Wow, didn't know a tenth of this. Thank you for providing the historical context and continuing current news. I did read about the 3 states forming that AES alliance in late 2023, and was surprised at the lack of reaction in the Western media.
So, seems that all these "terrorist groups" are, like Al Qaeda and ISIS, creations of the West to destabilize these countries. I am aware of Boko Haram (for one) kidnapping and killing Catholic priests and nuns and civilians willy-nilly, and we hardly hear about them in the Western media.
Just that first line in the francafrique accord took me aback - that the colonies have to pay back the costs of the colonizers' efforts and expenses in the colonies - when nobody asked them to come in and do that, and that the colonialists have benefited so much from the colonies, to the detriment of the natives? How's that for adding injury to insult to injury! I was not aware of how dreadful French colonialism in Africa was, although I did know that the French were pretty cruel to their colonial subjects. Did they do the same to Morocco and Algeria - or no?
Of course, the global banksters are the tools of the neocolonialists nowadays, ever since formal colonization was ended. All the "third world" countries are held hostage by these banksters. And it's so easy for them to bribe corrupt leaders to get their way in these ex-colonies.
The Philippines (my old homeland) continues to suffer, unable to really progress, under the grip of these international banksters and the Central Bank deployed by the US, which never let go of their hold on the country's resources and for its strategic location after that pseudo- "independence" in 1946. Oh, and there's the National Endowment for Democracy- and See Eye Ay-controlled mainstream media there that keep repeating that it's China who's the bad guy - and far too many Filipinos ignorantly and reflexively believe whatever the media say (lack of critical thinking skills for far too many still. But - just like they did the "COVID" tyrannical nonsense and lies.)
Thanks very much, once again, for this edifying post!
The French certainly did the same in Algeria and other places. Though as far as colonialists go, they behaved like every other power. Macron was the one who formally recognized the use of torture in Algeria by French forces, though everybody in Algeria knew about it already. As a prelude to the independence war, French police drowned more than 60 protestors for Algeria in the Seine in Paris, circa 1961.
Ho Chi Minh started out as a journalist in France and he reported often on the indigenous Vietnamese. What comes out a lot in his writing is that the colonized Vietnamese could essentially be killed by their French overlords at any time and for any transgression.
Administratively, they separated Morocco into Useful and Useless regions, literally translated.
I love they are kicking out the colonialists. I remember Macron having a meltdown 🤣 and the siege on the French embassy in Niger. Thank you for sharing this. This is one of my favorite topics but with all the other chaos I have not really dove into it on Substack.
Most welcome 😊 thank you! I have no idea when I will be able to get to it with all the chaos so I really appreciate your piece ✊. I love it! I love Traore 💚 we need more men like him.
The future is brighter especially when the massive coordinated assignations were unable to collapse the resistance in Lebanon providing a model out of Nkrumah’s neo colonialism.
Interesting, thank you for providing all this context. I was taking photos in a couple of abandoned WWII bunkers in Tunisia this year and last (will be in an upcoming post) and have been researching the French Mareth line. I was also curious about the continued use of the French language in North Africa and appreciate your remarks on that. Much to think about and be aware of.
Thank you very much for reading Julia! Would love to see the photos when the post comes out.
The French Maghreb was treated differently from their other colonial possessions in Africa, Algeria for example being a settler-colony (although Tunisia and Morocco weren't). And of course during World War 2 it became a safe haven for French refugees, for which they should be grateful.
Thank you for your comment and for reading, Abimze! I have high hopes for Burkina Faso as Traoré seems to be heavily drawing from Sankara's legacy.
But generally, the swiftness and ease with which they kicked the French out shows that colonial power in Africa is not as strong as it might seem. I think that NATO throwing everything they have at the wall in Ukraine helps some of it too.
I remember Burkina Faso opening its very first tomato canning factory and racists were coping saying "wow they only got a canning factory now?" completely ignoring the point. It's not just a canning factory, it's first of all a testament to neocolonial practices and secondly represents the first step in self-sufficiency and sovereignty.
I've seem some news from Nigeria, including sending troops for 'peacekeeping' in Haiti... but I have no doubts that a better world is possible, especially for Africa ✊
Wow, didn't know a tenth of this. Thank you for providing the historical context and continuing current news. I did read about the 3 states forming that AES alliance in late 2023, and was surprised at the lack of reaction in the Western media.
So, seems that all these "terrorist groups" are, like Al Qaeda and ISIS, creations of the West to destabilize these countries. I am aware of Boko Haram (for one) kidnapping and killing Catholic priests and nuns and civilians willy-nilly, and we hardly hear about them in the Western media.
Just that first line in the francafrique accord took me aback - that the colonies have to pay back the costs of the colonizers' efforts and expenses in the colonies - when nobody asked them to come in and do that, and that the colonialists have benefited so much from the colonies, to the detriment of the natives? How's that for adding injury to insult to injury! I was not aware of how dreadful French colonialism in Africa was, although I did know that the French were pretty cruel to their colonial subjects. Did they do the same to Morocco and Algeria - or no?
Of course, the global banksters are the tools of the neocolonialists nowadays, ever since formal colonization was ended. All the "third world" countries are held hostage by these banksters. And it's so easy for them to bribe corrupt leaders to get their way in these ex-colonies.
The Philippines (my old homeland) continues to suffer, unable to really progress, under the grip of these international banksters and the Central Bank deployed by the US, which never let go of their hold on the country's resources and for its strategic location after that pseudo- "independence" in 1946. Oh, and there's the National Endowment for Democracy- and See Eye Ay-controlled mainstream media there that keep repeating that it's China who's the bad guy - and far too many Filipinos ignorantly and reflexively believe whatever the media say (lack of critical thinking skills for far too many still. But - just like they did the "COVID" tyrannical nonsense and lies.)
Thanks very much, once again, for this edifying post!
Thank you very much for reading!
The French certainly did the same in Algeria and other places. Though as far as colonialists go, they behaved like every other power. Macron was the one who formally recognized the use of torture in Algeria by French forces, though everybody in Algeria knew about it already. As a prelude to the independence war, French police drowned more than 60 protestors for Algeria in the Seine in Paris, circa 1961.
Ho Chi Minh started out as a journalist in France and he reported often on the indigenous Vietnamese. What comes out a lot in his writing is that the colonized Vietnamese could essentially be killed by their French overlords at any time and for any transgression.
Administratively, they separated Morocco into Useful and Useless regions, literally translated.
I love they are kicking out the colonialists. I remember Macron having a meltdown 🤣 and the siege on the French embassy in Niger. Thank you for sharing this. This is one of my favorite topics but with all the other chaos I have not really dove into it on Substack.
Thank you Carina! Looking forward to you own piece on this 🫡
Most welcome 😊 thank you! I have no idea when I will be able to get to it with all the chaos so I really appreciate your piece ✊. I love it! I love Traore 💚 we need more men like him.
The future is brighter especially when the massive coordinated assignations were unable to collapse the resistance in Lebanon providing a model out of Nkrumah’s neo colonialism.
The empire does look to be on its last legs. History shows there are no undefeatable armies, and there have never been.
Thank-you for writing this. I see bits and pieces about what's going with the new alliance on X but your piece really brings clarity.
Thank you for reading Kathy!
Interesting, thank you for providing all this context. I was taking photos in a couple of abandoned WWII bunkers in Tunisia this year and last (will be in an upcoming post) and have been researching the French Mareth line. I was also curious about the continued use of the French language in North Africa and appreciate your remarks on that. Much to think about and be aware of.
Thank you very much for reading Julia! Would love to see the photos when the post comes out.
The French Maghreb was treated differently from their other colonial possessions in Africa, Algeria for example being a settler-colony (although Tunisia and Morocco weren't). And of course during World War 2 it became a safe haven for French refugees, for which they should be grateful.
Good piece. The future is multipolar.
No matter how many resources the MIC pumps into West Africa and Ukraine.
Thank you for your comment and for reading, Abimze! I have high hopes for Burkina Faso as Traoré seems to be heavily drawing from Sankara's legacy.
But generally, the swiftness and ease with which they kicked the French out shows that colonial power in Africa is not as strong as it might seem. I think that NATO throwing everything they have at the wall in Ukraine helps some of it too.
I remember Burkina Faso opening its very first tomato canning factory and racists were coping saying "wow they only got a canning factory now?" completely ignoring the point. It's not just a canning factory, it's first of all a testament to neocolonial practices and secondly represents the first step in self-sufficiency and sovereignty.
I've seem some news from Nigeria, including sending troops for 'peacekeeping' in Haiti... but I have no doubts that a better world is possible, especially for Africa ✊
To the French bourgeoisie it's just good business sense.