French President Emmanuel Macron is on a charm offensive in Africa, visiting four nations in the continent as he tries to reset relations with former colonies that have become strained.
He began in Gabon before moving on to Angola, Congo Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The French military has been heavily involved in anti-jihadist operations in the Sahel region of West Africa for the best part of a decade, but Mali and Burkina Faso have asked those troops to leave.
Macron said France will now draw down all its troops at bases in Africa, instead setting up academies in partnership with local forces.
Staying in Africa, we head to the continent’s most populous nation and second economy Nigeria, where the presidential election continues to stir tensions.