Following July’s successful coup against the French puppet president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, French imperialist troops have begun to leave the country. However, the imperialist tussle continues with the US remaining, and Germany moving in. French President Macron announced the French withdrawal on 24 September 2023 after weeks of stubbornly refusing to accede to the demands of the new government and thousands of daily protesters. France has denied it is ‘in decline’ or ‘being driven out of Africa’, with foreign trade minister Olivier Becht, rightly pointing out that ‘France’s influence today, like that of many other powers, goes through the economy.’
The departing troops arrived in Chad on 19 October, after neighbouring countries Mauritania and Benin refused to accept them. The new Niger government led by General Tchiani, that had toppled Bazoum on 26 July, severed ties with the former colonial oppressor, and kicked out French ambassador Sylvain Itté. Protesters in November called for Bazoum and his predecessor Issoufou Mahamadou, to be arrested and tried for treason. Niger Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba Boubacar has said restoring Bazoum to power as the French had demanded was a ‘fantasy’, and ‘if they force the issue, perhaps it’s his corpse they’ll have to come and get’. In October the new government foiled an escape plan aimed at smuggling Bazoum out of Niger through neighbouring Nigeria.
A French plan to use the pro-imperialist Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to intervene militarily in Niger has faltered given stiff opposition from Burkina Faso and Mali. But French imperialism will bide its time and will seek other means of overthrowing the new Niger regime. Meanwhile ECOWAS have imposed sanctions on Niger, thereby increasing poverty among millions of people in one of the world’s poorest countries. Neighbouring Benin has had to deny reports that the French are building a military base in Kandi, but has acknowledged ‘the support of French, Belgian and American instructors’. Hence, the Niger government has established new military and defence alliances with neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali. The Alliance of Sahel States (Alliance des Etats du Sahel, AES) promises that ‘any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracting parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties.’ All three countries continue to trade with each other and to deepen their economic and political links through the AES.
The Niger military regime has, however, retained links with US imperialism which has been able to resume drone flights against Islamic State forces in the north. On 14 November, Defence Minister Lieutenant General Salifou Mody met Gunter Schneider, the director of strategy and operations at the German Ministry of Defence, in Niamey. Niger’s new leaders wish to distance themselves from French imperialism, but are not against imperialism as a whole.
Imperialism out of Africa! Hands off Niger!
Charles Chinweizu
FIGHT RACISM! FIGHT IMPERIALISM! 297 December 2023/January 2024
