Equatorial Guinea’s escalating disputes with France over property, sovereignty, and historical grievances highlight Paris’s waning influence in Africa, as the country pivots toward Russia for military and strategic support amid rising popular and elite resentment.

France’s longstanding military collaboration with the Israeli Occupation has drawn criticism from activists who urge President Emmanuel Macron to halt these armaments.

In a move that raised concerns about press freedom in France, the police arrested Ariane Lavrilleux, an investigative journalist who had reported on the Macron government’s controversial arms deals with Egypt.

One of Macron’s former allies and potential rivals in the upcoming presidential election, Edouard Philippe, suggested that Islam may need a special law and a state agency to regulate it in France.

The phone call that took place between French President Macron and Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman on March 27, 2023, was the step that stirred the stagnant waters of the Lebanese presidential election.