What’s behind the French leader’s visit to central Africa?

France has already announced it’s scaling down its military presence on the African continent.

French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting four nations in central Africa.

He’s hoping to regain influence on a continent where the former colonial power now faces competition from other nations, notably China and Russia.

Macron says he wants to reset ties – promising a new partnership of equals.

He’s visiting countries he has not been to before: Gabon, Angola, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

France has announced it’s scaling back its military presence on the continent – pulling out of Mali, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso, where the government ordered its troops out.

So, can Macron improve relations with African nations?

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Lara Marlowe – Author and journalist based in France, covering events there and serving as a foreign correspondent for many years

Marie-Roger Biloa – President of Africa International Media Group and an Africa affairs analyst

Marisa Lourenco – Political risk analyst specialising in the Horn of Africa