Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday an upcoming “visible reduction” of French military personnel in Africa and a “new partnership model” that implies a “rise in power” of Africans, during a speech at the Elysée Palace on the eve of a tour of the continent.
“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.
He also promised “a greater effort from France in terms of training and equipment.”
Emmanuel Macron also said he showed “deep humility at what is happening on the African continent”, “an unprecedented situation in history” with “a sum of dizzying challenges”.
“From the challenge of climate security to the demographic challenge with the young people who are arriving and to whom a future must be offered for each of the African states”, he listed.
The president called to “consolidate states and administrations, investing massively in education, health, employment, training, energy transition.”
Towards a law for the restitution of works of art
The Head of State also announced “a framework law” to “make new restitutions” of works of art “for the benefit of African countries that 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 set the methodology and criteria to proceed” with these restitutions, “based on a cultural and scientific alliance to welcome and preserve these works”. , he continued, indicating that he hoped “that this approach can be part of a broader and also European dynamic.”
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Source: BFM TV
