In international relations, Françafrique is France's sphere of influence over former French and Belgian colonies in sub-Saharan Africa. The term was derived from the expression France-Afrique, which was used by the first president of Ivory Coast, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, in 1955 to describe his country's close ties with France. It was later pejoratively renamed Françafrique by François-Xavier Verschave in 1998 to criticise the alleged corrupt and clandestine activities of various Franco-African political, economic and military networks, also defined as France's neocolonialism.
Charles de Gaulle at the inauguration of the Brazzaville Conference, 1944
French radio operator in a jeep during Operation Léopard
Former President of France François Hollande with King Mohammed VI of Morocco and other world leaders in Marrakesh.
In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence is a spatial region or concept division over which a state or organization has a level of cultural, economic, military, or political exclusivity.
A 1912 newspaper cartoon highlighting the United States' influence in Latin America following the Monroe Doctrine
Spheres of influence in Chinese empire in early 20th century
German and Japanese direct spheres of influence at their greatest extents in fall 1942
An 1878 British cartoon about The Great Game between the United Kingdom and Russia over influence in Central Asia
