Exploring the Gradual Decline of France’s Traditional Policy in Africa, from the 1990s to this New Era of Globalization

Abstract

France’s traditional policy in Africa, born after the independence of cataclysms, does not know how to make exception to the fundamental notion of the life cycle. It was born, grew up, and continues to age as it heads towards its probable end of cycle — end of its history — as a result of its gradual and continuous decline. This paper therefore briefly outlines the gradual decline of France’s traditional policy in Africa from the 1990s to this new era of globalization. The years of the Cold War between the United States and the USSR are well seen as those of the birth, growth and golden age of the said policy. Rather, the post-Cold War years between the US and the USSR are seen more as the years of its awakening, decline and probable end of history. From the years of its birth — the era of facade independence — to this new era of globalization, the said policy is seen moving from libertinage and coercive prescriber gendarme to "peacekeeper" and reserves; from collusion to the pronounced appearance of arm-wrestling and criticism; from tacit legitimacy to pronounced fed up; switches to the progressive breakdown of privileges, monopolies and abusive dominations; and from the open sky to hypocrisy, taboo and sacrilege. Finally, the question that arises here is: are we heading towards the end of history of the said policy?