None of the countries in the article were ever colonized by France.

True, but they're highlighting the NGOs calling colonialism on what the UAE is doing (admittedly a horrible regime) as if France never engaged (and probably still is) in such behavior.

Irrelevant to the subject at hand.

Would you read a Russian newspaper article about bad treatment of Ukrainians in the west? I mean, sure but I hope you wouldn't actually give it any credibility. To me this is similar, considering how blatant France is about 'Franceafrique' and how unapologetic it is about wanting Africa to be its own little backyard.

They aren't acting "as if" French colonialism never happened.

Are you saying that because someone was born in country X, which committed Y misdeeds ~100 years ago, then that person is not free to draw attention to current misdeeds that are like Y happening now by the hand of others?

That's absurd and ungrounded in any real system of ethics or morality--and also untenable, given that every country/religion/group/whatever has at some point done pretty fucked up shit.

People in Niger would say that French colonialism is still alive and well https://www.politico.eu/article/france-niger-military-army-w...