“They think Africa belongs to them,” worries the residents of Libreville, Gabon
In Gabon, where Emmanuel Macron kicks off a tour of Central Africa on Wednesday, March 1, Russia’s influence in Africa is being greeted with suspicion.
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An opportunity to experience the “new relationship” he calls for with a continent where France’s influence continues to wane. Before Angola, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, is expected to arrive in Gabon on Wednesday, March 1, to start his tour of Central Africa.
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But out of these four countries, the first three abstained from voting on the latest UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia, very active on the continent, where the Wagner Group was founded in Mali and the Central African Republic, is now viewed with great suspicion in Gabon. And so, in this political science amphitheater in Libreville, the mere evocation of Russia is depressing.
Madada is convinced: Moscow wants to teach a lesson to the world and to the Africans. “Russia wants to come and play messiah. It wants to come and show us that perhaps our first choices were not the right ones, and that if we trust them, we will be able to stand up for ourselves. On a level everything matters. Because if you have territory in Africa Also, you look amazing.”The young man analyzes.
“We know who is leaving and we don’t know who is replacing him.”
A few hundred meters away, an imposing white building stands out, which is the Russian Embassy. It does not fit with the local architecture. Rodrigue notes this well and fears that Moscow will gain more influence in Gabon: “Take a look behind the Russian Embassy. It is forbidden to build a two-story house next to the embassy. Because they think Africa belongs to them!He regrets.
Before making a comparison with the conflict in Ukraine: “Back home, if they can kill their Ukrainian brothers, they won’t kill Gabonese”Rodrigue, loose. The young man also warns his commanders not to give in if Russia is more pushy, before concluding with a local saying: We know who will leave and we do not know who will replace him.
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