<I guess French unilateralism in treating an African state like a colony is ok

How?

Sending troops to protect the westerners there?
France was not interefering with the riots.
Then the locals became mad at the french troops because they were not on their side, being neutral.
Then having to defend itself because they get attacked.
Then an agreement allows for 2 ministers from the rebel camps to share the government.
That in turn gets the pro-president inhabitants mad.

No European former colonial power is trying to regain power in the former colonies.
They do want to trade peacefully. It's always better to trade than to wage war, isn't it?
Look at Algeria; no french troop returned back there and the Islamists are killing thousands of other muslims.
The first victims of Islamism are the Muslims themselves.

Raoul