Musings From Abroad

French President, Emmanuel Macron, concludes African tour amidst plan to reset ties

Published

2 years ago

March 4, 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron has concluded his latest your to Africa where he attempted to dispel France’s image as an arrogant former colonial power whilst bidding for future influence.

The just concluded tour is Macron’s 18th visit to Africa as president and follows a recent slew of Africa tours by high-level U.S., Russian, and Chinese officials seeking closer ties.

Macon on Saturday held talks with President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which in the concluding week saw several small-scale protests – signs of rising anti-French sentiment in parts of Francophone Africa.

Macron at a joint press conference in the DRC, acknowledged France was among foreign powers jostling for influence in Africa but said he was committed to working with states on an equal footing.

“We want to be long-term partners,” he said. “Africa is a theatre of competition. It has to be done in a fair framework … We have our role to play, neither more nor less.”

President Tshisekedi welcomed the new approach and said France needed to listen to what African people wanted if it hoped to compete with the continent’s other would-be partners.

“Francafrique is a thing of the past,” he said, referring to the murky links that sometimes saw Paris prioritise commercial gain and support autocratic regimes in former colonies.

Some African countries have criticised France for failing to curb Islamist militancy in the Sahel region in particular.

France itself has had its influence in the continent challenged recently with a wave of anti-French agitations in the West African sub-region.

Related Topics:Emmanuel Macron Featured France and Africa

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Musings From Abroad

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Published

6 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan that will include the construction of six new plants in the African nation.

Three of the plants would deal in poultry, two in beef, and one in pork, according to a statement from JBS.

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding, JBS stated that it would develop a five-year investment plan in Nigeria, which would include budget estimates, feasibility studies, and an action plan for the development of the local supply chain.

The Nigerian government would then guarantee the sanitary, regulatory, and economic conditions required for the project’s viability, JBS continued.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Published

7 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday.

According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan welcomed Xi in Casablanca. The visit demonstrated the close ties of camaraderie, collaboration, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, it said.

China’s official broadcaster, CCTV, said that Xi and Hassan had a “cordial conversation” at the airport after being received by the Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

After attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi paid the visit.

In recent years, China has increased its investments in Morocco’s rail and infrastructure. Morocco is desirable for Chinese electric car battery manufacturers because of its proximity to Europe, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and an established automotive sector.

Morocco was chosen by Chinese EV battery company Gotion High Tech in June to establish Africa’s first gigafactory, which will cost $1.3 billion in total.