2007年VOA标准英语-West Africans Anticipate New Relationship With

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
15 May 2007

France's president-elect, Nicolas Sarkozy, will be inaugurated on Wednesday. Some West Africans, uneasy over Sarkozy's campaign statements on immigration and the status of immigrants, say they worry about their countrymen living in France as well as about the impact on Africa of Sarkozy's presidency¹. But some African analysts² say they think Sarkozy will be good for French-speaking Africa, which, they say, relies too heavily on aid from its former colonizer³. For VOA, Naomi Schwarz has more on the story from our regional bureau in Dakar.

Wary⁴ eyes in French-speaking West Africa are being directed towards France as Nicolas Sarkozy begins, on Wednesday, his presidency.

Babacar Gueye, political science professor at Dakar's Cheikh Anta Diop University, says most Africans were hoping for a different outcome.

The May 7 run-off election pitted Sarkozy, a business-oriented conservative with a reformist agenda, against Senegal-born socialist⁵ Segolene Royal.

Sarkozy's campaign statements on immigration fueled fears in French-speaking West Africa.

Mamadou Barry, spokeman for Senegal's socialist party, says even before the campaign began, Africans were aware of Sarkozy's hardline policies on immigration when he was France's interior minister.

Those included forcibly repatriating⁶ some illegal immigrants.

"His policy when he was minister of interior of putting people in the plane like others did before, his former mentors," said Barry. "People started thinking this guy is totally against immigration."

People wait to find out if their visa applications have been approved at the entrance to the French Embassy's visa services office in Dakar, Senegal (File)

Immigration is an important issue in West Africa, where poverty drives tens of thousands each year to seek better jobs in Europe. Many more rely on the funds these immigrants send back home.

Sarkozy has said he wants to revise France's immigration policy to favor highly educated Africans over unskilled workers.

Political Science professor Gueye says this is not good for Africa. He says Africa needs its educated and skilled workers to stay home and develop the country.

But some analysts say the fear of Sarkozy is premature⁷.

Malian women's activist⁸ Oumou Touré says most Africans only know what the media has reported about Sarkozy, especially his most incendiary remarks.

Besides, she says, you cannot judge a politician solely⁹ by what he says during a campaign.

She says there is a huge gap between actions and words, and she cannot say what impact Sarkozy will have on Africa until he has been president for two or three years.

Senegalese Socialist party spokesman Mamadou Barry hopes Sarkozy will tone down his rhetoric¹⁰ now that the campaign is over.

"Maybe he will have a more humanitarian¹¹ view," he said. "And, frankly¹², we will see what really he will do to try to support the economy of those countries sending immigrants, so people will not prefer taking those small boats to go in the ocean to be able to go to France or Spain. Because he is also a very pragmatic guy. We will see really when he comes to power."

Touré says, for one thing, it is time for France to reduce its military presence in Africa.

She says there are fewer wars, and African countries would be better served if France used its resources to support development.

France has military bases in many of its former colonies and retains rapid response troops in Chad, Central African Republic and Ivory Coast.

Nigerian human rights activist Saidou Arji says Francophone Africa's relationship with its former colonizer is already changing.

"At the same time France is trying to reduce its intervention¹³ in Africa, the African countries also tried to have several partners. So now I can say that France is not the main partner in terms of trade and other sectors," said Arji.

Political science professor Babacar Gueye says this is a positive development for West Africa.

"Until now, the cooperation between France and Africa was a cooperation based on paternalism, based on aid, and it is time to change that position," said Gueye. "It is time for the African countries to find the solutions to their own problems and stop asking for aid towards France."

Gueye says the election of Nicolas Sarkozy could be the shock Africans need to finally break their dependency on France.

1 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 colonizer   

殖民者，殖民地开拓者，移民

参考例句：

• In the first few year, the colonizer find life difficult. 头几年里，殖民地开拓者觉得生活艰难。

4 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

5 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

6 repatriating   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Since banks are reducing overall lending, that means repatriating cash. 由于银行总的借贷额在下降，这就意味着资金必然国内回流。 来自互联网
• US immigration officials have again delayed moves start repatriating six-year-old Cuban shipwreck survivor Elian Gonzalez. 六岁的古巴海难幸存儿童埃利安非常幸运，美国移民局官员已将原本要遣返他的时间再次拖延。 来自互联网

7 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

8 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

9 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

10 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

12 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

13 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。