> In Europe the notion of someone being a African Frenchmen or a African English is absurd.
Yes, but
> You are your nationality.
Only if you're a nationalist. Many believe in cross-national or non-national collective identities, e.g. the identity of being a wage worker.
In other cases - it's groups oppressed by the state. The Catalan and Basque come to mind; and there are the Roma ("gypsies"), who are not territorially-defined.
etc.