Anglo-French cooperation in Africa: bypassing or bolstering the EU?

TL;DRAbstract

At the December 1998 Saint-Malo summit, Britain and France promised to set aside past rivalries and work together on African issues. While brief indications were given as to possible areas of bilateral and ‘bi-multi’ cooperation, the terms and scope of this partnership were not spelt out. Was this to involve merely a deconflictualisation of approaches, whereby the UK and France avoid public quarrels and collaborate only at moments of crisis? Or was the aim to develop a relationship that was more like the Franco-german tandem, which is characterised by a high ‘degree of institutionalisation of exchanges.’ or was it their intention to build a partnership that was akin to the more ‘natural’ Anglo-American ‘special relationship’? These questions are central to this report, which draws upon extensive interviews with key officials in London, Paris, Brussels, New York, addis ababa, kinshasa, dakar and abuja. It focuses on:  UK-French rivalry in Africa from the colonial to early post-cold war

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