Macron's speech at foreign policy conference draws criticism

Addressing French ambassadors at a conference, Emmanuel Macron said he was awaiting Africa's Sahel nations to thank Paris for its help in fighting Islamist militants.

For some, the tone of the French president’s remarks was condescending and echoed colonial rhetoric.

Some found this was particularly the case with his comment that Mail, Niger and Burkina Faso would not have sovereign states were it not for the French army.

Macron also rejected suggestions that his country was driven from the region. These comments have also come under fire, with some insisting that several African nations did, in fact, reject a French presence.

French soldiers withdrew from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso after a wave of military coups, and they’re starting to pull out of Senegal, Chad and Ivory Coast.

In December, Chad put an end to its military agreement with Paris. Prior to this, the French army had around 1,000 troops in the country.