BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Abuja
Political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has urged African leaders to strengthen strategic partnerships with the United States rather than entering into fresh agreements with France, accusing the European nation of exploiting Africa for decades without meaningful development.
Frank made the call on Tuesday while reacting to the ongoing Africa Forward: Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth Summit attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and several African leaders, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Nairobi, Kenya.
In a statement, Frank said African countries, especially those in West Africa, had little to show for years of French influence despite their abundant natural resources.
He argued that recent political developments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger had exposed what he described as France’s exploitative relationship with African nations.
“France has nothing more to offer Africa. African leaders must not fall into any new arrangement that will drag the continent back into economic and political bondage,” he said.
According to him, the military takeovers in some Francophone African countries had opened the eyes of many Africans to what he termed “decades of exploitation.”
“Since the military takeover in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, Africans have seen clearly that France was only using the people and their resources without giving anything meaningful in return,” he stated.
Frank maintained that African leaders should instead pursue stronger bilateral relations with the United States, particularly in the areas of insecurity, election integrity, trade and investment.
“We believe Africa will get a better deal with the United States than with France. The areas we should focus on are insecurity, election integrity and stronger bilateral economic ties,” he said.
The international affairs adviser also called for increased cooperation with the United States in tackling terrorism and strengthening democratic institutions across the continent.
According to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, African leaders should renegotiate terms of engagement with the United States in ways that would directly benefit African citizens.
“Wherever we feel the United States has not done well in the past, it is our responsibility to identify those areas and renegotiate better terms that will benefit Africa,” he added.
Frank described France’s long-standing influence in parts of Africa as “modern slavery,” alleging that Paris had historically supported leaders who protected French interests regardless of the wishes of their citizens.
“As long as African leaders are doing France’s bidding, France will protect them even when their people no longer want them in office,” he claimed.
He cited Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Cameroon as countries still under what he described as France’s stranglehold and continued economic exploitation.
He further argued that countries distancing themselves from French control were beginning to witness improvements.
“Since they broke away from France, countries like Burkina Faso have shown signs of doing better. That proves Africa does not need France to survive,” he said.
The activist also endorsed the idea of an Africa-US summit, describing it as more beneficial than renewed France-Africa engagements.
“Africa-US summit will benefit Africa more than any France-Africa arrangement. African leaders should focus on building stronger ties with the United States,” he said.
Frank further expressed optimism that the administration of Donald Trump would offer Africa a more beneficial partnership based on mutual interests and democratic values.
