French Cultural Policy In French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa (1960-2022

French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa is a major pillar on which rests the cultural influence of France in the world.Of the 32 states and governments whose official language is French,21 are in sub-Saharan Africa.This region is an anchor point for the French language and a "bastion" for consolidating its place in the world.The French language and culture are also essential links in the closed relationship between France and French-speaking African countries.Cultural policy is an integral part of France’s strategy for Africa.Since the beginning of the 21st century,French influence in Africa is facing fierce competition.In the grip of a declining political and economic influence,an increasingly contested military presence and a degraded image,France considers the Francophonie and culture as assets to maintain its historic rank in an Africa.Indeed,over the past two decades,in order to stem its loss of influence,France has multiplied actions to maintain and strengthen its cultural influence in French-speaking subSaharan Africa.This study focuses on the cultural policy of France in French-speaking countries in sub-Saharan Africa from 1960 to 2022.In order to answer this question,the first chapter of our work aims to establish a framework of theoretical analysis by introducing the reference system of values proposed by Marcel Merle for the making of foreign policy and the concept of soft power developed by Joseph Nye with the aim of analyzing the role of culture in France’s African policy.In the second chapter of our study devoted to the evolution of French cultural policy,we briefly review French cultural policy in Africa during the colonial period and that of the Ministry of Cooperation(1960-1998),as well as the main orientations of French cultural policy since the beginning of the 21st century.The third chapter of the thesis consists in examining the decision-making mechanism,the network of cultural actions and the platforms of multilateral cultural cooperation of France in Africa.The fourth chapter of the thesis analyzes the diversified actions that France has carried out since the beginning of the present century in the fields of the promotion of the French language,education,media and other cultural activities.The fifth chapter of the thesis deals with the particularities of French cultural policy and their induced effects for France and African countries.In the last chapter of the thesis,the challenges that France should meet to ensure the sustainability of its cultural influence in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa are studied.To carry out this work,we have used a considerable number of books,official documents,speeches,archival documents and reports from various institutions such as the Diplomatic Archives Centers of France,ministries,Parliament,the UNESCO.The descriptive and interpretative methods allow us to understand the evolution of the policy,the cultural actions and the device of development of the French cultural policy.We also use comparative analysis to examine the particularities that make it possible to distinguish France’s cultural policy in Africa from the cultural policies it practices in other regions.This study leads us to the following conclusions:first,culture plays a dual role in France’s policy on Africa.On the one hand,as expression of civilizational values,it influences the definition of the notion of identity and the identification of the national interest.Through its glorious history,France,since modern times,has felt invested with a mission to spread its own language and its own values throughout the world.The influence of French culture contributes to the national interest and national identity.As a result,the spread of the French language and culture has been taken into account in France’s African policy from the beginning of its colonial expansion,so cultural influence in Africa is an objective in itself of France’s African policy.On the other hand,through language,art and knowledge,culture proves to be a tool intended to extend the sphere of French influence.Second,compared to other regions,in French-speaking Africa,French cultural policy is characterized by the integration of French language and culture spread and development aid.The policy aims both to consolidate French cultural influence and to show solidarity with African countries by helping them.France has strengthened its influence and also supported African countries in their development.However,maintaining French influence is the overriding objective of French cultural policy,so the cultural development of African countries is also limited by French policy.However,under the impetus of a strong desire for cultural independence,African countries tend to leave the French-speaking world and turn to other cultural spaces to diversify their partnerships.In addition,France is also facing challenges related to budgetary constraints,the deterioration of its image and competition from English.The prospect of its cultural influence therefore remains uncertain.