Niger and the African struggle against neo-colonialism

By Sammy Ismail
Source: Al Mayadeen English
16 Aug 2023 00:13
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Niger gained independence from French colonialism back in 1960, however, it has remained ensnared with the yoke of neo-colonialism; which is evidenced by the persistent colonial-type practices of resource exploitation, financial hegemony, and military presence.

Niger and the African struggle against neo-colonialism

Colonialism and imperialism have not settled their debt to us once they have withdrawn their flag and their police force from our territories.

-Frantz Fanon "The Wretched of the Earth"

The recent events in Niger and the consequent regional implications in West Africa at large had brought back to the forefront of popular discourse the prospects of decolonization and liberation. The coup in Niger, and those in Mali and Burkina Faso prior, exposed France's persistent relations of colonial-type exploitation to the international public. The military coups all follow the same pattern of rejecting French neo-colonialism in favor of national sovereignty.

Neo-colonialism refers to the systematic exploitation which outlived colonialism. It is traced back to the prospect of Françafrique as introduced by Charles De Gaule. This system which was legitimized under the guise of "decolonization" allowed France to exploit its former colonies while granting them symbolic sovereignty.

Niger gained independence from French colonialism back in 1960, however, it has remained ensnared with the yoke of neo-colonialism; which is evidenced by the persistent colonial-type practices of resource exploitation, financial hegemony, and military presence/intervention.

The Asymmetric Benefits of Uranium Extraction

While ranking as the eighth poorest country in the world, according to GDP, Niger is the world's seventh largest producer of Uranium. Niger produces 5% of the world's output of uranium, according to the World Nuclear Association. Orano, the French state-owned nuclear energy company formerly known as Areva, has been operating the nuclear mines in Niger for the past 50 years: extracting Nigerien uranium mainly for the French nuclear industry. In 2023, Politico reported that Niger produced 15% of France's Uranium imports and 20% of Europe's. Back in 2013, it was assessed that one out of every three light bulbs in France is lit by Nigerien uranium while 83% of Nigeriens have no access to electricity, according to ROTAB (Transparency and Budgetary Analysis Organization).

The Currency Scheme of Wealth Expropriation

Another characteristic feature of neo-colonialism in Niger is the financial hegemony that France maintained by enforcing the CFA (African Financial Community) franc as a formal currency in Niger. The CFA franc was introduced by France in most of its former colonies in West and Central Africa. According to the IMF, the CFA franc accounts for 14% of Africa's population and 12% of its GDP. The CFA franc, which is minted by the Bank of France, was formerly pegged to the French Franc, and now to the Euro. In exchange for guaranteeing their currency in Euros (currently, 656 CFA francs= 1 Euro), 50% of the CFA countries' possessions of foreign currencies are to be deposited in the Bank of France in addition to another 20% for financial liabilities: leaving the African countries with barely any liquidity and no monetary/fiscal sovereignty on the little liquidity they have while the french government prospers through capitalizing on the surplus deposits in its banks.

Through the CFA franc zone, France maintains the capability to exercise authority over the money supply, monetary and financial regulations, banking operations, credit distribution, and fiscal as well as economic strategies of African countries. This is best summed up in a famous speech of former French president Jacques Chirac in which he says "We forget one thing: that is, a large part of the money that is in our wallet comes precisely from the exploitation of Africa".

Western Military Outpost in West Africa

The ousted Bazoum regime had long been a loyal partner of France (and the West generally) in the latter's alleged war on terrorism in the Sahel region. Niger hosts 15,000 French soldiers and 1,100 American soldiers in addition to US Airbase 201 which acted as an outpost to US military interventions in the region at large. While making Niger into a safe haven for Western forces in West Africa under the pretext of fighting terrorist groups, Bazzoum long criticized Mali and Burkina Faso for coordinating with Russia and Wagner PMC in their battle against terrorism, despite being more successful than the former. In a piece written for The Washinton Post shortly after being ousted, Bazzoum warned his Western partners, in an attempt to evoke an intervention to restore his ousted regime, that "the entire central Sahel region could fall to Russian influence" if his regime is not restored: emphasizing the geopolitical shift which the country underwent through the coup.

Timeline

On July 26, Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew the pro-West incumbent president Mohamed Bazzoum in a military coup led by the presidential guard. The coup came as a sort of poetic justice against imperialism not only neutralizing a Western comprador government but also replacing it with a staunchly anti-imperialist government.

France was quick to condemn the coup. President Macron warned the military junta of a swift and firm retaliation if their interests were threatened in the country. The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken similarly affirmed his support for the ousted president and expressed his commitment to restore his government. The collective West (EU, US, and Canada) subsequently suspended all aid to the country in an effort to pressure the military junta into giving in.

On July 30th, ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) froze Niger's assets, imposed sanctions on the junta officials, and gave a stern warning of military intervention if the former government is not restored within a week's deadline.

Correspondingly, the junta took a set of measures to consolidate its authority and fortify its anti-imperialist stance: halting uranium and gold exports to Europe, revoking all military deals with France, and blocking French media platforms France24 and RFI. Additionally, the military leaders warned France and ECOWAS against any military intervention: stressing that they will "resolutely defend their homeland."

Regional countries have also taken opposing stances on Niger. Original members of the Western-backed ECOWAS bloc such as Senegal have affirmed their commitment to partake in the military intervention.

Mali and Burkina Faso who had also defected from the Western bloc vehemently opposed the threat of military intervention against Niger saying they would consider it a declaration of war against their respective nations if the ECOWAS bloc went through with the threatened military intervention.

On Sunday, the deadline granted by ECOWAS was exhausted, and the military leadership of Niger remained steadfast.

Both the French foreign ministry and the US State Department expressed their support for ECOWAS in restoring the ousted government in Niger.

At the individual level, violence is a cleansing force. It rids the colonized of their inferiority complex, of their passive and despairing attitude. It emboldens them, and restores their self-confidence.

- Frantz Fanon "The Wretched of the Earth"

Decolonization: Negative Freedom and Autonomy

In the context of liberation from colonial-type hegemony, a notable nuance to register in the strive for self-determination is that between negative freedom and autonomy. Negative freedom is defined through the absence of externally imposed oppressive structures. Meanwhile, autonomy is realized through developing the capacity to achieve the aspired interests.

In Niger, negative freedom triumphed through the coup: by eradicating the oppressive structures enforced by France such as the imposed comprador government and the systematic exploitation of resources. It focuses on dismantling the barriers that inhibit a nation's ability to make choices according to its own values and interests. However, negative freedom as the absence of external restraints does not guarantee holistic liberation.

The military leaders in Niger have decisively strived to neutralize the French-imposed oppressive structures: from organizing the overthrow of the comprador government to halting the exports of uranium and gold. However, their deliberations, revolutionary as they are, fall short of liberation. They created favorable conditions for achieving self-determination through autonomy, but it remains necessary to acquire the capacity to achieve their national interests. Autonomy is realized through the accumulation of capital and consolidation of infrastructure.