French soldiers were deployed for a decade to fight an Islamist insurgency in its former colonial territory of the Sahel region. Read more at straitstimes.com.

African officials pushed back after French President Emmanuel Macron said that some of their nations owed their sovereignty to France after its troops intervened in their countries.

In response, Chad's Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said Macron comments had revealed his contempt for Africa. "Chad expresses its deep concern following the remarks made recently by [the French president], which reflect a contemptuous attitude towards Africa and Africans," he said in a statement on national TV.

President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday faced an angry backlash from France's remaining allies in West Africa and accusations at home of showing a neo-colonialist attitude after lamenting that African countries "forgot to say thank you" for France's decade-long military deployment to fight an Islamist insurgency.

Senegal and Chad have criticized French President Macron's remarks suggesting African countries are ungrateful for France's security role in the continent. ・Macron claimed African nations owe their sovereignty to the presence of French forces ・Senegal and Chad criticized French President Macron's remarks about Africa's gratitude for France's

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the African Sahel states forgot to thank France for preventing their nations from falling under the control of militants. Macron stated that France had a relationship with its former colonies based on security.