He is expected to visit Gabon for an environmental summit, then Angola, Congo-Brazzaville and the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

It comes as Paris seeks to counter growing Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

Anti-French sentiment has been running high in some of its former colonies in the Sahel.

Last month, Burkina Faso gave France a month to withdraw its 400 special forces, and announced the official ending of the French military operation in the country a week ago.

In Mali, French troops withdrew from the country after the military government there started working with the Russian private military contractor Wagner.

The Russian group has also been operating in the Central African Republic.