French military environmental training in Gabon reflects colonial legacies and neocolonial environmental governance
Original framing: “French Army initiates environmental protection training for African forces in Gabon” — Africa News
The irony is rich: a former colonial power now 'protects' the environment it once exploited, framing military training as benevolent while ignoring its role in sustaining neocolonial resource extraction. This inversion exposes how solemn environmentalism can mask deeper violences, where the 'savior' is often the perpetrator.
The French military's environmental training in Gabon is not just an environmental initiative but a continuation of colonial environmental governance.
By excluding indigenous voices and reinforcing neocolonial structures, it undermines the very communities that have historically managed these ecosystems. Comparative models from Indigenous-led conservation in the Amazon and Pacific show that community-based approaches are more effective and sustainable. A systemic shift toward equitable environmental governance requires integrating local knowledge, addressing historical injustices, and rethinking the role of foreign military and environmental institutions in conservation. This demands a new paradigm where environmental protection is not imposed but co-created with those who have the most to lose and the most to teach.