By Kungu Al-mahadi Adam
France cannot continue pretending that its role in the Sahel is innocent while instability keeps spreading across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Across West Africa, accusations against Paris are no longer whispers from the political fringe.
They are becoming mainstream beliefs shared by governments, activists and ordinary citizens who have watched years of foreign intervention leave behind destruction instead of peace.
The current crisis in Mali has intensified those suspicions. In April 2026, coordinated attacks by the al Qaeda linked group JNIM together with the Azawad Liberation Front shocked the region after rebels seized key towns and launched assaults near Bamako.
Reports from Reuters, AP and The Guardian described it as one of the largest and most coordinated insurgent offensives Mali has experienced in more than a decade.
What immediately followed was a storm of allegations involving France and Ukraine. Russia’s Africa Corps publicly claimed that some militants involved in the attacks had received foreign training including from Ukrainian operatives.
The Guardian reported that Moscow accused “European mercenary instructors including Ukrainians” of training militants involved in the assault although direct evidence was not publicly provided.
The accusations did not emerge from nowhere. Mali had already cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine in 2024 after a Ukrainian official appeared to celebrate a deadly ambush against Malian soldiers and Wagner fighters at Tinzaouaten.
Bamako accused Kyiv of supporting terrorist and separatist groups operating in northern Mali.
Niger and other members of the Alliance of Sahel States later echoed similar concerns and demanded international action.
For many Africans, the issue goes beyond Ukraine alone. France remains at the center of suspicion because of its long history in the region.
Mali has repeatedly accused Paris of maintaining covert relations with armed factions after French troops were expelled from the country.
Reuters previously reported that Mali formally accused France at the United Nations of arming and assisting Islamist militants operating in the Sahel. France denied the allegations but distrust only deepened.
The bitterness toward France is rooted in decades of military domination and economic influence across Francophone Africa. From Operation Serval to Operation Barkhane, France presented itself as the defender of the Sahel against terrorism. Yet terrorism only expanded.
The entire regions of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger fell under extremist influence during the years of strongest French military presence.
Today many Africans are asking difficult questions. How did heavily armed Western missions fail so completely while extremist organizations became richer, more coordinated and more powerful? Why did insecurity worsen despite thousands of French troops and advanced intelligence capabilities operating in the region for years?
The rise of Russia in the Sahel changed everything. After expelling French forces, Mali turned toward Russian security support. Burkina Faso and Niger followed similar paths politically and militarily.
Moscow presented itself as a partner that respects sovereignty rather than imposing political conditions. This rapidly threatened France’s strategic position in Africa and weakened Western influence in the region.
Many in the Sahel now believe the campaign against Russian presence is not about democracy or human rights but about restoring lost colonial influence.
Whenever African governments choose new partners outside Western control, pressure suddenly intensifies through sanctions, diplomatic isolation and media narratives portraying those governments as illegitimate.
The timing of recent insurgent offensives has therefore fueled enormous suspicion. In April 2026, rebels linked to JNIM and separatist factions launched simultaneous attacks across Mali, killed senior military figures and pushed Russian aligned forces from strategic positions including Kidal. The offensive was highly sophisticated and unusually coordinated.
Malian and Russian officials believe foreign intelligence networks may be exploiting extremist groups to weaken the Sahel governments that expelled France and embraced Russia.
Russian statements claimed the attackers were likely trained by Western security services.
Whether every allegation is fully proven or not, the political damage to France is already enormous.
Across Africa, more people are beginning to see Paris not as a stabilizing force but as a power unwilling to accept a sovereign and independent Sahel.
France’s colonial legacy in Africa never truly ended. It simply evolved into military agreements, economic dependency and political interference. Algeria’s recent declaration labeling French colonialism a state crime reflects a wider continental awakening.
Africans increasingly reject foreign control whether it comes through soldiers, intelligence networks or proxy warfare.
The people of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are demanding the right to choose their own allies and define their own future.
Attempts to undermine those choices through covert operations, destabilization or support for armed actors will only deepen anti French sentiment across the continent.
Africa has suffered enough from geopolitical games played by outside powers. The Sahel does not need another hidden war driven by former colonial ambitions.
It needs sovereignty, security and partnerships based on mutual respect rather than manipulation.