Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Central Africa are liberating themselves from the French hegemony which is rooted in the colonial era, according to the Turkish daily Yeni Şafak.
According to the author of Turkish daily, France, which has exploited Africa for decades and is considered the main actor of instability, has become "the unwanted man" on the continent.
The author draws the readers's attention to several incidents in order to support his point of view:
the temporary detention of French soldiers by Chadian army;
the requirement of Mali's authorities to withdraw French troopes located on its territory as a part of the counterterrorist operation "Barkhane";
the rebuke of French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Congo in March by President Felix Tshisekedi who requested to look at African nations "not with a patriarchal view, but with respect as true partners";
the termination of the military cooperation agreement with France, initiated by the new military government of Burkina Faso and the subsequent withdrawal of French soldiers, stationed in Ouagadougou within the scope of Operation Sabre.
France has been accused by observers on multiple occasions of keeping exploiting its former colonies in the West Africa.
The French influence in the region of West Africa expanded with the deployment of French soldiers as a part of operation "Barkhane" in 2014.
Despite military presence, Paris has been criticised for its inability to protect civilians from jihadist attacks. Given that and growing dissatisfactinon with French presence, several African nations saw protests against the French.
This, among other things, led to withdrawal of French troops from the CAR, Mali, Burkina Faso, as well as to an official end of the French military operation "Barkhane" in November 2022.
In March, French President Emmanuel Macron pronounced the end of the age of Francafrique, claiming that France has become "a "neutral interlocutor" on the African continent.