The Adventures of Sarkozy in Euroafrica

Abstract

In light of new economic and political alignments, France has been compelled to rethink its longstanding relationship with the African continent. Nicolas Sarkozy has repeatedly called for a “break with the past” and expressed his desire to “turn a new leaf” when it comes to questionable neo-colonial arrangements (Françafrique), in order to usher in a new era of policy-making. Legal action taken by NGOs in 2008 seeking investigation into the “ill-gotten assets” of several African leaders and the call for greater accountability and transparency in Franco-African relations have complicated the relationship of the former European colonial power with its ex-colonies. However, closer scrutiny of the Franco-African interface since 2007 points to a President who is “reluctant” to “act against rulers still in power” and highlights instead the privileged attention the French authorities continue to assign to this region of the world in the hope of maintaining competitive and strategic advantage.

Keywords:

• Dakar Speech
• Françafrique
• Franco-African Relations
• Globalization
• Ill-Gotten Assets
• Immigration
• Mediterranean.

Notes

This article contains material included in my book Africa and France: Postcolonial Cultures, Migration, and Racism (Indiana U P, 2012), reprinted with permission of the publisher.

1. Except where otherwise indicated, all translations from French into English are by the author.