French President Macron met with President Embalo of Guinea-Bissau in Paris after a discovered coup attempt in the country, promising to support the country in these troubling times as much as possible. Macron went into detail of their ability to help aid in varying strategic means to fortify the country such as through military support, agricultural development, noting their lack of capabilities currently in this regard, and further diplomatic cooperation. The planned coup was discovered while President Embalo was in Brazil, and it would have been the fifth in their short history. Military leaders announced that revolutionaries were paying off soldiers once loyal to Embalo to support a regime change. In terms of analytics, it is clear that while Macron is using the opportunity to have further influence in this region, more notably, it is important to see the move by Guinea-Bissau to align themselves more strongly with the French, as they have been doing for many years. President Embalo was willing to go as far as leave the country to meet with Macron to strengthen relations after this discovered plot, when the very last time he did so this act transpired. I see that as a clear sign of willingness to stand in a more powerful column. Guinea-Bissau notably was a Portuguese, rather than French colony, depriving them of a the naturally set French alliance and a natural step behind many of their neighbors. Their current moves show realization of that notion, and a move for a quick remedy by using internal conflict for the request of a foreign power. To relate this to IR, it can be argued that President Embalo is able to force the strategic aid from France with the notion of collective security, with France being eager to help because of their interests in the region. Embalo could see that France has invested thousands of troops, companies, and hundreds of thousands of citizens of the French Republic into sub-saharan Africa making it directly engaged in the happenings of the region in which it has these faucets in. Therefore, France clearly does not want there to be many regime changes, wars, or revolutions in this area, as they will be directly impacted. That, and the obviousness that Guinea-Bissau’s government also does not want a change to their current order shows the cooperation through the lense of collective security.
