Russia accuses France of authorising plots against African leaders

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of authorising intelligence operations aimed at eliminating what it described as “undesirable leaders” in Africa.

In a statement on Monday, the SVR said the Macron administration is “frantically” seeking a “political comeback” on the African continent, where France has experienced what the agency characterised as significant losses in recent years.

The agency said these setbacks were linked to “the rise to power in several former French colonies in Africa of patriotic forces that prioritise the interests of the people and refuse to serve as puppets of the financial and political oligarchy of French globalists.”

“Whether inspired by the American operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or imagining himself as the arbiter of the fate of African nations, Macron authorised his intelligence services to launch a plan to eliminate ‘undesirable leaders’ in Africa,” the SVR said.

The agency claimed that “the involvement of France in the attempted coup in Burkina Faso on January 3 of this year has already been established.” It said the alleged plot involved plans to assassinate Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traore, whom it described as “one of the leaders of the struggle against neocolonialism.”

The SVR said Paris expected such actions would bring pro-French forces to power in Ouagadougou and weaken political movements supporting sovereignty and Pan-Africanist ideology.

Despite what it described as a failure in Burkina Faso, the SVR alleged that France has shifted its focus to destabilising “undesirable countries” in the Sahel Saharan region, claiming this is being done “with the help of local terrorist groups and, of course, the Ukrainian regime, which supplies militants with drones and instructors.”

“The main blow of this gang is directed against Mali,” the statement said, citing attacks on fuel convoys, attempts to blockade cities and acts of terrorism against civilians. The SVR claimed these actions were intended “to create conditions for the overthrow of President Assimi Goita.”

The agency also accused France of similar plotting against the Central African Republic.

Another alleged target, according to the SVR, is Madagascar, where in October 2025, new authorities came to power that “took a course toward developing relations with BRICS.” The agency claimed that Paris is seeking to overthrow Madagascar’s President, Michael Randrianirina, and “restore a loyal regime.”

“France has moved to direct support of terrorists of various stripes, who have become its main allies on the African continent,” the SVR said.

The agency said “the political bankruptcy of Macron’s line is all the more evident, as he fails to rid France of its reputation as a parasitic metropolis that plunders its former colonies and hinders their development.”

SOURCE: AA