France: Strong Man Syndrome

Photo Credit The Atlantic Council

Libya occupies a unique place in France’s history in the Maghreb. Neighbouring it’s former colony in Algeria, and protectorate in Tunisia, French foreign policy and the colonial strategists who initially crafted it saw their wider geo- strategic interests in Libya’s vast expanse. General De Gaulle’s insistence during World War II to take control of the Fezzan region was more than just about the French free forces countering Italian troops between 1942 and 1943, it was also about countering their allies in the race for influence in the Sahelo-Saherian region. It was considered of the utmost strategic importance to establish a foothold in a region that shouldn’t be part of the British empire in post-WWII Africa.

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