Together with the French Embassy and the French Institute of South Africa, SAIIA hosted, in March 2009, a seminar on the topic 'A New French Foreign and Security Policy: What does this mean for Africa?'

In 2008 France published a new white paper on its defence and national security and an independent commission established by the Minister of Foreign Affairs drafted a white paper on France's foreign and European policy. Both of these place France's external engagements firmly within a European framework. Indeed, a central tenet of French security policy is to make the EU a major player in crisis management and international security.

These policy papers have clear relevance and implications for Africa, given France's (and the EU's) active role on the continent, politically, economically and militarily. The panel will discuss the white papers and reflect on the implications for French and European external engagement with specific reference to Africa.

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