The reasons for this step by the Alliance of Sahel States countries are clear: The Francophonie is one of the channels for preserving France's influence in Africa, primarily in its former colonies.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, centre, embrace as they join fellow leaders during a photo at the Francophonie Summit in Djerba, Tunisia, on Saturday.

On January 1, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara announced that French troops would withdraw from the country by the end of the month. On December 26, in Chad, France handed over its military ...

General Mbaye Cissé and Chief of the French command in Africa, Pascal Ianni, oversaw the official handover ceremony in Dakar, which marks the end of France’s 65-year presence in Senegal.

“The reality is there is a battle of influence that is happening around the world, and one of the battlefields is definitely Africa,” Mélanie Joly told reporters in Tunisia.

"The reality is there is a battle of influence that is happening around the world, and one of the battlefields is definitely Africa," Mélanie Joly told reporters in Tunisia.