The French were the second largest colonial empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their ties to Africa were actually quite impressive. They had colonies in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Guinea, Niger, Senagal, Nigeria, and many more. I suppose even after giving independence to most of the colonies in the 50's and 60's there remains a significant political and financial interest.
They, the French, have several military actions ongoing in Africa currently.
The muslum population in France is quite high by European standards.
All these things considered makes the politics of France a little more sensible. They tend to act in a "France First" fashion within their sphere of influence. Their politics since de Gaulle have really been quite predictable.