Echoes of Empire: The Procrastinated Decolonization of France’s ODA in Africa (1941-2016)

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This article examines the evolution of France’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa from 1941 to 2016, revealing how development aid perpetuated neo-colonial structures under the guise of cooperation. While political independence formally ended colonial rule, France maintained control through institutional continuity, economic conditionalities, and strategic deployment of aid mechanisms. Drawing on the concepts of coloniality and historical institutionalism, the study traces how ODA was shaped by geopolitical interests, tied-aid practices, and the collusion between aid and trade. The transformation of colonial institutions into development agencies and the growing reliance on loans rather than grants illustrate a shift from direct to indirect domination. Despite reforms like the Paris Declaration, France’s aid strategy continued to prioritize donor objectives over recipient autonomy. The article argues that decolonizing aid requires dismantling entrenched hierarchies and reimagining development as a truly reciprocal process rooted in equity, accountability, and postcolonial emancipation.