Kigali, 19 August 2025, Appointed this summer as France’s new Chief of Defence Staff, General Fabien Mandon, a key figure within President Emmanuel Macron’s inner circle, brings with him a wealth of experience shaped significantly by past involvement in African strategic matters.
According to Africa Intelligence, General Mandon “had a hand in several strategic issues on the continent” during his tenure as military chief of staff to the French president . While specific details of his African initiatives are behind a paywall, his broader background suggests deep engagement with regions long central to French military and geopolitical focus
A Strategic Pivot from Africa In June 2025, the French Defence Ministry characterized Mandon as a “combat-tested leader” whose career spans multiple conflict zones, including Central African Republic, Chad, and Afghanistan . His appointment signals a strategic shift: moving France’s armed forces away from asymmetric warfare that is, counter-insurgency missions such as those in the Sahel toward a posture prepared for high-intensity, state-on-state conflicts .
This realignment coincides with broader trends. Since 2022, France has significantly reduced its military presence across much of West and Central Africa, marking a major recalibration of its historically interventionist role—a shift seen by many analysts as the unraveling of “Françafrique” .
Recalibrating the Paris-Africa Relationship Under President Macron, France undertook a series of adjustments to its African engagement. These included the termination of Operation Barkhane in 2022, a decade-long anti-jihadist campaign across the Sahel, and a promise of a “new security partnership” based on military cooperation, training, and the transformation of traditional bases into shared facilities or academies .
Nationwide resistance—often veering into demands for a full withdrawal of French troops—emerged in Senegal, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, and others, accelerating France’s retrenchment . Likewise, Russian influence and Wagner group interventions intensified, filling vacuums left by withdrawing French forces .
What Mandon’s Appointment May Signal General Mandon’s leadership at France’s military apex likely marks a firm commitment to this evolving doctrine. With his prior African-related exposure—particularly in the Central African Republic and Chad—Mandon is well positioned to steer France’s strategic posture toward nimble, value-based deployment rather than entrenched military garrisons.
What’s Next for France Africa Defence Ties ?
