Niger/Departure from France: The People’s Will Clearly Expressed
Since the coup d’etat on 26 July in Niamey, the people of Niger, in all their social diversity, have not ceased to loudly proclaim their desire to break with French diplomacy in Niger. The huge demonstrations in public squares and in the streets of Niamey and several other towns in Niger are ample proof of this.
This was the case with the most recent popular demonstration, on the first weekend of September 2023. It drew huge crowds in Oullam and Niamey in front of the French military base at the Escadrille roundabout. This base houses 1,500 French soldiers from the Barkhane and Sabre forces sent back from Mali and Burkina Faso. Once again, the people came out in mass to demand the definitive and unconditional departure of the French troops.
The French troops installed in Niger since 2014 and reinforced in 2022 by the Barkhane and Sable forces as part of the fight against terrorism, have not produced any convincing results in the country. Worse still, they believe, and express this to anyone who will listen, that the fight belongs to the Nigerien armed forces. It is still the same people and their leaders who arrogantly claim that Niger would not exist without them. What an aberration! It’s a French madness that absolutely must be combated.
France’s game has been unmasked and it must shamefully return home. But you don’t know France very well if you think it is going to leave easily and any time soon. When it comes to its interests, France will cling to the very last branch that is open to it. As usual, it wanders from state to state to avoid leaving Africa, its motherland, for good. It is with sadness that we learn of the agreement of certain States, notably Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, to send European troops to these four countries.
It’s a way for Westerners to stay and continue exploiting Africa, because without it, these powers don’t exist on the international stage. But Africans, the fight is on and there is no question of giving up. Whatever happens, think of your suffering, the suffering of your allies, your heroes who were unable to complete the struggle before leaving the world. It is up to you, African sons and daughters, to move forward and complete this struggle.
