Transposing the 'Republican' Model? A Critical Appraisal of France's Historic Mission in Africa

In the 19th and 20th centuries, France engaged in a second wave of colonisation, by the end of which she controlled a huge empire which included territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific. At the same time as possessing this empire, however, France was also a Republic with a constitutional commitment to values such as freedom, equality and fraternity. The harsh realities of imperial rule were, of course, hard to reconcile with the lofty ideals of the French Revolution. Yet Paris was largely successful in 'justifying' her colonial exploits by portraying them as part of a mission civilisatrice, that is, a civilising project to assimilate (mainly African) colonial subjects and 'elevate' them to the ranks of French citizenship. This survey will begin by showing how this civilising mission helped to limit and disguise the self-serving nature of French African policy during the colonial and early post-colonial eras. It will then focus on the domestic, European and global pressures which France is currently facing in her quest to maintain her unique African project. It will argue that, while French governments have had to make changes, they have nonetheless managed to preserve the basic thrust of their 'universal republican message'. Finally, it will assess the future threats and opportunities facing Paris' African vocation. © 2005 Journal of Contemporary African Studies.