The Macron Presidency seeks to reshape France’s engagement with Africa, building on the statement made by his predecessor in 2012, which announced the end of “la Françafrique” (the post-colonial relationships between France and its former colonies).
In an address to France’s ambassadors in August 2018, Emmanuel Macron reiterated his plans to keep Africa at the core of his foreign policy, stating that “the future of the world will largely be played out in Africa”. One of the underlying motivations behind this continued focus is the challenge of potential migratory waves arriving to Europe spurred by stagnant economic development in some African nations.