On November 28, 2017, an air of excitement filled the central auditorium of Ouaga 1 Professeur Ki-Zerbo University in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The university, originally funded by Libya

during Muammar Gaddafi's era, served as the backdrop for a significant moment. Emmanuel Macron stood before the audience, passionately proclaiming, "France no longer has an Africa policy." His words were met with applause from the students, as he endeavored to win their support. Macron, who hails from a generation that never witnessed Africa as a colonized continent, expressed a vision of a new era in France's relationship with the African continent. He declared, "I am from a generation where we don't come and tell Africa what to do."

The speech aimed to redefine the dynamics between the former colonial power and the African regions it once colonized. It was a pivotal moment, underlining Macron's ambition to reshape the relationship.

The conference, however, featured a memorable incident. When questioned about frequent power cuts in Burkina Faso, Macron turned to his Burkinabe counterpart, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who was present. He jokingly deflected the responsibility, saying, "But I don't want to be in charge of electricity in Burkina Faso's universities! That's the president's job." Kaboré discreetly left the stage, and Macron's casual tone was perceived by some as paternalistic. He quipped, "He's gone to fix the air conditioning."

This incident remained in people's memories six years later, as 1,500 French troops withdrew from Niger in early October, following a military coup on July 26. The withdrawal marked a significant setback for Macron's African policy. Photo by Ki-Zerbo University in Ouagadougou, Wikimedia commons.