The French have been running what amounts to a colonial empire in north/central Africa, comprising several African nations, for years and years. The French have military bases there and control the economies by controlling the currencies, banking deposits, etcetera.
(France is still a BIG TIME colonial power, under disguise but it is wide-spread)
Now the Russians are moving into the area. First to go: USA forces. It would not be surprising if the French get kicked out too..
https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20240420-chad-is-not-a-slave-who-wants-to-change-masters-says-president
That band of defacto French colonies in Equatorial Africa has made big moves already. It’s amazing how France still quietly ran those places as colonies under the radar. Traditionally that meant French military intervention. I’m not sure they could pull that off today without enraging their migrant population at home. And Macron thinks a war in Ukraine is important although it would be a cost center rather than a source of profit for France like the African colonies.
Lot’s of moving parts over there.