French Decolonisation
The decolonisation of Asia and Africa was a long process that began shortly after WWII, with the first phase from 1945-1960 witnessing the independence of approximately 36 countries. During this period, Egypt received independence from Britain, Korea received independence from Japan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo received independence from Belgium (or, more accurately, the Belgian emperor directly as the vast nation was his personal property).
The story of French decolonisation is not quite as clear-cut, however - and one could argue it isn’t as successful as the other former colonial powers have been. Below are three examples of places where France’s influence appears to be slipping rapidly - if there’s any of it left in 2024 at all.
Union members protest in Martinique’s capital, Fort-de-France. Source: France24
Martinique
Martinique is one of those places that doesn’t spring to mind for much more than tourism. In 2022, the Caribbean island received over 660,000 tourists, a number almost double the size of its permanent resident population. It’s recent politics, however, have been unsteady at best: last month, violent protests broke out over the high cost of living (likely driven by wealthy tourists), to which authorities reportedly turned a blind eye. In particular, food prices have remained 40% higher than in mainland France due to import costs, and although the government struck a deal to lower food prices by an average of 20%, protestors say that the move isn’t enough. They are demanding that prices should be no higher in the mainland, and have thus rejected the deal. Issues go beyond food as well - phone and internet prices are also 30% higher than in mainland France. Continued protests have led to the extension of curfews and even the closure of the local airport.
New Caledonia
On the other side of the world in the Pacific Ocean near Australia, the situation in New Caledonia is more of an electoral grievance than an economic one. A proposed amendment in Paris would allow for all people of New Caledonia to participate in elections after ten years of residency, rather than only indigenous Kanak people. The Kanak people feel that this proposal would greatly dilute their political autonomy by adding 25,000 non-indigenous people to the registry, thus vastly threatening the independence movement that many of them support. 13 people have been killed in the violence by emergency police deployed to the country from France, and damage to infrastructure has cost an estimated 2.2 million euros - an issue greatly exacerbated by businesses left in ruin, and a nickel industry already on the decline.
The Sahel
Coup leaders announce the suspension of the constitution and dissolution of state infrastructure on national television in Burkina Faso. Source: Anadolu Ajansi
Perhaps the most famous example of damage to France’s image in its former colonies comes from the Sahel - particularly Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
In Mali, Operation Barkhane - France’s mission to eradicate Islamist groups from its frontier regions, its largest overseas operation in the world - ended when Assimi Goita, a military officer, staged a coup that demanded the departure of French troops from Mali. The French government, realising that strained diplomacy with the national government combined with battling jihadist groups on their territory (as well as numerous other factors) was too much to handle, announced the end of Barkhane.
Burkina Faso’s story is somewhat more straightforward: after a 2022 coup erupted over France’s perceived inability to secure the country from insurgents, the new military government refused to renew the French licence to conduct special operations on Burkinabe soil, stating that the country wished to defend itself.
In 2023, Niger’s coup sent shockwaves around the world for confirming that the other two incidents in Mali and Burkina Faso were part of a larger, anti-French pattern. The junta proceeded to expel the French ambassador and French troops, before scrapping EU accords that allowed for the training of Niger’s security forces. This particular case greatly alarmed the Western world due to the almost instant bond between the junta and the Russian Wagner Group mercenary firm, which has promised alongside the Russian military to “increase the combat readiness” of Nigerian troops.
TAI Score: Degree 3. The decline of French influence throughout the Global South will lead to increased difficulty for a Western democracy and keystone EU member to operate around the world. Furthermore, the instability left behind by the departure of French political and military assets are often capitalised upon by autocratic actors, such as Russia and China, particularly in the Sahel region. France will need to make concessions to maintain a grip on its unique status throughout the world - or risk shrinking back exclusively to Europe.
