SOUTH AFRICA: French President Sarkozy says France will review Africa defence pacts

Record ID: 455668

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: French President Sarkozy says France will review Africa defence pacts
  • Date: 29th February 2008
  • Summary: SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI AND SARKOZY WALKING TOGETHER FOLLOWED BY WIVES
  • Embargoed: 15th March 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAAICFAWCQAOA740Q525O9I5E0L
  • Story Text: France is to renegotiate all its defence cooperation agreements with African countries, President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday (February 28) in a move that could alter France's military support for some of its closest allies.
    France has defence accords with several former colonies, under which French forces provide varying degrees of military assistance, but Sarkozy has set out to reshape France's relationship with Africa.
    After colonial rule ended in the 1960s, France regularly intervened to prop up rulers of its choice in French-speaking Africa, sometimes drawing accusations of helping dictators to protect entrenched business and political interests.
    Sarkozy said in a speech to South Africa's parliament that the defence agreements should not necessarily be scrapped but new negotiations were needed.
    "I will announce the renegotiation of all our defence agreements in Africa and the totally transparent publication of all of these agreements." Sarkozy told a news conference in Cape Town during a visit to continental power South Africa.
    Sarkozy also took the opportunity to appeal for the release of French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt who was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC over six years ago.
    "I have already appealed for our compatriat Ingrid Betancourt to be freed. I'd like to re-iterate this appeal, I call on the FARC to free without delay Ingrid Betancourt it's a question of life and death and it's a matter of humanitarian urgency. They can't let this woman die" Sarkozy said, "I am ready to go in person with the support of President Chavez to the Venezuela-Columbia border to collect ailing hostage Ingrid Betancourt if she were freed by FARC guerrillas" he added.
    Yesterday saw the release of four hostages who had also been held for over six years by FARC forces in Colombia, giving renewed hope for dozens of other captives still being held by the Marxist rebel group, including Betancourt and three American citizens.
    On the way to South Africa, Sarkozy had stopped in Chad, where France helped President Idriss Deby against a rebel attack on the capital earlier this month. He pushed Deby to talk to civilian opposition leaders.
    Business has been the main focus of Sarkozy's visit to South Africa which started on Thursday.
    France has long been the top foreign business partner for many of its former African colonies and a big player elsewhere in Africa, but now faces the prospect of losing out to new investors from India and China.
    Sarkozy announced in South Africa's parliament that France will increase its bilateral aid to Africa to 10 billion euros ($15.10 billion) over the next five years and also announced a further 2.5 billion euros in aid to be used to create nearly 300,000 jobs on the continent.
    He held talks with South African President Thabo Mbeki and the two countries signed several agreements, including a 1.4 billion euro deal with French industrial group Alstom to help build a coal power plant.
    Cooperation on power is important for South Africa, suffering from an acute power supply crisis that has hurt the crucial mining industry and raised concerns over foreign investment.
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