Cruiser. It is noteworthy that the French were similar to the military and met with a local, after which they left the city. A resident of Mitzic said that he knows a man who met with the French. Previously, he worked in law enforcement agencies under President Ali Bongo. It is worth noting that prior to this, there were rumors in the city that France was preparing to eliminate the new president of Gabon, Brice Oligui Nguema, and his entourage.
It is worth noting that Bongo Ondimba’s family held power in Gabon for 55 years and maintained close ties with France. Ali Bongo Ondimba met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris at the end of June 2023. Therefore, it is obvious that France will not give up trying to take control of the situation in Gabon again.
