Françafrique (French pronunciation: ​[fʁɑ̃safʁik]) is France's relationship[1][2] with its former African colonies.[3][4][5] It was first used in a positive sense by President Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire, in allusion to that country's economic growth and political stability under its alliance with France. However, the term is now often used to criticise the allegedly neocolonial relationship France has with its former colonies in Africa. Since the independence of African states in 1960, France has intervened militarily more than 30 times in the continent.[6] France has military bases in Gabon,[7] Senegal[8] and Djibouti,[9] as well as in its overseas departments of Mayotte and Réunion in the Indian Ocean.[10] The French Army is also deployed in Mali,[11] Chad,[12] Central African Republic,[13] Somalia[14] and Ivory Coast.[15] Françafrique was at its height from 1960 to 1989,[4][16] and there is an ongoing dispute as to whether or not it still exists.[17][18][19] Since 2012, some have spoken of a "return of Françafrique".[20][21] On 14 July 2013, troops from 13 African countries marched with the French military during the Bastille Day parade in Paris for the first time since French colonial troops were dissolved.[22]