France remodels in bid for second chance in Africa
A framed portrait and the coffin of Malian Defence Minister Sadio Camara, who was killed in a militant attack, are displayed on the day of his state funeral, in Bamako, Mali, April 30, 2026.
Last year in October, France formally launched the Maison des Mondes Africains, or MansA, a new cultural hub in Paris dedicated to contemporary African and Afro-diasporic arts. In there, it acts as an exhibition, arena for concerts and a venue for conferences on art and culture.
In October 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron gathered dozens of African youth in Paris. He was launching a long-term programme on culture and arts, seeking to undo a past where France’s engagement in Africa was mainly along defence, security and mineral extraction.
