Geopolitics

Analysis of the Dakar Nicolas Sarkozy’s speech

a) What representations does Sarkozy make or imply of Africa, of France and of the historical relationship between them. (Use quotes from the speech to support your answer.)

During the speech, Sarkozy adopts the attitude of a big brother talking and moralizing his little brother. This position is quite strong if we consider Africa, France and the historical relationship between the two countries.

First of all, Sarkozy implies representations of Africa based on suffering and built on a strong dualistic opposition between past and future (the strong contrast between the two periods is reinforced through the use of the word “Renaissance”). Indeed, he describes Africa as a “wounded continent”, uses the term “tragedy” to qualify the evolution of its history; last but not least, whereas African people had a passive attitude during the past (“suffering man”), suffering from “crimes”, on the contrary, its future deals with hope and action based on a shared vision of future (“What Africa wants is the same as what France wants: cooperation, association, a partnership between nations equal in rights and in duties.”)

Then Sarkozy makes a representation of France as a compassionate and friendly country ( “Youth of Africa, European civilisation was wrong to believe itself to be superior to that of your ancestors, but now, the European civilisation belongs to you too.”).

Lastly, Sarkozy implies representations of the historical relationship between France and Africa based on common roots (a quite chaotic common past) but also on a common future. (“I have come, youth of Africa, to face with you our common history”; “co-development”, “alliance”).
Friendship

b) How might Sarkozy’s representations conflict with those held by the Senegalese students or citizens of other African nations? (If you use research to answer this question, you must cite your sources)

Senegalese probably do not have the