Letter: Facts point to France’s benevolence in the Sahel

A generally held opinion is that “anti-French sentiment is strong in many former French colonies in the Sahel” (“Niger president rejects criticism of French military role in Sahel region as propaganda”, Report, May 22).

However, no one has ever carried out an opinion poll in the Sahel, a fortiori in the regions subject to jihadist violence, and if we stick to the facts, we can only observe that France welcomes 57,000 Sahelian students and tens of thousands of young illegal immigrants crossing the Mediterranean at the risk of their lives. As far as I know, Russia does not make young Africans dream as much.

Gérard Grellet
Emeritus Professor, Paris-Sorbonne University, Paris, France

Letter in response to this letter:

Franco-Sahelian relations were not so cosy after all / From Kitty Mant, Geopolitical Researcher, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, London W6, UK