Last month, armed groups attacked a military air base in Niamey. The fallout started right away. Leaders in Niger blamed France and its neighbours for helping the raid.
The Niamey incident presents a French air power that outlasts any diplomatic breakup. France holds a legal card that lets it block countries like the United Arab Emirates from giving Mirage fighter jets to African governments. Any aircraft trying to fly over the Sahel essentially requires a green light from the factory in Paris.
Transfer Rights as Foreign Policy
The UAE bought many French Mirage 2000 jets in previous decades and now intends to hand them out to partners across Africa. However, Paris retains the power to stop the deals because of old sales rules that have proven more permanent than the original sales.
Abu Dhabi aspires to build regional security partnerships in the Sahel, but such goals stay tied to whether Paris approves every single plane. The setup gives France the leverage to keep certain governments waiting for a very long time.
Economic Relics and Modern Power
France made the aircraft during the 1980s and 1990s as its factories ran the market for military sales to African states. The original contracts had strict rules about who could buy the jets later, and those rules stay in place even after embassies shut down.
The UAE wants to act as a primary source of security in Africa by giving gear and training to governments fighting rebels. However, French rules mean Paris stays in the middle of every deal.
Every trade involves many forms and long wait times that often move slower than the actual fighting. A government that wants the planes must satisfy French concerns about usage and maintenance to avoid a lengthy delay as the situation at home gets worse.
Accusations Follow Air Raids
The government in Niger alleges that the air base attack was a development intended to stop them from having an air force of their own. Paris dismissed the claims as untrue.
However, the raid did break the planes and buildings needed to watch the borders. The framework allows Paris to make sure some governments stay tied to outside aid. If a state lacks fighter jets, it has to ask France for help with scouting and data to run its own missions.
Legacy Contracts and Manufacturing Consent
France sold Mirage jets to African governments during the Cold War in deals that arrived with training and parts. The old sales made a bond that stays strong today.
Even if a state tries to buy new planes from other places, the old Mirage rules still cover the area. The UAE bought used French jets for a low price, but it found that the ownership has strings attached. Now Abu Dhabi has jets it cannot move unless the original seller says it is okay.
Air Power as a Permanent Affiliation
African leaders who want to move on from the past are finding that old contracts get in the way. France uses laws about ideas and technology to keep a quiet eye on things, which gives Paris a steady say in who has air power.
The framework keeps France in the middle of African security talks even in tense periods. Every Mirage in the sky is a sign of who built it and who still directs where it goes.
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