French President Emmanuel Macron embarked on a three-country tour of Africa on Monday. The four-day visit to Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau is the first diplomatic trip outside Europe since the re-election of French leaders, with Africa at the top of the list of former colonial priorities. It shows that.
General issues are on the agenda, such as the war on terrorism and the fight against climate change.
However, Macron also discusses the consequences of conflicts in Ukraine, such as rising inflation and living costs, and the potential for a food crisis due to the suspension of major exports of Ukrainian wheat, barley and sunflower oil. Russia and Ukraine supply more than 40% of Africa's wheat supply.
This visit is expected to strengthen France's bilateral cooperation when Russian authorities also visit African countries to support the rally. Of particular concern is the connection with Russia's paramilitary organization, the Wagner Group, which the EU considers to be a destabilizing force in the wider African region, including the Central African Republic and Mali.
At its first stop in Cameroon, Central Africa's largest economy and agricultural center, Macron discusses food production and how to try to fill the supply gap in the region associated with Ukraine.
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In Benin, arriving Wednesday, Macron will discuss ways to combat the growing threat of terrorism and prevent it from spreading to the Gulf of Guinea countries. At Guinea-Bissau, Macron's final destination on Thursday, he considers plans to build a French school on land designated by the local government.
Macron hopes to build on the roadmap presented at the EU-Africa Summit in February to increase European Union investment in African infrastructure and agriculture.
