For decades, France has kept unusually close ties with its former colonies in Africa, ruthlessly guarding its interests there through cultural and economic power, covert action and dozens of military interventions. Indeed, former French President Francois Mitterrand once pronounced Africa to be France's future in the 21st century. But in the post-Cold War era, France's relationship with Francophone African countries has changed – for better and for worse. Successive French presidents have declared an end to Francafrique, a term denoting the extent of France's neocolonial involvement with its former empire in Africa.
In postcolonial Africa, France strived to consolidate its existing influence in the continent's northern, western and central regions by offering its former colonies there various assurances. Since the end of the Cold War, however, France's sway in Africa has faltered. Rising economic competition from China, the United States and the Gulf Arab states, among others, has plunged France's market share in the continent to historic lows. In addition, France's lagging economy has led to cuts in development aid, institutional funding and military spending. Moreover, in recent years, France's globalizing economic activities and acquisitions have eclipsed its need to sustain such close ties to its former colonies.
Nevertheless, France jealously defends its economic and security interests in Africa, undertaking popular counterterrorism and security missions and intervening in conflicts when it sees fit. France has intervened in sub-Saharan Africa on five different occasions in the past 10 years, in addition to using quieter intelligence and surveillance operations and countless semipermanent military campaigns. Most recently, France launched Operation Barkhane, an ongoing counterterrorism initiative spanning five countries in Africa's Sahel region and involving more than 3,000 personnel. So it seems that France's military role in Africa will endure.
