France’s acknowledgment of its war in Cameroon should be seen not just through a historical lens, but a geopolitical one. The move is a response to France’s diminishing influence in a new multipolar world, where African nations have more partners to choose from, including China, Russia, and Turkey.
In the past, France could rely on the Françafrique system to maintain its dominance. Today, that system is crumbling. Anti-French sentiment is high, and African leaders no longer look solely to Paris. Russia’s Wagner group, for example, has successfully displaced French influence in several Sahel countries.
In this competitive environment, France needs new tools of diplomacy. Acknowledging historical wrongs is a form of soft power, an attempt to show that France can be a more honest and self-critical partner than its new rivals. It is a way of saying, “We have a difficult shared past, but we can build a transparent future.”
Therefore, the Cameroon acknowledgment is not just about the past; it’s a strategic investment in France’s future relevance on the African continent. It’s a calculated attempt to repair its image and rebuild trust in a world where it is no longer the only major power in town.