"AFRICAN POLICE OFFICER"

France is carrying out a military operation in the Central African Republic (CAR). Thus, following Libya and Mali, the French are demonstrating their power in another African country. France's military presence in CAR is asserted amid a civil war raging in the country. In January 2013, CAR's authorities and opposition representatives signed a truce agreement, the observance of which is overseen by French peacekeepers. However, as early as in March, the situation in CAR significantly exacerbated. The Islamist group Seleka seized Bangui, the country's capital. CAR's overthrown leader Francois Bozize had to flee the country, while rebel leader Michel Djotodia proclaimed himself as president. Henceforth, military clashes in CAR further intensified.

Shortly thereafter Djotodia distanced himself from his most hard-line Seleka associates. However, this did not help him to prevent bloody fighting that occurred between the Islamists and armed Christian groups in the past few days. The general situation in CAR is exacerbated by the fact that up to 10 per cent of the country's residents have had to leave their homes due to incessant military action, and another one million people are in need of food. According to official data, 70 per cent of CAR's population (it totals more than 4.5m) live below the poverty line.

France reacted to the developments in CAR by putting forward an initiative to increase its military contingent in the country from 410 to 2,000 people. On 5 December, the U.N. Security Council voted in support of a military intervention in CAR. Having admitted that the battles between the Christian population and Seleka militants may escalate into a "full-blown genocide", the UNSC authorized an intervention involving 1,200 French and 3,600 African servicemen (i.e. those representing the African Union). It is particularly noteworthy that Paris secured the United States' support in this issue. The Pentagon granted military-transport aviation to the Frenchmen's disposal to transfer their troops from Burundi to CAR.

The French contingent is implementing an operation on disarmament of extremists in CAR. It has already taken Bangi under control and is moving from the capital city deep into the country. 

Thus, Paris has launched the second military operation this year in Africa. The French side stated that its main goal is to establish order, prevent chaos and civilian casualties. This is substantiated by the inability of the African states to counter the challenges regarding their existence and development on their own. Such an approach of France has an historic explanation. In the past, a great number of countries in Western and Central Africa were French colonies, therefore, Paris deems them as the sphere of its influence. However, in recent years, the role of an "African policeman" has been very costly for the French. Since 2005, the budget of France's external operations has doubled and in 2013 it reached 1.25bn euros, including 650m slated for the recent military campaign in Mali. The presence of 5,500 servicemen at various bases in Africa costs the French an average of 400m euros annually.

So, what is the reason behind the Africa-leaning belligerence of Paris, accompanied by a significant financial burden, which seems to be absolutely inappropriate in the conditions of a crisis throughout Europe? In the beginning of his term in office President Francois Hollande advocated for confining the French activity regarding the "Black continent" exclusively to the frames of "moral support". 

Primarily, the notorious civilisational factor should be taken into consideration. As one of the vanguard Western powers, France considers itself obliged to be actively involved in combating extremism. Paris mainly substantiates the necessity of military interference in the internal affairs of countries included in the sphere of the French national interests by this very need for preventing augmentation of radical Islam in Africa. This was the case with Mali, and now this is happening in CAR.

However, according to many analysts, Paris is driven not only by the considerations of delivering due response to the threats of extremism. The issue of control over the natural resources of African countries is not a less significant factor for it. CAR is rich in deposits of gold, diamonds, valuable timber and uranium. The extraction of the latter is of strategic importance for the energy security of France, whose economy is 75 per cent dependent on nuclear power.

Another crucial aspect is that the biggest developing powers -- primarily, China -- are getting a firm foothold in this region. The activeness of the Chinese has caused France's losing its leading position on the markets of such countries under its traditional influence as Cameroon, Congo and Cote d'Ivoire. However, recently Paris stopped its submissive observation of Beijing's investing tens of billions of dollars in the economies of the former French colonies. France's Minister of Economy and Finance Pierre Moscovici frankly stated at a recent French-African business forum that "France needs Africa". In confirmation of this he pledged that the investments by Paris in Africa will increase from 10bn to 20bn euros over the upcoming year. The French are also counting on winning prospective tenders for the development of uranium deposits in Niger and Mali, as well as acquiring new contracts in the energy sector for the Total company.

All these factors indicate that Paris, fulfilling the task of an "African policeman", is seeking to reinforce its economic presence on the "black continent". For this purpose President Francois Hollande is playing activeness in the military realm. He takes time to organize a forum of leaders from over 40 African countries in Paris whereby he expresses France's friendly intentions toward them, as well as to pay visits to the regions of Africa that are inflamed in war. Having arrived in CAR's capital Bangi, Hollande once again sought to fully use the image of a triumphal president, who proudly reviews the French troops that are instilling order in a faraway African country, in the spirit of the imperial traditions of the "good old France". By the way, this image is necessary for Hollande given his ever-decreasing popularity in France itself.