On January 29, 2024 (gee, that is next week!), barring a last-minute miracle, the three nations of the Sahel Federation – Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso – will formally exit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). For the first time in its history, which began in 1975, ECOWAS will shrink.
This departure marked a substantial tectonic shift for the West African region and the entire continent. It also reflects the staggering failure of the region’s so-called leaders, including Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu. Tinubu’s unexplained and illogical subservience to Western imperialist interests, mainly France’s, has pushed these countries out of a vital African alliance.
Tinubu’s action is an act of betrayal that will haunt West Africa for generations. On this, history will be severe for him. Tinubu’s Yoruba people have this proverb that should have guided him to avoid the stupid foreign policy missteps he has taken (on behalf of France, it seems): Ọba to jẹ taye gun, orukọ ẹ ko ni pa rẹ, eyi o dẹ jẹ, taye o sin mi, orukọ ẹ na ko ni parẹ / The King, under whose rule the town was peaceful will never be forgotten, the one under whose rule the town was destroyed will also not be forgotten.
Although envisioned as a foundation for West African unity, self-reliance, and economic prosperity, the ECOWAS has not lived up to its billing, but it is all we have.
Although many of us have criticized it, what we did not expect or want is to see that under the leadership of people like President Tinubu, the organization will become little more than a shameless puppet dancing to Western tunes.
In my article, “A Public Appeal To President Tinubu,” I warned him against bowing to the dictates of Western powers. I wrote: “It is shocking that African leaders will sit down and allow themselves to be dictated to instead of pursuing Africa’s interests in the global arena.”
Unfortunately, with their neocolonial mentality, Tinubu and his fellow misleaders ignored my plea. Their unquestioning and unexplained loyalty to Western interests, mainly France’s, has caused irreparable damage to the organization set up to promote unity among us in West Africa. For whatever reasons known to Tinubu and co., they have sacrificed the economic and political aspirations of their people at the altar of foreign domination.
No, we should not view the decision of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to leave ECOWAS as not an act of rebellion; it is not. We should regard it as desperate cries for sovereignty, dignity, and liberation from a particularly odious form of colonization that only the French can evolve, one that has enslaved them since the days of French colonialism.
Only a Fool can blame them.
To make clear why we do not throw wild accusations around and to understand why these countries are leaving, let us shed some light on the origins of French colonization in Africa. From Senegal to Chad, from Mali to Niger, French imperialists arrived; they came not as liberators or civilizers as they now try to portray. As colonizers, the French were among the most ruthless conquerors. France’s colonial rule was defined by inhumane exploitation, unbridled violence, and the suppression of every African agency, especially African culture.
When Europe exhausted itself in its insane wars (they call it World Wars) and the “winds of change” to decolonize blew across the world, France found an ingenious way to maintain its stranglehold on its colonies while pretending to grant independence. Through the secretive PACTE COLONIALE, the so-called “independence” France granted its colonies in the 1960s was nothing but a façade. Beneath the surface, France maintained a stranglehold over these nations through political, economic, and military mechanisms.
We are not alone in voicing out France’s cruelty and duplicity; in a speech that went largely unnoticed in mainstream Western media, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni exposed France’s hypocrisy, stating: “France uses the CFA franc to exploit African countries. It mines their resources while keeping the people poor. If African nations are poor, it is because of neo-colonial exploitation by Europe, led by France.”
Meloni’s words ring true. France’s colonial and post-colonial systems have ensured that African nations remain perpetually dependent.
The question for us here is: If an Italian prime Minister made it her business to know these things about her fellow Europeans, what excuse do Tinubu, Akufo-Addo, and co. have for not properly educating themselves?
Here are five insidious and multifaceted ways by which France continues to dominate:
1. The CFA Franc: France controls the currency used in 14 African countries. France does not only print the currency but also determines the monetary policies of these so-called African economies. Of course, this guarantees that these African nations remain economically subjugated by Paris.
2. Resource Exploitation: Niger which supplies 20% of France’s uranium for its nuclear power plants, is one good case study on how French companies exploit African resources, particularly uranium, oil, and gold, without fair compensation. While France gets cheap energy thanks to its thieving policies in Niger, Nigeriens live in extreme poverty, and they sleep in darkness.
3. Military Bases: Until they were kicked out recently, France maintained military bases across Africa, which served as tools of intimidation. Historically, France used these bases to prop up its client’s puppet governments and suppress any leaders who challenged French interests.
4. Political Interference: Post-colonial France has orchestrated more coups and backed more odious regimes that serve its interests than any other outside power. France has not hesitated to kill any leader who opposed its insidious exploitation of Africa. Ghadaffi was the last example.
5. Debt and Aid Dependency: By controlling their currencies and fiscal and monetary policies, France ensures that its former colonies remain indebted through exploitative loans and conditional aid. The so-called independent countries are trapped in cycles of poverty and total dependency on France.
Even a nauseating racist figure like Emmanuel Macron himself admitted the importance of Africa to France when he said: “Without Africa, France will slide down into the rank of a third-world power.”
As someone who lives in semi-self-imposed exile, I cannot tolerate military rule. Still, I cannot escape from the fact that African politicians sometimes invite trouble for themselves. This shameless cabal, as soon as they get into a position of authority, disconnect themselves from their people and begin to seek affirmation and confirmation from Western leaders and institutions. Anyone with an IQ that is higher than room temperature ought to know that with their exposure to global news and affairs, there is no way that the youth of Africa will ever accept to become neocolonial subjects again.
Unfortunately, the coups in the Sahelian countries were the final straw that shattered the illusion of unity in ECOWAS and exposed the fissures that have been papered over the years. Against the interests and the agitation of their people, Western powers, led by France, mounted intense pressure on ECOWAS to intervene militarily to reinstate their overthrown puppet president in Niger. Unfortunately, Tinubu and co made the right noises and assembled their generals to formulate an invasion plan until they recovered from their temporary insanity.
In my article, “First, They Came for Libya; Now They Are Gunning for Niger!”, I wrote: “It is incredible that ECOWAS would even consider taking military action against a fellow African nation to please their Western overlords.”
The only explanation we have why ECOWAS, under Tinubu’s leadership, rushed to threaten war is because they are beholden to France and the West.
Instead of acting as a regional unifier, Tinubu, who claimed to be an Apostle of MKO Abiola, a giant Pan-Africanist, parroted Western talking points and readied his troops to wage war against fellow Africans in the interest of France. Fortunately, sober voices appeared to have whispered wisdom into his ears.
As I also noted in “Why I Think That Nigeria Will Not Intervene in Niger”:
“Niger has friends who will not stand idly by. Russia, China, and Algeria are watching.”
Why did Tinubu and co fail to understand that the decision by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to pivot towards Russia, China, and Algeria reflects a strategic realignment which does not bode well for Nigeria’s national security? Why did the country that used to call itself the Giant of Africa miss the boat in the new seismic global geopolitical dynamics?
Only a fool would deny that three Sahelian countries have grown tired of over five hundred years of French exploitation and Western hypocrisy. They see in Russia and China partners who do not lecture them about “democracy” while plundering their resources.
China brings investments, infrastructure, and trade without imposing sanctimonious political, social, and economic conditions. Meanwhile, Russia’s performance in Ukraine has revealed it as the world’s military numero uno power. It can now offer military support and counterbalance to Western influence. Algeria, which has emerged as a key ally in this new bloc, is a regional powerhouse with one of the continent’s best militaries.
Naturally, this new realignment poses both opportunities and risks. It could weaken and potentially end France’s domination. Still, the risk exists that it could threaten to fracture the region and draw it into larger geopolitical conflicts, possibly wars.
Nigeria’s role was to study these new realities and see how best to incorporate them into the region’s best interests. Unfortunately, Tinubu reacted with emotion when deep geopolitical and diplomatic finesse was required. Due to his shocking ineptitude, we can say bye-bye to our brothers in the Sahelian states in ten days.
As the Vice President of the Bloc for the Recovery and Development of Mali, Agali Welé told Sputnik Africa: “After demonstrating its “powerlessness,” ECOWAS could experience “a rapid disintegration.
After ECOWAS heads of state acknowledged on December 15 the intention of the AES countries to leave the West African community, “many countries will question themselves and will be more likely to be able to request withdrawal or to disregard certain protocols within ECOWAS,”
Conversely, the emergence of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, “has just created what is called positive deviance, an unexpected situation that amazes many countries and communities silently observing, who will likely follow the example of these three countries,” Welé said, noting that this probability “is very strong.”
In managing security crises, the AES countries “have made gigantic, unimaginable efforts,” providing “a vigorous response to jihadists and terrorists.”
President Tinubu and the other ECOWAS leaders must bear full responsibility for this mishap. History will record that their failure to stand up to France and their eagerness to appease the West alienated the Sahel nations and forced them to leave.
In my article, “Some Questions for President Tinubu,” I asked: “Whose interests are you serving? The Nigerian people or foreign powers?”
It is a question that must now be asked of every ECOWAS leader. For too long, they have betrayed the aspirations of their people in exchange for Western patronage.
The silence of these modern plantain managers and collaborators on the exploitation of Africa by the West is deafening. Why do these leaders believe that Africans, especially the youths with access to global news and events, will continue to tolerate the type of unbending exploitation and colonialism that Europeans have imposed on us for over five hundred years? These young people are not interested in being the hewers of wood and drawers of water for any mofo from Europe or anywhere.
Tinubu and co must be too blind not to see that the people of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have had enough of French exploitation. They are charting their own path, free from Western dictates. And instead of supporting them, ECOWAS leaders have chosen to act as tools of neo-colonialism.
The departure of the Sahel Federation is not just a loss for ECOWAS; it is an existential threat. If ECOWAS cannot hold itself together, what future does West Africa have? How can African leaders expect loyalty in return if they continue to betray their people?
The path forward is clear: Tinubu and the ECOWAS leadership must swallow their pride and reach out to Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. They must offer an African solution to African problems. If they fail to do so, the consequences will be dire.
As I wrote in “A Public Appeal To President Tinubu”: “This is not the time for pride. This is the time for leadership, courage, and unity.”
ECOWAS must abandon its subservience to France and rebuild trust with the Sahel nations. If it does not, West Africa will become chaotic, and the blame will rest squarely on leaders like Bola Tinubu.
The betrayal of West Africa by leaders like Tinubu is the unkindest cut – a tragedy of monumental historic proportions. While by demanding freedom, sovereignty, and dignity, the people of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are showing the way forward for Africa, Tinubu and his counterparts have chosen to sell out to Western imperialism rather than fight for Africa’s future.
Tinubu and his fellow collaborators have decided to continue serving as puppets of France instead of standing with their people.
History will judge them. And it will not judge them kindly.
©️ Fẹ̀mi Akọ̀mọ̀làfẹ̀(Farmer, Writer, Published Author, Essayist, Satirist, and Social Commentator.)
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