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Article: They came to bury him, not to praise him; France and Africa.
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- June 20, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A funeral in Gabon is a test of how fast and how far Nicolas Sarkozy is changing France's policy towards Africa
TWO French presidents, one serving (Nicolas Sarkozy), one retired (Jacques Chirac), a foreign minister (Bernard Kouchner), plus a clutch of current and former ministers and other dignitaries. The weight of the French delegation that flew from Paris to Libreville for the funeral on June 16th of Omar Bongo Ondimba, Africa's longest-serving leader and object of a big corruption case in France, reflects the close-knit ties the country has kept with leaders of former African colonies, however unsavoury. But did so many French bigwigs go to Gabon to praise ...