French-German Cooperation in the Sahel : Consequences of and Perspectives for Germany's "Turn to Africa"

Since about 2014, Germany has unexpectedly re-evaluated Africa's place in its foreign and defence policy, particularly in relation to the Sahel countries. While it may seem premature to conclude that Africa is now a top priority in Germany's external relations, this "African turn" nonetheless matters. Not only has it triggered a level of political and military engagement that is spectacular by German standards. It has also ushered in an unprecedented cooperation between France and Germany, unequal partners in the Sahel in terms of past involvement, political outlook and strategic culture that are now tied by converging interests. The research paper describes recent changes in Germany's African policy, which constitute an essential and necessary prerequisite for Franco-German cooperation in the Sahel. This is followed by a discussion of German perceptions of France's African policy, which today are less negative than in the recent past, favouring a rapprochement in terms of security policy, the indirect and direct modalities of which, particularly in Mali, are described subsequently. Finally, the note speculates about the prospects for cooperation in light of the constraints and priorities of the German partner, who, in purely military terms, is unlikely to further up-scale her engagement in the Sahel.