In an opinion piece published in Daily Maverick on 17 October 2019, Professor Mandla Makhanya, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa, one of the largest and most respected universities in South Africa, a university that works with French scientists and reliable international partners, reflected on the legacy of colonialism in Africa and the effects of what is referred to as “coloniality”, arguing these contribute to the many conflicts on the African continent.

The article touches on some issues that France fully recognises. As French President Emmanuel Macron indicated in 2017, “the crimes of European colonisation cannot be disputed and are part of our history”.

With this in mind, it was surprising to read parts of the opinion piece, mostly based on a blog post by Mawuna Remarque Koutonin, dated 2014, in which the author made surreal claims on how “France controls the economies of its former colonies”. Unfortunately, this article contains a long list of false assertions.

This is particularly worrying at a time of rising radical and populist ideas, both in Africa and Europe. In Europe, extremists will be quick to shout that problems come from African immigration. In Africa, demagogues would rely only on the colonial past to explain the contemporary failures. This rough thinking leads to more deadlocks and more pain. Both the history and the present are much more complex and nuanced.

Let us clarify some aspects of France’s relationship with the African countries to which Professor Makhanya refers.

First, there is no “obligation to use French colonial money” as stated in the article. The CFA franc is the common currency for the Franc Zone, which brings together 15 countries, from Central and West Africa and Comoros.

Membership is free and voluntary. France doesn’t tax African countries for using the currency.

The Franc Zone is based on four principles: the CFA franc is pegged to the euro (the exchange rate has not changed since 1994); France provides an unlimited guarantee for the convertibility of the CFA franc into euros; unrestricted transferability; and the centralisation of 50% of foreign reserves (these reserves are allocated on an interest-bearing account and are entirely and freely accessible).

The current (and useful) debate around the CFA franc in western Africa shows that France no longer intervenes in former colonies’ monetary policy. As the French Minister of Economics, Bruno Le Maire, said in October 2019, France will welcome any “ambitious reform” of the CFA franc.

“It is up to the member states [of the CFA zone] to decide on what they want. It is up to them and them only,” he added.

Former French colonies in Africa never had a “colonial debt” with France. On the contrary, France was one of the leading countries involved in the debt relief initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) which started in 1996 and led to the cancellation of sovereign debts of the poorest countries, particularly benefiting Africa.

Second, France also does not enjoy first-choice or even less, “monopoly” over natural resources of these sovereign countries. African states are free to choose their commercial partners, and thinking that France is benefiting from all their natural resources is a fantasy, contradicted by facts. For instance, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, among the top 25 mining companies in the world, there is no French company.

France is actually investing in Africa’s technological innovation, rather than natural resources. Through the “Choose Africa” programme, France will have invested €2.5-billion between 2012-2022 to support African companies, with a focus on SMEs and start-ups. Through the “Digital Africa” platform, France is providing €65-million to support African start-ups.

Third, peace and security in Africa form part of another important aspect of our relations, as it is central to stability in the world. We work alongside a number of nations on the continent on these matters. However, France does not have the right to either military intervention or exclusive supply of military equipment, as stated by Professor Makhanya. While such agreements existed in the 1960s, they have since all been terminated. France now strongly supports African Union initiatives to strengthen African responses to African crises.

French soldiers are fighting in Africa alongside African soldiers. But every single military operation results from explicit and voluntary requests from African countries. The “Serval” operation in Mali stemmed from the call of the former president, Dioncounda Traoré. The “Sangaris” operation in Central African Republic resulted from the demand of different ministers, such as José Binoua in December 2012, and took place within a UN mandate.

The aim of France’s and Europe’s military co-operation in Africa is to enhance the continent’s own military capabilities. France fully supports initiatives like G5 Sahel, to also develop the military co-operation between African countries. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe reaffirmed last week the French commitment to a multilateral approach on the defence issues at the international Dakar Summit on Peace and Security, saying “we can only move forward together”.

France and Africa are intertwined with their people and their history — 10% to 15% of the French population has an African origin and the French language is still prominent in many of these African countries. But while we are committed to promoting the language, its future and Francophonie principally lies in the hands of Africans.

France respects and admires the uniqueness of each African culture. This is why President Macron launched the “Africa 2020” cultural season in France, in order to re-shape European perceptions about Africa. This is also why France is committed to the restitution process of looted African works of art that are in France’s museums. This process has already started, with the legislative framework being adopted in France to allow for these restitutions.

We hope to continue building on our ongoing positive relations with our African partners. It forms part of a partnership of equals that includes the strengthening of co-operation in areas such as innovation, culture, entrepreneurship and the fight against climate change.

Africa and France share a common destiny and a great potential for the future. Based on history, trust, and common determination. Not on fake news. DM

Aurélien Lechevallier is the French Ambassador to South Africa.