Anti-French discourse, which has been spreading for several months in Africa, especially in Sahelian countries bedeviled by terrorism, “is fundamentally political, and the discredit cast on France serves interests less avowable than what some would be willing to claim,” independent journalist Guillaume Lafargue said.
For Mr. Lafargue who speaks in a free forum entitled “Sahel: Who benefits from the bashing of France?” and sent to APA Thursday, politicians who condemn France are working an easy seam and often forget to remind what they owe to the country they criticize.
Beyond the imperialist left-wing, which is, according to the journalist, “at the helm” in the sponsorship of anti-French sentiment in Africa, Russia “is also lying in ambush.”
“While France is criticized for its supposed imperialism, the offensive, even conspiratorial remarks targeting the French army come from staunch supporters of Russia. The closeness of certain leaders of the anti-imperialist left-wing with Russia was seen in particular at the last Russia-Africa summit,” Guillaume Lafargue explains.
In his opinion, the common point of those who conspire against France is always to be sought on the side of Putin.
“Without worrying about contradictions, we criticize France’s supposed imperialism to favor Putin’s imperialism,” he laments. “Some of the most virulent supporters of French bashing are figures of the anti-imperialist left-wing. They still see France as the hereditary enemy, who has come to oppress the peoples of the Sahel,” Mr. Lafargue stresses.
LB/ls/fss/abj/APA