What actually went wrong? Before now, France had been known for all the positive steps it had taken in maintaining peace in the African continent. The French President, Emmanuel Macron hasn't stopped at nothing to make life easier for former French colonies in Africa; from providing aids, returning stolen cultural artifacts taken during the colonial war, engaging young African minds and civil societies directly to even protecting them by sending French troops to fight off Jihadist militants that waste the lives of the local people.
So, where did it all go wrong that African countries, especially West Africa had to turn their back on France?


For decades now, the concept of Françafrique has reigned. During the post-independence decades, France maintained a close personal relationship with African leaders and elites, especially past colonized African countries. In actuality, France mostly cared for a mutual protection of interests more than it cared for human rights of the African countries involved. In summary, France greatly cared for all they could benefit from the affected African countries and vice versa, and anything unnecessary couldn't come in the way.

But, some people saw this as another means of neo-colonialism, but the affected African countries were welcoming of it specifically if it could help their situation in the Sahel, especially. It wasn't like they had a choice, actually. They needed help and would take whatever help was offered.


The African countries that were mostly affected by the Jihadist militants in the Sahel were the West African countries; Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. They needed France's help to end the constant killings in their region.