Region Sahelu – schyłek dominacji Francji?

THE SAHEL REGION: IS FRENCH DOMINANCE COMING TO AN END? The article analyzes geopolitical shifts in the Sahel region that have led to a weakening of French influence and the growing importance of Russia. This region, formerly part of French West Africa, retained close political, economic, and m...

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Main Author: Ewa Szczepankiewicz-Rudzka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ksiegarnia Akademicka Publishing 2025-06-01
Series:Politeja
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.akademicka.pl/politeja/article/view/6540
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author Ewa Szczepankiewicz-Rudzka
author_facet Ewa Szczepankiewicz-Rudzka
author_sort Ewa Szczepankiewicz-Rudzka
collection DOAJ
description THE SAHEL REGION: IS FRENCH DOMINANCE COMING TO AN END? The article analyzes geopolitical shifts in the Sahel region that have led to a weakening of French influence and the growing importance of Russia. This region, formerly part of French West Africa, retained close political, economic, and military ties with the former colonial power after gaining independence in the 1960s. These relationships, often referred to as “Françafrique,” are seen as a controversial form of neocolonial dependency. The failure of the French military operation Serval to combat the jihadist threat in Mali has cast doubt on the validity of France’s military presence, creating space for Russia’s influence to grow. The Kremlin, using tools of propaganda and military cooperation, is gaining the favor of Sahelian states by offering an alternative model of cooperation unburdened by colonial history. The article addresses the reasons behind the erosion of French dominance, the consequences of Operation Serval’s failure, and Russia’s new objectives and tools of influence, suggesting that the Sahel is emerging as an area of intense geopolitical rivalry, with outcomes that could affect the region’s stability.
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institution Kabale University
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language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Ksiegarnia Akademicka Publishing
record_format Article
series Politeja
spelling doaj-art-62e8b08e340a42eb8940b6d375c831972025-08-20T03:30:09ZengKsiegarnia Akademicka PublishingPoliteja1733-67162391-67372025-06-01222(96/1)10.12797/Politeja.22.2025.96.1.10Region Sahelu – schyłek dominacji Francji?Ewa Szczepankiewicz-Rudzka0Uniwersytet Jagielloński THE SAHEL REGION: IS FRENCH DOMINANCE COMING TO AN END? The article analyzes geopolitical shifts in the Sahel region that have led to a weakening of French influence and the growing importance of Russia. This region, formerly part of French West Africa, retained close political, economic, and military ties with the former colonial power after gaining independence in the 1960s. These relationships, often referred to as “Françafrique,” are seen as a controversial form of neocolonial dependency. The failure of the French military operation Serval to combat the jihadist threat in Mali has cast doubt on the validity of France’s military presence, creating space for Russia’s influence to grow. The Kremlin, using tools of propaganda and military cooperation, is gaining the favor of Sahelian states by offering an alternative model of cooperation unburdened by colonial history. The article addresses the reasons behind the erosion of French dominance, the consequences of Operation Serval’s failure, and Russia’s new objectives and tools of influence, suggesting that the Sahel is emerging as an area of intense geopolitical rivalry, with outcomes that could affect the region’s stability. https://journals.akademicka.pl/politeja/article/view/6540SahelFrançafriqueMaliNigerFederacja Rosyjska
spellingShingle Ewa Szczepankiewicz-Rudzka
Region Sahelu – schyłek dominacji Francji?
Politeja
Sahel
Françafrique
Mali
Niger
Federacja Rosyjska
title Region Sahelu – schyłek dominacji Francji?
title_full Region Sahelu – schyłek dominacji Francji?
title_fullStr Region Sahelu – schyłek dominacji Francji?
title_full_unstemmed Region Sahelu – schyłek dominacji Francji?
title_short Region Sahelu – schyłek dominacji Francji?
title_sort region sahelu schylek dominacji francji
topic Sahel
Françafrique
Mali
Niger
Federacja Rosyjska
url https://journals.akademicka.pl/politeja/article/view/6540
work_keys_str_mv AT ewaszczepankiewiczrudzka regionsaheluschyłekdominacjifrancji