Niger has seen rising anti-French sentiment since its military deposed the president and took power on Wednesday.

In recent months, several countries in West Africa have moved to end their military ties with France, demanding French troops leave the region.

The former colonial power appears to be losing its influence in the Sahel.

That’s despite President Emmanuel Macron’s election promise to reset ties with the continent.

What’s behind this shift? What role has Macron played? And where do French-Africa relations go from here?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Jacques Reland – senior research fellow at the Global Policy Institute think tank

Anne Giudicelli – political and security risks consultant at Terrorisc, a consulting firm with a focus on economic and strategic intelligence

Marisa Lourenco – independent political and economic risk analyst