Washington's Unspoken Goal: “Ejecting France from Africa”

A troubling trend of U.S. militarization, often accompanied by the imposition of neoliberal “shock treatment” economic policies, has emerged in numerous francophone nations across sub-Saharan Africa.

According to reports, a “spontaneous” “Anti-imperialist People's Movement” has emerged in francophone West Africa to express support for Niger's Conseil National pour la sauvegarde de la Patrie (CNSP) or National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland. The CNSP assumed power on July 26, 2023, through a military coup against the elected government led by President Mohamed Bazoum, who enjoys the backing of French President Emmanuel Macron. It's worth noting that Bazoum was one of the founders of the “Parti Nigerien pour la Democratie et le Socialisme” in 1990.

In Niger, demonstrations led by CNSP supporters have primarily focused on calling for the withdrawal of French troops and have garnered significant attention.

“Protesters attempted to storm the French embassy to express their outrage at the decades of colonial and neo-colonial domination their country has suffered.” —Liberation News

Under pressure from various international organizations, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), under the leadership of Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as the African Union and the United Nations, Niger's military junta has remained steadfast in their refusal to reinstate the deposed president since August 8, 2023.

Notably, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, now serving as the chair of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), had previously issued a stern threat shortly after the CNSP came to power, indicating his willingness to lead a military intervention aimed at restoring Bazoum to power, as reported by the Black Agenda Report.

In recent developments, a significant number of young individuals have assembled at Niamey's stadium, volunteering to defend their nation. The threats from ECOWAS have contributed to the mounting resentment against France and the United States, further intensifying tensions.

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While ECOWAS is often depicted as an organization that unofficially serves the neocolonial interests of both France and the United States, many individuals throughout West Africa remain unaware of the role played by Niger's Conseil National pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie (CNSP).

The so-called “Anti-Imperialist People's Movement,” comprised of anti-war progressives, trade unions, and others, appears to have been deliberately misled. It turns out that Niger's CNSP military junta is not genuinely committed to countering US-sponsored neocolonialism in sub-Saharan Africa. Quite the contrary, the CNSP military leadership appears to be indirectly influenced by the Pentagon.

Remarkably, at least five high-ranking members of the Niger military junta received their military training in the United States. For instance, General Abdourahamane Tiani, who led the coup d'État and currently heads the CNSP military junta, received his military education at the National Defense University's College of International Security Affairs (CISA). CISA is the U.S. Department of Defense's premier institution for education and capacity-building in the realms of counterterrorism, irregular warfare, and integrated deterrence at the strategic level.

Similarly, Brigadier General Barmou, who currently represents the military junta, underwent his military training in the United States, specifically at Fort Moore in Columbus, Georgia, and the National Defense University (ND).

In the words of Victoria Nuland on August 7, 2023: “General Barmou, formerly Colonel Barmou, has maintained a close working relationship with U.S. Special Forces over many, many years.”

Implicitly acknowledged by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Nuland, both General A. Tiani and Brigadier General Barmou, in terms of their military profiles and backgrounds, can be considered “allies of America.”

Given that these individuals, blessed with the NeoCon approval of Victoria Nuland, would lead a legitimate grassroots movement against U.S. influence is a self-evident question.

What is important to recognize is that while Paris exercises its neo-colonial sway within ECOWAS, Washington exerts control over both sides, i.e., ECOWAS and Niger's CNSP Military Junta. This extends to its influence over numerous African governments across the continent.

Evidently, a subtle but significant clash between the United States and France is unfolding, a matter often downplayed in media reports. Fear not, I covered it for you here:

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What is currently in progress is the emergence of political rifts within West Africa, potentially escalating into armed conflict.

Regrettably, most analysts have overlooked the close relationship between the CNSP military junta and the Pentagon. The Biden administration has casually refrained from labeling the removal of President M. Barmou as a “coup d'État” or a “regime change.”

This situation draws parallels with the 2013 protest movement in Egypt, marked by a mass protest movement that was susceptible to manipulation: The media depicted the Egyptian armed forces as broadly 'supportive' of the protest movement, but they failed to address the intimate ties between the leaders orchestrating the military coup and their counterparts in the United States.

Let's not harbor any illusions. Despite internal divisions within the military, Egypt's top-ranking officers ultimately followed directives from the Pentagon.

Defense Minister General Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi, the mastermind behind the coup against President Morsi, is a graduate of the U.S. War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

General Al Sisi maintained constant communication with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel right from the inception of the protest movement.

Deposed President Mohamed Bazoum enjoyed the backing of France's President Emmanuel Macron, but he was removed from power by a military junta that receives direct support from the Pentagon.

The underlying aim of Victoria Nuland's mission on August 7, 2023, was, in essence, an unofficial effort to secure Niamey's alignment with Washington against Paris. This objective, for all practical purposes, has been successfully realized.

Additionally, it's worth noting that USAFRICOM maintains a military base in Niger, with the U.S. military routinely collaborating with their Nigerien counterparts, who now operate under the auspices of the CNSP Military Junta.

CUTTING TIES WITH FRANCE

Timeline of Military Coups with Direct or Indirect Ties to the Pentagon:

1. Mali: May 24, 2021—Led by Colonel Assimi Goita

2. Guinea Conakry: September 5, 2021—Orchestrated by Commander Mamady Doumbouya

3. Burkina Faso: September 30, 2022—Executed by Captain Ibrahim Traoré

4. Niger: July 26, 2023—Spearheaded by General Abdourahamane Tiani

Regarding Mali:

Colonel Assimi Goita, Mali's (Interim) Head of State, despite his vocal anti-colonial stance primarily directed at France, is also a steadfast operative of the Pentagon. His military education took place in the United States, where he actively collaborated with the U.S. Army Special Forces, commonly known as the “Green Berets.” This collaboration was confirmed by The Washington Post, highlighting Colonel Assimi Goita's participation in a USAFRICOM training initiative named Flintstock. Additionally, he pursued studies at the Joint Special Operations University, situated at the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.

It's worth emphasizing that in late January 2022, under the leadership of Colonel Assimi Goita, who is considered a “friend of America” and an instrument of the Pentagon, the Republic of Mali had already begun laying the groundwork for “Ejecting France from Africa.”

Colonel Assimi Goita issued a directive to sever “diplomatic, military, and economic ties with France.” Additionally, he officially declared Mali's withdrawal from ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States).

Simultaneously, he proclaimed the discontinuation of French as Mali's official language. This development is reminiscent of Rwanda under Paul Kagame, which, starting in the late 1990s, transitioned into an English-speaking “U.S. Protectorate” in Central Africa.

Notably, Guinea's Military Junta, led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who orchestrated the September 2021 coup, extended a warm welcome to Rwanda's President Paul Kagame in April 2023 in Conakry, expressing admiration for Kagame's “Rwandan model.”

Regarding Burkina Faso:

Captain Ibrahim Traoré assumed power through a military coup on September 30, 2022. Upon his confirmation as the Head of the Military Junta on October 5, 2022, he issued orders for the withdrawal of French forces.

A similar sequence of events appears to be unfolding in Niger. Recent developments saw the CNSP military Junta requesting the departure of French Ambassador Sylvain Itte from Niger within a 48-hour timeframe.

In response, both Mali and Burkina Faso have affirmed their commitment to dispatching troops to Niger if needed, wholeheartedly endorsing Niger's CNSP Military Junta.

Victoria Nuland, representing the Biden Administration, has played a pivotal role in these developments. She was present in Niamey on August 7-8, 2023, for discussions with the Military Junta (as previously mentioned) and was part of an “interagency delegation” to Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger from October 16-23, 2022.

Interestingly, the military coup in Burkina Faso led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré occurred just weeks before Victoria Nuland's mission to the Sahel region. In her words, “We went to the region in force. We were looking, in particular, at how the U.S. strategy towards the Sahel is working. This is a strategy that we put in place about a year ago to try to bring more coherence to our efforts to support increased security.”

“In Burkina, in Niger, and in Mauritania, we are working very closely with those militaries, with their gendarmerie, with their counterterrorist forces to support them in their effort to push back and protect their populations from this poison in Mali.”—(Victoria Nuland, quoted in Rolling Stone, February 2023).

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It is with a heavy heart that we observe the course of “French Decolonization,” which, rather ironically, does not necessarily lead to the establishment of democratic governance. On the contrary, it often paves the way for the dominance of U.S. neocolonialism and the increasing militarization of the African continent, as the US fears losing its influence over the African continent to an omnipresent China.

The true power to shape this world has always lain in your hands. Choose well!

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