The French president announced on Monday, February 27, on the eve of an African tour, an upcoming “visible reduction” in French military personnel in Africa and a “new model of partnership” involving a “rise in power” of Africans.
“The transformation will begin in the coming months with a visible reduction in our workforce and a rise in power in these bases of our African partners”, declared the Head of State, promising “an increased effort by France in terms of training and equipment”.
“Tomorrow our presence will be part of bases, schools, academies which will be co-managed, operating with French staff who will remain but at lower levels and with African staff and which will be able to accommodate (…) ‘other partners,’ he detailed.
A “framework law” on works of art
During his speech at the Elysée Palace, Emmanuel Macron also announced “a framework law” to “proceed with new restitutions” of works of art “for the benefit of African countries which request it”.
This law “will be proposed in the coming weeks by the Minister of Culture to our Parliament” and “will make it possible to establish the methodology and the criteria for proceeding” with these restitutions, “based on a cultural and scientific partnership to welcome and preserve these works. “, continued the French head of state, explaining that he hopes ” that this approach can be part of a broader dynamic and also a European dynamic “.