The 2017 French election was watched with great nervousness by millions across Francophone Africa. That’s because the French president remains a pivotal figure in about 20 former French colonies on the continent. Both saw themselves as the guardians of a paternalistic order that kept Francophone Africa under French tutelage. As a way to deter immigration he adopted a “co-development” strategy, which saw France invest in education in Francophone Africa. But, nearly 60 years after African independence, France and Francophone Africa remain entangled beyond separation.

Source: The Star May 30, 2017 13:52 UTC