Paris is aiming to "divide and conquer" to overthrow nationalist leaders in the Sahara-Sahel region, according to Russia's top diplomat

Paris is trying to topple governments it finds undesirable in its former African colonies in order to claw back its past influence, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

France has lost its foothold on the continent in recent years after its former colonies Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger severed ties and expelled French troops, accusing Paris of supporting jihadist insurgent groups in the region. France has refused to recognize the legitimacy of the three nations' military governments and has sworn to restore power to civilian authorities.

"France is attempting to overthrow undesirable nationalist governments in the Sahara-Sahel region and other parts of Africa," Lavrov said in a speech to the Russian parliament on Wednesday.

While the African nations "have long since abandoned their ties to their former metropolis," Paris has chosen to undermine them via opposition figures, "outright terrorist groups and Ukrainian militants," he added.

The French leadership has continued to use "colonial methods" like the infamous "divide and conquer" tactic, which had historically cost Africa millions of lives, Lavrov said.

Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said last week that French President Emmanuel Macron has authorized his special services to plot to "eliminate 'undesirable leaders'" in Africa.

According to the SVR, French services were involved in a failed coup attempt in Burkina Faso last month, which included plans to assassinate its military leader Ibrahim Traore. Paris has also worked to destabilize Mali via attacks on logistics and efforts to blockade cities, as well as tried to sow unrest in the Central African Republic, it alleged, accusing France of coordinating with Ukraine to arm insurgents with drones.

According to Lavrov, these attempted coups, the US push for Greenland, and military pressure on Venezuela and Iran are all part of a broader scramble for influence by "old" Western powers against emerging centers of development in the Global South.