Eritrea's flag. (AFP 2022 / NICHOLE SOBECKI)

France and other Western countries are losing influence in Africa, Eritrea's Ambassador to Russia Petros Tseggai told Sputnik in an interview.

According to him, "another world" is being built right now, and Africans will be able to "breathe freely" once they are free of American and French influence.

Tseggai noted that the countries that suffer the most from foreign manipulation are former French colonies, as France has "not a neo-colonialist, but a colonialist attitude".

He emphasized that when decolonization occurred in the twentieth century, African countries were forced to "keep their deposits in French banks," and many African leaders had a "little colonial Europe in their heads."

According to the diplomat, the younger generation does not agree with the current state of affairs.
Eritrea maintains normal relations with its former metropole, Italy, but the European country's historical role in the colonial era is remembered, according to Tseggai.

He also said that he wishes to enhance relations with Italy, as "there are no bad peoples" – but "manipulation" is unacceptable.

Concerning US policy, Tseggai warned that the US's influence could lead to the resumption of the Tigray conflict, as the US backs Tigray armed forces. While America tells Eritreans to leave Tigray, only the Ethiopian government can ask Asmara to do so.

Eritrea aided Ethiopia in its fight against the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which erupted in November 2020 and ended with a ceasefire treaty negotiated by an African Union-led peace process in November 2022. In late December, it was reported that Eritrean troops had begun to withdraw from major Tigray cities.

Eritrea, a Horn of Africa country, gained de facto independence from Ethiopia in 1991. Eritrea gained de jure independence two years later and established diplomatic relations with Russia.