France Military Strategy Revision Plan in Africa and its Implications, Future Challenges & Opportunities for Africa

Abstract

France is engaging in combating terrorism and peacekeeping operations around the world, nearly half are deployed in Africa in both military and advisory capacities.  There are numbers of French bases in Africa in Djibouti, Chad, Central African Republic (CAR), Ivory Coast, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Senegal, Madagascar, and Mali. French President Emmanuel Macron proclaimed the rethink of military postures on the African continent and had asked his ministers and army chiefs to work on it. France will significantly reduce its military presence in Africa, where its bases will be ‘co-administered’ with local army forces, the president said. Macron said French military bases won’t be closed, but will be transformed based on needs expressed by African partners. The plan could have its own challenges and prospects. Numbers of political analysts suggests that the French Military Strategy Revision Plan in Africa will have its own implications. The revision may create political and military vacuum in combating terrorism and the peace keeping mission in the continent. The major objective of this study was to examine the implications of France Military Strategy Revision Plan in Africa and its challenges and opportunities for the continent.  Geographically the study is delimited to Africa. The paper has significance in searching for new insights, it provides for the sake of knowledge and it also provides Ministry of defenses of African countries to pay attention for future implications. The method of the study is content analysis. The primary data were collected from Media and from Key Informant. Meanwhile, reviewing published and unpublished materials were taken to supplement the primary data. Then, the collected data analyzed thematically and point outs the opportunity and challenges of the French Military Strategy Revision Plan in Africa and recommendations.