Niger spoils Macron’s plan for an African reset

Six months ago, ahead of a four-country African tour, President Emmanuel Macron promised a “new era” for France’s ties with the continent, based on a “partnership” of equals. French military bases in Africa, he said, would henceforth be jointly run by local armed forces, with a “visible reduction” of French soldiers on the ground. It was to be a new phase in the that Mr Macron first laid out in a speech in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, in 2017, vowing that he was “of a generation that doesn’t come to tell Africans what to do”.Last week’s against Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s elected president, leaves hopes of a fresh relationship severely frayed. On July 30th protesters in Niamey, Niger’s capital, declared “Down with France!” and waved Russian flags. A crowd attacked the French embassy, setting fire to the door and smashing windows. On August 1st, France began to evacuate its nationals and other European citizens from Niger.