Azerbaijan hosts conference on French neocolonialism in Africa

Speakers call for more economic independence from France, notably on the CFA Franc, and regional security. Azerbaijan is hosting a conference on ''French policy of neocolonialism in Africa'' with speakers strongly hitting out at Paris’ continued meddling in the affairs of its former colonies in Africa. The event on Thursday comes as several African countries continue to witness a rise in calls for more sovereignty, particularly when it comes to relations with France and other Western powers. Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have ended military ties with the former colonial ruler in recent years. The conference in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, was organised by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), a non-governmental organisation. During the conference’s opening remarks, Abbas Abbasov, the group’s executive director, pointed out that France’s influence in Africa was beyond its former colonies and could “not be removed without major disruptions to the existing social order”. Speakers called for more economic independence from France, notably on the CFA Franc, and regional security. African governments were also encouraged to follow through on calls to renegotiate deals on exploration of natural resources by French firms to make them more beneficial to their economies. ➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.