« THE NEBULA » BOLLORE, ONE OF THE PILLARS OF « FRANÇAFRIQUE » AND THE HISTORICAL DISPUTE CAMEROON – FRANCE, (Part 3). BOLLORE WINS THE JACKPOT!

Dr Daniel YAGNYE TOM –  January 5, 2023  

BOLLORE WINS THE « JACKPOT » BY SELLING « HIS » AFRICAN CONCESSIONS!

5.7 billion euros is the staggering sum of the sale of Bolloré Africa Logistics (BAL) to the Italian-Swiss shipowner, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). An operation that was well crafted; the equivalent of 3,740 billion CFA francs. A good reason to rejoice and to appease the very heart of Vincent Bolloré for enriching himself after several decades in Africa, at the expense of the African people. « The business with MSC was conducted smoothly, and without any call whatsoever for any other international tender. » A sale closely monitored by the France according to the newspaper « Le Monde » Published on December 20, 2022: « No one wanted these assets to fall into the hands of a Gulf state or Singaporean Olam, let alone that of the Chinese Cosco Shipping, which sees a capacity to export African raw materials to the Middle Kingdom completely evaporated. And especially not the French government, which would probably have preferred the choice of the Marseille group CMA CGM. »

On the « Bolloré Africa Logistics » website we can read:

« SALE OF 100% OF BOLLORÉ AFRICA LOGISTICS TO THE MSC GROUP.

« After obtaining regulatory and competition approvals that conditioned the completion of the transaction, the Bolloré Group announced on December 21, 2022 the sale of 100% of Bolloré Africa Logistics to the MSC Group. It encompasses all of the Bolloré Group’s transport and logistics activities in Africa. »

We take this description of Bolloré Africa Logistics and now put it in the past tense: « The Group had opted for a presence in Africa for many years and had made it the bulk of these investments.

Its subsidiary, Bolloré Africa Logistics, was the first transport and logistics operator in Africa, where it had an unparalleled network with 250 subsidiaries and nearly 21,000 collaborators in 49 countries, of which 47 in Africa.

Before this « historic sale », according to the newspaper Le Temps of April 01, 2022, « Cyrille Bolloré, who succeeded his father as CEO of the group in 2019, accompanied by Philippe Labonne, CEO of Bolloré Ports, and the former President of the Republic Nicolas Sarkozy, who is very close to the family, had gone to Abidjan at the beginning of the year to convince the Ivorian authorities to authorize the sale of strategic assets« .

By so doing, FrançAfrique has a bright future ahead of it!!!

A presence on African soil that has allowed a scandalous enrichment to the Bolloré group, to the detriment of African countries and Cameroon for more than 70 years. As a matter of fact, Bolloré Transport & Logistics Cameroon was created in 1947. Today, Mr. Vincent Bolloré « bows out » on African soil, after a spectacular sale operation, according to the newspaper Le Monde Published on December 20 « It was the last nice move of Vincent Bolloré…: the sale at a very high price of Bolloré Africa Logistics (BAL) to the Italian-Swiss shipowner Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). After all regulatory and competition authorities gave the green light at the end of November, the transaction was completed three months ahead of schedule: the two groups must accept and finally sign, Wednesday, December 21, an operation amounting to more than 5.7 billion euros, one year after their exclusivity agreement.

With the business complete, the Bolloré Group is turning the page on its activities in the field of logistics. This is a crucial page in Vincent Bolloré’s African adventure, which ends with the sale to the Italian-Swiss shipowner MSC, (port concessions, rail, freight transport, passenger transport. etc.). And what about the African countries concerned by this huge affair, especially Cameroon? Not much has transpired so far. Because the Bolloré group remains and will always be at the heart of the historical Cameroon – France dispute, as one of the most monstrous predators of our country. Bolloré leaves, but the dispute remains! Bolloré is leaving, while conceding part of the historical dispute to the Italian-Swiss shipowner MSC!

Bolloré is leaving? Not entirely…

On its website, the group recalls that it will maintain a « significant presence in Africa », particularly via Canal + and investments in communication (Havas), entertainment or publishing, activities in which the group ensures that it « will continue its developments ».

« The Bolloré Group is not going to leave Africa. There are activities of the group in Africa that are not affected by the sale to MSC. There is the Vivendi group with Canal+, Havas-media and GVA (high-speed fiber optic internet), » Olivier de Noray, general manager of ports and terminals of the French group according to Le Figaro on June 15, 2022, told AFP. Bolloré will therefore continue to pollute Africa and especially its youth with its media with perverse and hegemonic content.

He just forgot to mention the other activities in Africa, no less juicy, in Cameroon, including:

– Mining

– Oil

– Gas,

– Food,

– Drinks,

– Industrial projects,

– Technologies,

– Energy,

– Non-metal commodities.

We can therefore safely say that we will continue to hear about the Bolloré group in Africa, more precisely in Cameroon where the group is also the main shareholder of SOCFIN, (39%), which owns oil palm and rubber plantations, which are S.A.F.A.CAM, SOCAPALM.

Dr. Daniel Yagnye Tom

President of the Patriotic Alliance and Special Representative of the UPC

In Southern and Central Africa.