Emmanuel Macron to visit Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau next week
French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, June 3, 2022. AP - Jean-Francois Badias
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The French President will be accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Armed Forces and External Relations and the Secretary of State for Development.
The Élysée says it wants to "
keep the thread of renewing France's relationship with its African partners
".
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It will be the first time that President Emmanuel Macron has visited these three countries.
Cameroon, the leading economic power in Central Africa, is a strategic partner for France.
Benin is “
more and more connected to Sahelian issues
”, to use the formula of the Élysée.
And Guinea-Bissau has just taken over the rotating presidency of the Economic Community of West African States.
In Yaoundé, Cotonou and Bissau, Emmanuel Macron will meet with his counterparts, but will not meet representatives of the opposition.
First trip to Africa since his re-election
This trip to Africa, the first since the re-election of Emmanuel Macron in April, will notably focus on the food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, the challenges of agricultural production and security issues, according to the presidency.
It is a question of "
marking the continuity and the constancy of the commitment of the President of the Republic in the process of renewing the relationship with the African continent
", comments the Elysée.
The French president announced last week his desire to " rethink all
(of France's military devices)
on the African continent
by the fall
", while
the Barkhane force is in the process of completing its departure from the Mali
.
Saying he wanted "
less posed and less exposed devices
", the president had judged that it was a "
strategic necessity
".
At each stage, issues of governance and the rule of law will be addressed during direct exchanges between heads of state, assures the Elysée, "
but no media injunction
".
"
The line of the French president,
we are assured,
is in no way to set himself up as a donor of lessons or to promote a model
".
► To read also: Emmanuel Macron and Africa, season 2 episode 1
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France
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