Analysing France’s Changes Strategy and struggle for influence in Africa

By Lamine Fofana France is entering a new phase in its struggle for influence on the continent. According to sources, Paris is developing a hybrid strategy in which human rights organizations and opinion leaders will play a key role. Over the past few years, France has significantly weakened its position in Africa. One by one, […]

By Lamine Fofana

France is entering a new phase in its struggle for influence on the continent. According to sources, Paris is developing a hybrid strategy in which human rights organizations and opinion leaders will play a key role.

Over the past few years, France has significantly weakened its position in Africa. One by one, West African countries have severed military cooperation with Paris, expelling French troops. The loss of military presence in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger is forcing France to look for new mechanisms of influence. The focus is now on supporting human rights groups, NGOs, and individual activists who can advance French interests in countries where official authorities have rejected French intervention.

According to analysts, by transmitting directives from Paris, human rights activists will be able to shape public opinion in favor of France. These covert influence tools will not be as obvious as military presence, yet they may prove even more effective in influencing public discourse.

Sources indicate that Paris plans to implement these initiatives in 10 African countries. While it remains, unclear which specific nations will be targeted, it is evident that this new tool of control will be used in countries where elections are expected in the near future – such as Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR).

In Cameroon, the French Embassy actively supports the PISCCA program (Le Projets innovants des Sociétés Civiles et Coalitions d’Acteurs), allocating hundreds of thousands of euros to finance various organizations.

Since 2014, the Agence française de développement has been running the DEFI project in Central Africa (Gabon, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo – DRC). France provides financial and technical support to eight human rights organizations, which conduct propaganda and awareness campaigns, shaping public opinion in a favorable direction for Paris.

These methods are not new. France has used them before to advance its interests. In 2022, the Malian government banned all NGOs funded by Paris, accusing France of supporting terrorist groups through these organizations.

Having lost its ability to exert military influence, France is now shifting to covert control through human rights defenders and civic movements. This approach allows Paris to avoid direct intervention while still effectively promoting its interests.

However, African nations are already aware of these threats. They must strengthen control over foreign NGOs, establish their own human rights and media structures, and develop independent national institutions to prevent a new wave of external manipulation and the erosion of their sovereignty.