Almotamar.net - This week, many African heads of state will attend the 24th France-Africa summit in Cannes. Behind the glitz, the summit may mark a watershed in France’s relationship with Africa. France is preparing for its presidential elections this May, and as that battle for the presidency heats up, so, too, does the contest to forge new ties with Africa.

In the post-Cold War era, “multilateralism” has become the latest political buzzword. Moreover, mistakes in Africa during the 1990’s, particularly in Rwanda, together with corruption scandals, have put pressure on French leaders to bring dramatic changes in foreign policy. In their wake, a notable shift has emerged, with a new generation of politicians claiming to herald a fresh approach and profound changes in French policy towards Africa.

However, much work remains to be done to consolidate that shift. President Jacques Chirac launched important reforms such as redeploying French military forces in Africa, and restructuring how France distributes aid. But he has been unable to integrate these individual measures into a more concrete vision that could address the neo-colonial links that still beset Franco-African relations.

Moreover, African affairs, and international politics more generally, do not seem to be a priority for the 2007 presidential candidates. Ségolène Royal, despite having been raised in Senegal when it was a French colony, appears disinterested in Africa, and her opponent, Nicolas Sarkozy, has evinced an interest in Africa only in the context of illegal immigration. The stark truth is that without strong political will and clear arguments, any future French president is unlikely to curb the strength of lobby groups and old networks that have dominated France’s relationship with Africa.

It is against this backdrop that African leaders will arrive in Cannes for the France-Africa summit, an event that in many respects will be a stage for Chirac to bid them farewell. But the summit has also attracted controversy over whether President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and his senior officials will be invited. The EU has imposed targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe, including a visa ban on senior officials, and there were protests when Mugabe appeared in Paris in February 2003 for the last France-Africa summit on European territory.

Whatever is decided about Zimbabwe’s participation at the Cannes summit will also have an impact on plans for a major EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon this fall, during Portugal’s presidency of the EU. During the last Portuguese Presidency (January-June 2000), the EU-Africa Summit had to be cancelled because of a visa ban on Zimbabwean officials and the reluctance of Africans to attend if Mugabe was excluded.

That issue is likely to continue to cause division, both within Europe and between Europe and Africa. A coalition of European civil-society organizations opposes Zimbabwean government participation on human rights grounds. But many EU states, fearful of China’s growing influence in Africa, want to ensure a successful EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon in order to counter last year’s China-Africa summit in Beijing.

France would prefer to invite Mugabe and his officials to its summit in Cannes, but the British government has lobbied against this. By contrast, a number of African states, in particular South Africa, have lobbied for Mugabe’s participation. Indeed, South African President Thabo Mbeki has threatened not to participate unless Mugabe is invited.

For France, there is no easy resolution. It needs British support on issues such as Côte d’Ivoire in the UN Security Council, but it also wants to improve its bilateral relationship with South Africa for political and economic reasons. Whatever happens regarding Zimbabwe in Cannes will directly influence the EU-Africa summit later this year. Unfortunately, that controversy may also overshadow the incipient changes in French policy.

Alex Vines is Head of the Africa Programme at Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs) in London.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2007.
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