Sarkozy is seeking relationships outside of France's former coloniesNicolas Sarkozy became French president in May promising "rupture" on every possible issue - and he made clear that the old corrupt ties with former African colonies were among the items to be ditched.
During the campaign he called for a "healthier relationship" with Africa. The message was reaffirmed during Mr Sarkozy's first presidential trip to the continent in July - when he called for a new "partnership between equal nations" - and again during the current UN General Assembly in New York.
In the clearest indication yet that Paris's Africa policy was no longer focused on its French-speaking backyard, Mr Sarkozy chaired a Security Council meeting on African crises, and presented plans for international humanitarian intervention in Darfur and Somalia.
Putting aside old rivalries, he also said that it was "good news" that other major powers, such the US and China, also took an interest in Africa.
This suggest a sharp contrast with France's traditional policy in Africa, which was deeply defensive and aimed at preserving a sphere of influence on a continent which former French Foreign Minister Jean Sauvagnargues called "the only place in the world where France can single-handedly influence policy".
This policy - derogatively called "Francafrique" and epitomised by Mr Sarkozy's immediate predecessors Francois Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac - was in many ways an extension of colonial rule.
During the campaign he called for a "healthier relationship" with Africa. The message was reaffirmed during Mr Sarkozy's first presidential trip to the continent in July - when he called for a new "partnership between equal nations" - and again during the current UN General Assembly in New York.
In the clearest indication yet that Paris's Africa policy was no longer focused on its French-speaking backyard, Mr Sarkozy chaired a Security Council meeting on African crises, and presented plans for international humanitarian intervention in Darfur and Somalia.
Putting aside old rivalries, he also said that it was "good news" that other major powers, such the US and China, also took an interest in Africa.
This suggest a sharp contrast with France's traditional policy in Africa, which was deeply defensive and aimed at preserving a sphere of influence on a continent which former French Foreign Minister Jean Sauvagnargues called "the only place in the world where France can single-handedly influence policy".
This policy - derogatively called "Francafrique" and epitomised by Mr Sarkozy's immediate predecessors Francois Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac - was in many ways an extension of colonial rule.
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