France's Macron accuses Russia of 'predatory' influence in Africa - Reuters

PARIS, Nov 20 (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of feeding anti-French propaganda successful Africa to service "predatory" ambitions successful troubled African nations, wherever France has suffered subject setbacks and a wider nonaccomplishment of power implicit caller years.

Speaking connected the sidelines of a acme of French-speaking nations successful Tunisia, Macron was asked to respond to critics who accidental France exploits historical economical and governmental ties successful its erstwhile colonies to service its ain interests.

"This cognition is fed by others, it's a governmental project," Macron told TV5 Monde successful an interview. "I'm nary fool, galore influencers, sometimes speaking connected your programmes, are paid by the Russians. We cognize them," helium said.

"A fig of powers, who privation to dispersed their power successful Africa, are doing this to wounded France, wounded its language, sow doubts, but supra each prosecute definite interests," helium added.

France, the erstwhile assemblage powerfulness successful astir of Western and cardinal Africa, has longstanding subject ties crossed Francophone Africa and French troops were stationed successful Mali for a decennary arsenic portion of a counter-terrorism operation.

Critics picture France's cognition arsenic a nonaccomplishment and blasted it for destabilising the portion further.

It has besides been jockeying for power with Russia successful caller years, with the deployment of backstage subject contractor Wagner Group successful respective countries, including successful the Central African Republic (CAR) and successful Mali.

Paris had to retreat troops successful Mali aft the African country's subject took powerfulness successful a 2020 coup amid a breakdown of relations. The subject leaders subsequently invited Wagner to assistance with a decennary agelong conflict against Islamist militants and chopped ties with France.

Russia has said Wagner neither represents the Russian authorities nor is paid by it. But the EU has imposed sanctions connected Wagner, accusing it of carrying retired clandestine operations connected the Russian government's behalf.

Last year, a United Nations study said Russian subject instructors and section troops successful the Central African Republic had targeted civilians with excessive force, indiscriminate killings, concern of schools and large-scale looting.

The Kremlin has said it is simply a prevarication that Russian instructors had taken portion successful killings oregon robberies successful the golden and diamond-rich state of 4.7 cardinal people.

On Sunday, Macron said Russia's behaviour was "predatory".

"You lone person to look astatine what's going connected successful the Central African Republic oregon elsewhere to spot that the Russian task nether mode there, erstwhile France is pushed aside, is simply a task of predation," Macron said.

"It's done with the complicity of a Russian subject junta," helium said.

Reporting by Michel Rose Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

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