In the hushed drawing rooms of \u00c9vian-les-Bains, facing Lake Geneva, everything is ready to welcome the G7 powers from 15 to 17 June. Just after the Africa-France summit in Nairobi, Kenya. Officially, the agenda will cover artificial intelligence, the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But behind the scenes, another issue is already monopolising the preparatory discussions: Africa again. And in Paris, nobody is really hiding it: this summit is designed as an attempt to regain strategic initiative on a continent where French influence has seriously eroded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00ab This is no longer a development issue. It is a matter of power <\/em>\u00bb, says a European diplomat involved in the preparatory negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For several weeks, those close to President Emmanuel Macron have been multiplying discreet meetings with financial institutions, mining groups and African partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Objective: to structure a credible offer in the face of the rise of China... but also of newer, more aggressive entrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First front, and not the least: strategic minerals. On 20 April, Paris organised an unprecedented format bringing together the G7, multilateral banks and African producer countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind this initiative lies a concern: the growing dependence of Western industrial chains on Beijing. For today, the reality is brutal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00ab The G7 is arriving late. The Chinese are already settled in <\/em>\u00bb, says a mining sector expert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second battlefield: African debt. With over 1,100 billion dollars in outstanding loans, the continent has become a complex negotiation ground between Western creditors... and China, which is now the leading bilateral lender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paris is pushing behind the scenes for a new restructuring mechanism. The problem is that Beijing is imposing its own rules of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00ab Discussions are extremely tense. Everyone is defending their financial and geopolitical interests<\/em> \u00bb, says a source close to the World Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Result: behind the expected consensual press releases in \u00c9vian, the lines of fracture remain deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third file, even more sensitive: the Sahel. Following successive ruptures with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Paris is seeking a new security architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But without a direct military presence, the equation is a delicate one. It is in this context that a telling diplomatic choice intervenes: the invitation extended to Kenyan President William Ruto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to several leaks, this decision was made at the expense of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. A far from trivial arbitration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00ab Kenya is perceived as more aligned, more stable, and above all more operational on security issues <\/em>\u00bb", explains an African diplomat based in Brussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fourth front: infrastructure. From Lom\u00e9 to Djibouti, via the Atlantic seaboard and the Red Sea, African logistics corridors have become major strategic assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amid maritime tensions and the fragmentation of trade routes, the control of flows is becoming a priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00ab He who controls African ports controls a part of tomorrow's global trade<\/em> \u00bb, summarises a senior European official. But here too, the competition is fierce:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In reality, the \u00c9vian summit poses a simple yet formidable question: can the G7 still wield influence in Africa?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The figures speak for themselves: trade between China and Africa now exceeds 295 billion dollars, compared with around 65 billion for France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And above all, African capitals have changed their mindset.\u00ab They diversify, negotiate, arbitrate. The era of exclusive partnerships is over <\/em>\u00bb, observes an analyst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Evian, Paris will therefore try to regain the upper hand. But without excessive illusions. For behind the diplomatic initiatives, a reality is asserting itself: Africa is no longer a guaranteed sphere of influence. It is an arena of open competition. And in this game, the G7 no longer holds the advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the hushed drawing rooms of \u00c9vian-les-Bains, facing Lake Geneva, everything is ready to welcome the G7 powers from the 15th to the 17th...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":4259,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[635,610,5],"tags":[680,321],"class_list":["post-4257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diplomatie","category-droit-international","category-international","tag-evian","tag-g7"],"yoast_head":"\nCritical minerals: the battle for Africa's subsoils<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Debt: the silent arm-wrestle with Beijing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sahelian security: a strategy to rebuild<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Corridors and ports: the new strategic obsession<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u00c9vian, or the G7 credibility test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A pressured offensive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n