France pivots to Anglophone Africa, seeking new allies after Sahel setbacks
France is shifting its African focus toward Anglophone nations after losing influence in its former Sahel colonies. On July 15, 2026, President Emmanuel Macron signed a major cooperation agreement with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, while also deepening military ties with Nigeria and Benin to combat jihadist groups along their shared borders. The move follows Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger cutting ties with France, expelling French troops and accusing Paris of neocolonial meddling. France now supplies military equipment to Nigeria and shares intelligence, a cooperation highlighted by Nigeria’s Defence Minister Christopher Musa calling for international intervention in Mali.
For Anglophone African nations, this shift offers new partnership opportunities but also raises a caution flag: the historic ‘Françafrique’ relationship often produced unequal economic ties, dependency and security challenges. The recent Sahel backlash shows that partnerships perceived as unequal breed resentment and can collapse quickly.
As these new talks unfold, should African governments demand transparent, mutually beneficial terms that respect sovereignty, or risk repeating the patterns that drove former allies away? The answer will shape whether France’s pivot becomes a genuine reset or a renewed bid for influence.