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The 20th Century m'zuŋ u Scramble for Independent Africa

"Veni, Vidi, Vici ",Steti - ego adduxit inimici mei"

interventions that averaged once a year from 1960 to the mid-1990s. Finally, a central
feature of Françafrique were the personal networks that underpinned the informal,

family-like relationships between French and African leaders. These networks often
lacked oversight and scrutinity, which led to corruption and state racketeering.

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After the Cold War, the Françafrique regime has weakened over the years due to France's
budgetary constraints, greater public scrutiny at home, the deaths of pivotal Françafrique

actors (Foccart, Mitterrand, Pasqua and members of Elf) and the integration of France
into the European Union. Economic liberalisation, high indebtedness and political

instability of the former African colonies have reduced their political and economic
attractiveness, leading France to adopt a more pragmatic and hard-nose approach to its
African relations."

"Francafrique" 137
Wikipedia
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Africa and France: An unfulfilled dream of independence?
" France's former African colonies are celebrating 60 years of independence. But France's
influence remains all pervasive and critics say it is time that Africans cut the umbilical

cord and put an end to Françafrique.

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But why do neither Africa's elites nor France seem to want to break away from the
clutches of Françafrique? Researcher Paul Melly of the British think-tank Chatham

House, puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of the elites intent on defending their
private interests. In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle commissioned his adviser

Jacques Foccart to build up Françafrique. "Foccart built a network of personal contacts
between the French leadership and the elites of the former French colonies," Paul Melly
told DW. "These were often very personal connections, but they also had an opaque, very

paternalistic, very controlling character."

Foccart came up with the treaties that are still in force today. In exchange for military
protection against attempted coups and the payment of hefty kickbacks, African leaders

guaranteed French companies access to strategic resources such as diamonds, ores,
uranium, gas and oil.

The result is a solid presence of French interests on the continent, including 1,100

companies, some 2,100 subsidiaries and the third largest investment portfolio after