Paris is aiming to “divide and conquer” to overthrow nationalist leaders in the Sahara-Sahel region, according to Russia’s top diplomat Paris is trying to topple governments it finds undesirable in its former African colonies in order to claw back its past influence, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. France has lost its foothold on the continent in recent years after its former colonies Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger severed ties and expelled French troops, accusing Paris of