Paris: The late French presidents François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac reportedly sought the assistance of African marabouts during their presidential campaigns, according to revelations made by Robert Bourgi on Sunday.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Robert Bourgi, who once served as an advisor, disclosed these claims during a televised interview on “Média” while discussing his book “They know that I know everything.” The book sheds light on the intimate connections between French leaders and certain African heads of state. Bourgi alleged that French leaders, particularly Mitterrand and Chirac, often relied on the mystical services of African marabouts, who were usually Malian, during crucial political moments in France.
Bourgi further claimed that these marabouts were often dispatched by African leaders such as former Gabonese president Omar Bongo Ondimba and former Burkinabe president Blaise Compaoré. He recounted an instance from 1988 when a marabout was sent to Jacques Chirac in Paris shortl
y before the first round of the presidential election. The marabout, stationed near the Ministry of the Interior, predicted Chirac’s defeat despite contrary poll predictions. This prediction proved accurate on election night.
The scenario purportedly repeated in 1995 when another marabout foresaw Chirac’s success in the first round, contrary to polls suggesting he had only 14% support. Defying expectations, Chirac narrowly surpassed Édouard Balladur in the first round and ultimately secured victory in the second round, garnering 52.6% of the vote against Lionel Jospin’s 47.4%, Bourgi stated.