Report Posté le 14:01 06-04-2022, modifié le 14:01 06-04-2022 par Tournons la Page
France is at a turning point in its relations with African societies. The announcement of the withdrawal of Barkhane forces from Mali and the growing rejection of the French presence in the countries of the former "pré-carré" show that there is no longer any status quo possible. Popular distrust of the French presence in Africa is linked with the colonial legacy and fueled by France's support for African dictatorial regimes that violate human rights. As a result, France's strategy necessarily involves a rethinking of its foreign policy, with a focus on a multilateral approach, on democratic issues and on economic and environmental justice.
A memorandum to contribute to the public debate and to a paradigm shift.
The failure of the French strategy must be the occasion for a refoundation of relations between France and Africa, which must be the subject of a debate involving French and African parliaments and civil society. Tournons La Page thus addresses a proposal for a rethinking to all French political decision-makers and analysts of relations between France and the African continent, which can be broken down into seven areas:
- Putting democracy, human rights, accountability and the rule of law at the heart of foreign policy
- Demilitarizing relations between France and Africa
- Changing the paradigm in the support to civil societies
- Defending an approach to migration centered on human dignity, human security and the universality of rights
- Carrying the ambitious agenda of a fairer economic system
- Making climate justice an issue of international solidarity
- Assuming the history of France in Africa to deconstruct the colonial and post-colonial imagination
This document from the Tournons La Page (TLP) movement is the result of interviews conducted in January and February 2022 with some fifty representatives of international solidarity associations, members of the TLP network, researchers and journalists specializing in the African continent or in relations between France and Africa. This collective approach will continue with joint advocacy and awareness-raising actions based on the recommendations of the report.
