Why France get military base dem for Africa?

With di amount of coups for di former French colonies for Africa, France don dey see say dem no fit take dia military role for Africa do anyhow.

Protests don dey grow about France presence for Africa wia dem bin dey flex dia military power before.

Niger bin pursue di French troops comot recently and odas dey consider to comot di independence era deals wey don make France use dia military to chook nose into kontris dem kasala at least 30 times between 1964 and 1995.

Why French troops dey Africa?

Since independence, France bin wan "perpetuate and safeguard di stability and durability of some regimes," na wetin Dr Bakary Sambe wey be di director of di Timbuktu Institute tok.

E say, di former colonial power see West Africa and di Sahel as "place for natural deployment and influence."

Prof Bruno Charbonneau wey dey for Canada Royal Military College of Saint-Jean and be sabi pesin on peace and kasala intervention for West Africa gree.

E say, "Di French military presence for Africa don always allow France to dey for di middle of conflict resolution and management mechanisms for French speaking Africa, most especially for di UN Security Council."

E add say by giving military support to friendly African regimes like dis, France go come fit project and protect dia own interests and do sharp-sharp rapid armed intervention.

French defence ministry tok say dia primary missions through operations for Gabon na to train sojas for di region and boost dia ability to fight terror, protect land borders and maritime territory. E include peacekeeping, intelligence and logistics.

E say dis roles dey in line with di Reinforcement of African Peacekeeping Capacities (Recamp) programme, wey be training wey dem set up for di late 1990s wey include France, UK and US.

For Senegal, dem dey work to oversee training ova all di 15 members of Ecowas including Mauritania.

Which kontris still get French base?

Although dia numbers don drop in recent years, thousands of French troops still dey di following kontris:

Last month, di 1,300-1,500 sojas wey dem deploy to Niger plus fighter planes and drones wey dey join for counter-terror operations don start to comot from di three bases afta di request of di leaders of July coup.

Why France dey hold tight dia 'backyard'?

Prof Tony Chafer from di University of Portsmouth, UK say Africa na wetin dey give France mouth for world stage, wey dem no go get as "mid-sized power".

E say, "for increasing multipolar and competitive global environment, France get primary geopolitical interest to maintain dia military presence for di region."

E add say, to get military for Africa "dey play ogbonge role for why France get permanent seat for di UN Security Council - France na 'essential actor' wen dem dey tok security issues for West and Central Africa for di UN or di international community."

France don dey carefully protect dia economic and diplomatic links with Africa too. Dem continue to dey ginger with di CFA franc currencies wey dey joined to di French treasury, and to dey collabo with ruling elites.

Prof Chafrer say if France still tink say Africa na im "backyard", na because of colonial history and how dem take comot. "Pretend to comot so dem go fit dig deeper", as some don tok."

Why protesters want make French troops comot?

For di late 1990s, Ivorian reggae star Alpha Blondy bin sing say "French armies Go away." Dat anthem na im mark di beginning of new era of sovereignty.

But, because of di rise of Islamist militancy for West Africa, France ansa request to bring more troops come.

Di first na Operation Serval, for Mali wey launch afta jihadists overtake di north of di kontri for 2012. Afta dat come Operation Barkhane wey be more regional counter-insurgency mission wey end for November 2022.

Dr Sambe argue say di two both of dem fail sake of say terror groups increase during dis time.

E say "kontris start to dey doubt di importance of France strategic presence - ideas and conspiracy theories start to suggest say dem dey somehow attract or increase di terrorist threat."

Dis with di calls for "sovereignty" wey dey come from a young generation mean many pipo wan see French troops comot.

Recent military coups for Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, wia junta leaders decide to kick out French sojas and di public praise for am, na evidence to dat.

Wetin be di results?

French sojas comot from Mali last year for Bamako orders and recently dem tell UN peacekeepers to do di same.

As dem dey comot, Prof Chafer say e get disadvantage too dem even if di security situation don worsen ova di last decade.

E say, since di withdrawals, human rights violations don dey worse and Malians dey even less safe.

In di mean time, Mali army don turn to Russia mercenary group Wagner as dia new padi. Dem don accuse di two groups of crimes against humanity.

Prof Chafer believe say Wagner main role for di kontri "no be to improve security for di pipo but to support di Malian military regime."

E also be like say e don scata peace deal with one ethnic Tuareg rebel alliance, we don also start to dey seize territory for di north as foreign forces dey comot.

Oda security options dey?

Dr Sambe use Mali do example to say subcontractors, self-defence militias and paramilitary groups no be di ansa.

E wan see Ecowas, di African Union and di continent oda standby forces come togeda.

E argue say, "time don reach to move go di Africanisation of dis forces".