Beninese President Patrice Talon supported Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi’s remarks about France’s paternalism towards Africa, which Emmanuel Macron continues to advocate. “The situation is no longer the same as it was decades ago”he said in an interview.
Patrice Talon spoke about the difficult relations between France and African countries which mean that Paris is frowned upon in many states on the continent and shows a decline in its hegemony.
In an exclusive interview on the French channel LCI, the President of Benin, explained with pragmatism the situation of no return reached between Paris and the African capitals.
He denounced that despite the end of colonialism, there is a “subsistence of fantasies in relations between Africa and France” and that the French State “tends to defend at all costs” his many interests in Africa.
Now “the situation is no longer the same as it was decades ago” in Africa which is emancipating itself, stressing that “times have changed markedly”, he said.
In this regard, the President of Benin, judged ” necessary “ that France displays a greater sense of equality towards African countries, “devoid of any form of paternalism”.
He also reacted to the joint press conference between French President Emmanuel Macron and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, supporting his African counterpart, while emphasizing that he fully understood Tshisekedi’s joke with Macron about of “African compromise” of the former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, judging that these reflections were clumsy and paternalistic.
“The opportunity must arise for the French authorities and the African countries to be able to explain themselves, to kill these fantasies which pollute the relations between the French and African peoples”, pointed out the Beninese Head of State.