Above Photo: ECOWAS States.
In The Face Of Imperialist Attack And Collusion Of Stooge African Governments.
Reaction to the coup in Niger is a litmus test which determines who is truly supportive of self-determination for African nations. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is urging Nigeria to invade neighboring Niger, which is just what the U.S. and France would like to see happen. But the leaders of Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali are standing firm and demanding that the people of Niger, who appear to be supportive of the military involvement in their country, resolve their own conflict without the intervention of imperialist western nations. The leaders of Mali and Burkina Faso announced a joint statement, and were joined by the president of Guinea in upholding sovereignty and Pan-African unity.
Joint Communique #001 of Burkina Faso and the Republic of Mali
The transition governments of Burkina Faso and Mali have learned through the press of the conclusion of the extraordinary summits of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and of the West African Economic and Monetary Union held on July 30, 2023 in Abuja over the political situation in Niger.
The Transition Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali:
1. Express their fraternal solidarity and the solidarity in brotherhood of the Burkinabe and Malian people with the people of Niger who has decided, responsibly, to take its destiny into its own hand and to be accountable in the face of history for complete sovereignty;
2. Denounce the persistence of these regional organizations to impose sanctions that increase the populations’ suffering and imperil the spirit of Panafricanism.
3. Refuse to apply those illegal, illegitimate, and inhumane sanctions against the Nigerien people and authorities.
4. Warn that any military intervention against Niger would mean a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali.
5. Inform that any military intervention against Niger will lead to a withdrawal of Burkina Faso and Mali from ECOWAS as well as to the implementation of legitimate self-defense in support of the armed forces and people of Niger.
6. Warn against the disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger that might destabilize the whole region like that of the unilateral intervention of NATO in Libya, which has been the cause of the spread of terrorism in the Sahel region and in West Africa.
The Transition Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali are deeply outraged and surprised by the unevenness observed between, on the one hand the speed and adventurous attitude of certain political representatives of West Africa wishing to use the armed forces to restore a constitutional order in a sovereign country and on the other, the inaction, the indifference and passive complicity of these political representatives to help states and people victims of terrorism for decades and left to their own fate.
In any case, the Transition Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali invites all living forces to be ready and to be mobilized, in anticipation of supporting the Nigerien people in those dark hours of Panafricanism.
May God Bless Africa and protect Africans!
Written in Ouagadougou and Bamako, July 31st, 2023.
Signed by Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo and Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga
Statement from Guinea
Following the events in Niger, the National Committee of the Rally for Development (CNRD) firmly expressed its support for the people of this friendly country, emphasizing the importance of the values of Pan-Africanism dear to the Head of State, Colonel Mamadi DOUMBOUYA. Consequently, the authorities of the Republic of GUINEA dissociate themselves from the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS.
Communique No 002/CNRD/2023
Since July 26, 2023 the people of Guinea led by the National Committee for the Rally for Development (CNRD) have followed with great interest the evolution of the socio-political situation in the sister Republic of Niger which led to the taking of responsibility by the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country (CNSP).
The Guinean authorities pay tribute to the brave people of Niger for their exemplary patriotism and salute the republican spirit and the maturity of their defense and security forces that have prioritized the best interests of their nation by choosing to come together to find solutions to Nigerien problems.
The CNRD remains convinced that the new authorities will make every effort to guarantee the stability and harmony in Niger and in the sub-region.
The sanctions measures recommended by ECOWAS, including military intervention, are options that cannot be a solution to the current problem but would lead to a human disaster whose consequences could go beyond the borders of Niger.
Consequently, the CNRD refrains from applying these illegitimate and inhuman against the brotherly people and authorities of Niger and urges ECOWAS to return to better thinking.
The Republic of Guinea reaffirms with this press release its pan-Africanist vision by bringing its solidarity with the people of Niger and by the new authorities of the CNSP to preserve the national unity and cohesion.
The CNRD emphasizes that any military intervention against Niger would de facto lead to the dislocation of ECOWAS. Similarly, the brotherly peoples of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea yearns for more recognition and respect for our sovereignty.
Furthermore, the CNRD would like to point out that the sanctions imposed and the threats made at the summit of July 30, 2023 do not in any way make a commitment upon the Republic of Guinea.
At a time when the young populations of the ECOWAS region are experiencing a human drama in Tunisia and in the Mediterranean, the concern of the leaders of the sub-region should be rather oriented towards the strategic social and economic issues for the realization of their aspirations, rather than focus on the fate of deposed Presidents.
Burkina Faso’s Interim President Tells His Peers To Stop Being Imperialist Puppets.
By Andrew Korybko, Orinoco Tribune – Jul 30, 2023
What President Traore just did was break the taboo on patriotic military coups by taking advantage of the global attention afforded to the second Russia-Africa Summit to explain why these sorts of regime changes are required to save their countries from Western-backed terrorism when all else fails. He then rightly shamed those of his peers who condemn these anti-imperialist developments whenever they occur and fail to support them despite these patriotic military coups being in all Africans’ interests.
Interim Burkinabe President Ibrahim Traore gave a short but powerful speech at the second Russia-Africa Summit that can be read in full at the official Kremlin website . The highlight was that he told his peers straight to their faces to stop being imperialist puppets, which was admittedly harsh but definitely needed. President Traore never forgot how many of them condemned the coup that he led late last year, which was carried out to bring security and development to his beleaguered people.
Here are two relevant analyses about Burkina Faso for those readers who haven’t closely followed it:
- 6 October 2022: “Why’s The West So Spooked By Possible Burkinabe-Russian Military Cooperation?”
- 5 May 2023: Readers can now better understand the following excerpt from his speech at last week’s event:
As for Burkina Faso, for the past eight years we have been fighting the most barbaric and cruel form of colonialism and imperialism, which are forcing a modern form of slavery on us. We have learned one thing very well: a slave who cannot protest deserves nothing more than pity, and his future is miserable. We did not wait for anybody to take care of us. We decided to fight the terrorists who are preventing our development.
In this struggle, our courageous people decided to take up arms against terrorism. We were surprised to learn that imperialists refer to them as armed groups or militarised groups, while calling people in Europe who take up arms to defend their homeland patriots. Our forefathers were deported to save Europe, and this happened against their will. But when they came back and tried to assert their basic rights, they faced cruel repression.
The problem is not when people decide to take up arms. The problem is that the leaders of African countries do not bring anything to people fighting imperialism, calling us armed groups or criminals. We do not agree with this approach. We, the heads of African states, must stop acting as puppets ready to act whenever the imperialists pull the strings.
Just like Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki explained during his meeting with President Putin, President Traore also believes that the West is practicing a modern form of slavery in Africa through its various Hybrid Wars there, one of the fiercest of which is against Burkina Faso. Terrorists are employed by that de facto New Cold War bloc as their proxies, which explains why they try to legitimize their demands by describing them as “armed groups” or “rebels” like the West does in the Malian conflict.
Instead of sitting back and letting his country be destroyed, President Traore and his comrades took matters into their own hands to overthrow the corrupt regime that failed to improve the security situation since taking power earlier that year. It was after leading his own military coup that he learned that Burkina Faso’s struggle is really against the West and not just terrorists. As a newly assumed head of state, he then realized that his peers across the region were also aware of this reality as well.
That’s why he was so deeply disappointed in many of them after they condemned his coup exactly as his country’s imperialist enemies wanted them to do. This experience opened President Traore’s eyes to the enormity of Africa’s challenge in fully liberating itself since bonafide modern-day freedom fighters like him, his Malian counterpart President Assimi Goita, and neighboring Niger’s new military junta are opposed tooth and nail by the so-called “African Establishment”.
In fact, the “Economic Community Of West African States” (ECOWAS) promulgated sanctions against Niger on Sunday and also threatened the possible use of armed force if its military leaders don’t reinstate former President Mohamed Bazoum within a week. Readers should know that France and the US, which are jointly working to keep Africa subordinated to the West, have condemned the Nigerien coup and called for its ousted leader’s immediate reinstatement.
These observations extend credence to President Traore’s accusation that many of his peers, especially in the region, are imperialist puppets. To be fair, not a single one of them sanctioned Russia despite immense Western pressure upon them to do so, which suggests that they’re relatively more independent than the Burkinabe leader’s harsh words imply. Nevertheless, there’s also no denying that the “African Establishment” opposes anti-imperialist coups just like the West always does.
The reason why those two’s views are aligned on this sensitive issue might have to do more with each respective leader’s political self-interests in deterring such coups at home than with the West pulling their strings behind the scenes, though the latter no doubt occurs, both on this issue and many others. The importance of clarifying this isn’t to discredit President Traore, whose peers definitely deserved his scathing attack, but to add crucial context to what he said.
Most of the “African Establishment” is corrupt, doesn’t care about their country’s objective national interests, and is closely connected with the West, all of which is resented by the people over whom they rule and thus perpetually leaves their leaders at risk of a patriotic military coup. All manifestations of anti-imperialism are therefore naturally opposed, especially whenever a related coup happens somewhere on the continent because these corrupt leaders fear that it could inspire their armed forces.
What President Traore just did was break the taboo on patriotic military coups by taking advantage of the global attention afforded to the second Russia-Africa Summit to explain why these sorts of regime changes are required to save their countries from Western-backed terrorism when all else fails. He then rightly shamed those of his peers who condemn these anti-imperialist developments whenever they occur and fail to support them despite these patriotic military coups being in all Africans’ interests.
For as impressively as the “African Establishment” has thus far resisted the West’s immense pressure to sanction Russia, which not even those states that voted against it at the UNGA have done, Africa will never become a truly independent pole in the emerging order unless far-reaching reforms occur. These same established forces need to put their personal interests aside for the greater good, but it’s unlikely that the already corrupt ones among them will ever do so, thus exacerbating their people’s ire.
With time, multipolar-inspired anti-government protests might break out and/or patriotic military coups occur, the first of which might even precede the latter and be pointed to by its plotters as proof that they acted in accordance with their people’s will. What’s happening in the West Africa-Sahel region right now with three such regime changes since 2021 in Mali that year, Burkina Faso the next, and now Niger last week is literally revolutionary and greatly accelerates multipolar processes in this part of Africa.
There’ll likely be more across the continent in the coming future too, which is why it’s so important to remember President Traore’s impassioned defense of patriotic military coups and strong condemnation of the “African Establishment” for being imperialist puppets in always opposing them. Despite only being in his mid-30s, the Burkinabe leader is wise far beyond his years and could easily become one of the most important Africans of his generation. It’ll be very interesting to follow his career.