▁was ▁not ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁all ▁of ▁Africa ' s ▁problems , ▁France ▁made ▁mistakes ▁in ▁Africa ▁though ▁" did ▁not ▁explo it ▁anyone ", ▁and ▁asked ▁young ▁Afr icans ▁to ▁fight ▁against ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁violence . ▁ ▁The ▁remarks ▁were ▁widely ▁condem ned ▁by ▁African ▁intellect uals ; ▁many , ▁such ▁as ▁Ach ille ▁M b em be , ▁Mam ad ou ▁Di ou f ▁or ▁I bra h ima ▁Th i ou b , ▁viewed ▁them ▁not ▁only ▁as ▁rac ist , ▁but ▁as ▁displaying ▁a ▁deep ▁ignor ance ▁by ▁S ark o zy ▁of ▁African ▁studies , ▁wondering ▁how ▁it ▁was ▁possible ▁to ▁hold ▁similar ▁disc ourses ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Al pha ▁O umar ▁Kon are , ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁Union ▁commission , ▁said ▁" This ▁speech ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁kind ▁of ▁break ▁we ▁were ▁hoping ▁for ... ▁It ▁rem ind ed ▁us ▁of ▁another ▁age , ▁especially ▁his ▁comments ▁about ▁pe as ants ." ▁Other ▁criticism ▁was ▁level led ▁at ▁S ark o zy ' s ▁failure ▁to ▁acknow ledge ▁the ▁previous ▁role ▁of ▁France ▁in ▁pro pping ▁up ▁ab us ive ▁reg imes . ▁The ▁French ▁government ▁def ended ▁S ark o zy ' s ▁speech , ▁saying ▁that ▁he ▁also ▁critic ised ▁the ▁econom ics ▁of ▁global isation ▁and ▁proposed ▁a ▁partners hip ▁to ▁help ▁Africa ▁confront ▁it . ▁Kon are ' s ▁wife ▁Ad ame ▁Ba ▁Kon are ▁also ▁started ▁a ▁movement ▁of ▁promotion ▁of ▁African ▁History ▁following ▁S ark