BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 21. France, the former colonial empire, continues to spark controversy and condemnation for its historical and contemporary presence in Africa. Despite the decolonization of the mid-20th century, many African countries claim that France maintains neocolonial methods, using economic, political, and military mechanisms to control its former colonies.
According to the Algerian Radio Tindouf station, decolonization did not rid Africa of dependency.
"This is about France, which granted these countries independence but continued to remain present in them, exploiting their resources, such as Chad's oil, Niger's uranium, Mali's gold, Mauritania's phosphates, the Ivory Coast's ivory, and others," the station said.
Algeria continues to demand that France acknowledge its responsibility for the nuclear tests carried out in the Reggan region. The newspaper El Bilad describes their consequences: "When you came, we were four million Algerians. When you left, after a century and a half, we barely counted nine million. This statistic is an indisputable fact, reflecting the suffering of generations."
Moreover, the radio station El Bayadh emphasizes the need for compensation: "France must acknowledge the criminality of its actions, apologize, and compensate Algerians for all the harm caused by one of the harshest colonial eras in history."
These words highlight that the ecological damage and health issues caused by the tests remain pressing concerns.
Senegalese Pikinediasporaradio station accuses France of maintaining control through manipulation of the political system and supporting elites loyal to Paris.
"France, with the support of African collaborators, keeps us in a state of perpetual poverty, manipulating international institutions, organizing coups, and political assassinations," the station noted, specifically mentioning financial control through the CFA franc.
"France steals 69 percent of our currency in exchange for a monkey currency—the CFA franc, which implies 'French colonialism in Africa", the station added.
The ElwataniaTV channel also voices criticism of France's foreign policy.
"France believes it has the right to exploit the resources of African countries, leaving their populations in poverty. However, now that Rwanda, Mali, and Niger have begun to free themselves from France's influence, its presence in Africa has significantly decreased," the channel said.
French colonialism and neocolonialism remain painful issues that continue to fuel controversy. African countries insist on acknowledging historical injustices, offering apologies, and providing compensation for the resulting harm. The question is whether France is ready to reconsider its approach to its colonial past and take steps toward genuine, equal cooperation.
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