As the Russian military operation grinds on in Ukraine, Russia and China have joined forces to confront the legacy of Western imperialism in Africa and Asia. The war in Ukraine may have begun as an attempt by Russia to secure its border against NATO’s encroachment in Ukraine, but it has now escalated and expanded into a deliberate policy, led by Russia and China, to establish a new multi-polar world that is not beholden to the dictates of Washington, London and Paris. This involves more than just pursuing stronger diplomatic ties with the so-called Third World, it also includes creating alternative financial systems that will permit trade and commerce without having to worry about sanction-crazy Americans.

French President Macron just completed a swing through former African colonies and failed to shore-up France’s standing as a relevant power behind the curtain. But the Western press is loathed to report on the true depth of the growing fissure between France and its former colonies. Take a gander at what happened during Macron’s visit to the Congo.

Here is a snippet from Reuters coverage of Macron’s visit:

The French president held talks on Saturday with President Felix Tshisekedi in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which last week saw several small-scale protests — signs of rising anti-French sentiment in parts of francophone Africa. . . .

This tour is Macron’s 18th visit to Africa as president and follows a recent slew of Africa tours by high-level US, Russian, and Chinese officials seeking closer ties.

France has endured a recent messy breakdown in relations with some former colonies in West Africa and his first-time visits to the DRC, Gabon, Angola and Congo Republic last week reflect Macron’s wish to turn the page.

(Congo’s President) Tshisekedi welcomed the new approach and said France needed to listen to what African people wanted if it hoped to compete with the continent’s other partners.

“Francafrique is a thing of the past,” he said, referring to the murky links that sometimes saw Paris prioritise commercial gain and support for autocratic regimes in former colonies.

Nevertheless, signs of tension emerged later in the press conference when Macron appeared to suggest the insecurity in the DRC since 1994 was mostly its own fault

If you only read the Reuter’s account you would likely conclude that Macron’s visit was a success, despite some “tensions.”

Then I saw the following video. Congo President Félix Tshisekedi had what diplomats call a “frank exchange of views” with French President Macron. In street lingo this is known as getting “bitch slapped.” Pay close attention to Macron’s body language. He is not used to being talked to this way by some “African low life”: