Côte d’Ivoire (wey people dey also call Ivory Coast) don join di list of African countries wey cut military ties wit France. On February 20th, French soldiers comot dia only military base for Côte d’Ivoire.

After Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Senegal, and Niger, Côte d’Ivoire na di sixth country wey don waka comot from di arrangement. Di movement start for March 2022 when Mali military government tell French soldiers say make dem pack dia load and comot sharp-sharp.

Dis kain move dey happen because many people for West Africa don dey vex for France. Dem see France military presence as colonial wahala wey no gree end, instead of wetin go bring peace. For January, di way French President Emmanuel Macron take respond to di withdrawal request no sweet people belle at all. E make di matter worse, as e show say France no wan adapt to di new political arrangement for Africa.

Di world don dey change, and African countries dey find new partners wey no go carry colonial baggage follow body. Dis movement dey scatter wetin dem dey call Francafrique – di system wey France take dey control dia former colonies politically, economically, and militarily after independence.

Di withdrawal of French soldiers from Mali for 2022, Burkina Faso for 2023, Niger for 2024, and now Côte d’Ivoire, show say France no fit dey use military power take dey control di region again. "Before, people dey see French military bases as security assurance, but now, dem dey see am as colonial wahala," na wetin Kaan Devecioglu, wey be North African studies coordinator for ORSAM, yarn TRT World.

Dis no be just military matter, e get as e go affect di geopolitical arrangement. Historically, France no just be colonial master, dem use Africa take build dia power. Murat Yigit, wey be assistant professor for National Defence University, explain say France dey use Africa for three main reasons:

1. To quickly recover from German occupation after World War II, dem need economic power, and Africa help dem achieve am.

2. To maintain dia global power status by showing influence, and Africa be di perfect place to do am.

3. To become nuclear power, as dem dey source uranium from Africa.

France don dey control African economies and military systems for long, dey provide technology, training, and financial support. Even till now, di influence still dey strong for economic institutions. "Di central bank wey about 25 African countries dey use still dey France, and part of di money dem dey print dey go French banks," Yigit talk.

For decades, France dey run dia African relations through di President’s Special Adviser on Africa, instead of di Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dis kain arrangement allow dem do secret deals, like arms smuggling and cheap resource extraction. "Until di 2010s, France dey get uranium almost free from Niger, but Niger don change di arrangement after dem expel French soldiers," Yigit add.

Since 2020, African countries don dey push back. French media houses don dey shut down for Mali and Burkina Faso, development agencies don dey expelled, and di anti-French sentiment dey grow. "Di gradual withdrawal of French soldiers dey show say dia power don dey reduce," Devecioglu talk. "Di recent withdrawal from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal show say France influence for security and politics don dey fade."

France dey try use soft power now, like promoting French language and culture through institutions like Institut Français. Dem still dey do business for infrastructure and energy projects. But experts dey doubt whether dis strategy go work well.

Meanwhile, countries like China, India, Gulf states, and Türkiye don dey expand dia influence for Africa. Russia too don dey gain ground through paramilitary groups like Wagner. Türkiye don become key player, as many African countries dey buy Bayraktar TB2 drones and other military equipment from dem. "Dis shift show say France no fit continue dia old way of control," Devecioglu talk. "African countries dey find new ways to manage dia security."