France

Niger Rejects Rules-Based Order

August 13, 2023 M. K. Bhadrakumar, Consortium News. Educate! Africa, Algeria, Coups, ECOWAS, France, Multipolarity, Niger, Nigeria, US Imperialism, Wars and Militarism, Western imperialism

The coup in the West African state of Niger on July 26 and the Russia-Africa Summit the next day in St. Petersburg are playing out in the backdrop of multipolarity in the world order. Seemingly independent events, they capture nonetheless the zeitgeist of our transformative era. First, the big picture — the Africa summit hosted by Russia on July 27-28 poses a big challenge to the West, which instinctively sought to downplay the event after having failed to lobby against sovereign African nations meeting the Russian leadership. Forty-nine African countries sent their delegations to St. Petersburg, with 17 heads of states traveling in person to Russia to discuss political, humanitarian and economic issues.

Causes And Consequences Of Military Takeover In Niger

August 11, 2023 Esther Yiadom, People's Dispatch. Educate! Coups, ECOWAS, France, Niger, Nigeria, SOMAIR, US Imperialism, Wars and Militarism

Following the military takeover of power in Niger from the Bazoum-led administration on July 26, concerns have been raised about the supply of uranium as the EU and especially France depend largely on uranium from the country to fuel their nuclear reactors and for medical purposes. Data from Euratom indicates that Niger was the EU’s second largest supplier of uranium in 2022, when it alone supplied the EU with 2,975 tU (representing 25.4%). The landlocked country was followed by Canada which supplied 2,578 tU (22.0%), and Russia which supplied 1,980 tU (16.9%) that same year.

Niger Accuses France Of Destabilization

August 10, 2023 Tanupriya Singh, People's Dispatch. Resist! coup, Destabilization, France, Niger, Social Movements

On August 9, Niger’s military leadership, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), announced that it was raising the alert level throughout the country in response to alleged acts of “destabilization” carried out by France to undermine the security of the country. In a communique issued on Wednesday, the CNSP stated that at 6:30 am local time, the Niger National Guard’s position near the Samira Hill Gold Mine had come under attack. The CNSP’s spokesperson, Col. Major Amadou Abdramane, also added that “through direct communication with Western partners, the behavior of French forces has been criticized for having unilaterally released captured terrorist elements”.

Niger Coup Will Have Ramifications For United States, France And Canada

August 10, 2023 Owen Schalk, Canadian Dimension. Educate! Canada, coup, France, Imperialism, Niger, United States, Uranium

On July 26, the African continent was rocked by news of a military coup in Niger, the fourth in West Africa since 2020. Cooperation between the US and Nigerien militaries has been suspended. The Niger government has withdrawn from its military agreements with France. The over 1,000 US troops in Niger have been restricted to their bases. France has evacuated 600 nationals from the country, while in a veiled threat, President Emmanuel Macron declared he “would not tolerate any attack against France and its interests.” Meanwhile, a rift has emerged in West Africa, with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led by Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu on one side, and the military governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger on the other.

Niger Puts An End To Uranium And Gold Export To France

August 6, 2023 Al Mayadeen, Orinoco Tribune. Resist! Africa, Burkina Faso, European Union (EU), France, Gold, Mali, Mining, Multipolarity, Niger, Uranium, West Africa

With immediate effect, the Republic of Niger, under the leadership of new president General Abdourahamane Tchiani, and supported by the people of the country, announced the suspension of the export of uranium and gold to France on Sunday. In parallel to the decision, protestors were surrounding the French Embassy in Niger calling for the end of French colonial practices repeating the slogan “Down with France!” and reaffirming their support to the coup leader, Tchiani. Wazobia Reporters, a Nigerien news website,reported one protestor proclaiming “We have uranium, diamonds, gold, oil, and we live like slaves? We don’t need the French to keep us safe.”

US/France Threaten Intervention In Resource-Rich Niger

August 6, 2023 Ben Norton, Geopolitical Economy. Resistance Report Coups, De-colonization, France, Gold, Niger, Uranium, Western imperialism

The US and France have threatened foreign intervention to re-install a pro-Western regime in Niger. Niger is a major producer of gold and uranium, the latter of which is needed for European nuclear energy. The country has significant oil reserves to which foreign corporations have wanted access. It also hosts large US drone bases. These Western threats follow coups led by nationalist, anti-colonial military officers in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, whose governments have warned that intervention would be considered an act of war, and could thus set off a regional conflict. West Africa is rich in natural resources. It is also very strategic for the United States and France.

The West Wants Nigeria To Invade Its Northern Neighbor

August 5, 2023 Andrew Korybko, Orinoco Tribune. Educate! Africa, African Union, Coups, ECOWAS, France, Imperialism, Neocolonialism, Nigeria, US Imperialism, Wars and Militarism

Last week’s military coup in Niger could be a game-changer in the New Cold War if the junta cuts off the uranium exports upon which France’s nuclear energy industry depends, kicks out its former colonizer’s troops from their last regional bastion, and/or requests Russia’s “Democratic Security” assistance. Unlike the patriotic military coups in Guinea, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which were condemned by the West but not considered a threat to its neocolonial stranglehold over Africa, the one in Niger is ringing alarm bells. France and the US strongly condemned this latest regime change, with the first suspending all aid in parallel with the EU while the latter is preparing to follow suit.

Burkina Faso’s New President Condemns Imperialism

August 3, 2023 Ben Norton, Geopolitical Economy. Resist! Africa, Burkina Faso, Colonialism, coup, Cuba, France

The new president of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traoré, has vowed to fight imperialism and neocolonialism, invoking his country’s past revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara and quoting Che Guevara. The West African nation has also formed close diplomatic ties with the revolutionary governments in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran, as well as with NATO’s arch-rival Russia. In January 2022, a group of nationalist military officers in Burkina Faso toppled the president, Roch Kaboré, a wealthy banker who had fostered close ties with the country’s former colonizer, France, where he was educated.

Niger Is The Fourth Country In The Sahel To Have An Anti-Western Coup

August 2, 2023 Vijay Prashad and Kambale Musavuli, People's Dispatch. Resist! Africa, Burkina Faso, Coups, Decolonization, France, Mali, Neocolonialism, Niger, Nonalignment

At 3 a.m. on July 26, 2023, the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum in Niamey, the capital of Niger. Troops, led by Brigadier General Abdourahmane Tchiani closed the country’s borders and declared a curfew. The coup d’état was immediately condemned by the Economic Community of West African States, by the African Union, and by the European Union. Both France and the United States—which have military bases in Niger—said that they were watching the situation closely. A tussle between the Army—which claimed to be pro-Bazoum—and the presidential guard threatened the capital, but it soon fizzled out.

Police Brutality, Racism And Poverty Underlie Youth Rebellion In France

July 6, 2023 Abayomi Azikiwe, Black Agenda Report. Resist! France, Mass Action, police brutality, Racism, State Repression

A 17-year-old youth of Moroccan and Algerian descent named Nahel M was gunned down by the French police on June 27 sparking a nationwide series of mass demonstrations and rebellions throughout the country. Several videos released on the shooting show clearly that Nahel, who was driving a vehicle, was posing no threat to the police. There were two other people in the vehicle with Nahel, one of whom has given evidence to the authorities while the third person is being sought by prosecutors. The policeman has been indicted for voluntary homicide. In addition, reports suggest he has apologized for the fatal shooting.

The Two-Sided Uprising Sweeping France

July 5, 2023 Nicolas Haeringer, Waging Nonviolence. Strategize! Environmental Justice, France, Mass Action, Racism

On June 27, Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old French boy of North African descent was murdered by a white police officer in a Parisian suburb. Since then, anger has erupted almost everywhere in the country, especially in poor neighborhoods. Young people are taking to the streets to protest against police violence and state racism. Their anger is eruptive. Recently, I helped organize support and solidarity for another uprising in France: Soulèvements de la terre, or Earth’s uprising. This movement, created in 2021, is fighting against large and useless infrastructure (like highways and giant tunnels under the Alps), transnational corporations and other sources of pollution and environmental destruction.

France: Macron Shuts Down Internet And Fines Protesters’ Parents

July 4, 2023 Orinoco Tribune. Educate! Emmanuel Macron, France, Human Rights, Internet Access, police brutality

As he had threatened days earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron decided to cut internet access in different locations on the outskirts of Paris starting on Monday, July 3. The French Ministry of the Interior explained via a statement that the restrictions are implemented in order to “prevent the abusive use of social media platforms to coordinate illegal actions and incite violence.” Previously, Macron had said that the protests originated from false publications on social media, violent video games and a lack of parental responsibility. He stated that on social media, there has been “unacceptable exploitation of the death of a teenager.

Protests Ignite Across France Demanding Justice For Nahel

July 4, 2023 Emma Lee and Otto Fors, Left Voice. Resist! France, Mass Action, Police, police brutality, Property damage

Last Tuesday, French police murdered 17-year-old Nahel M. in broad daylight in Nanterre, a town on the western outskirts of Paris. The teenager, of Algerian and Moroccan descent, was shot point blank at the steering wheel while driving through a traffic check. Huge protests have erupted throughout France against this racist police violence, demanding a thorough investigation and justice for Nahel. Demonstrations in cities such as Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, and Strasbourg — and particularly in the working-class neighborhoods — have been explosive. Protesters as young as 13 have set fire to cars and trash, broken into stores, set off fireworks to battle the police, and even rammed a burning car into the home of Nanterre’s mayor.

Protests Surge In France To Defend Pension Reforms

June 7, 2023 People's Dispatch Resist! France, Macron, Mass Action, Pensions, Unions, Worker Rights and Jobs

In the 14th major mobilization since January, French workers hit the streets across the country on Tuesday, June 6, protesting the controversial pension reforms forcefully passed by the Emmanuel Macron-led government which increased the retirement age from 62 to 64. The mobilization was called by a coordination of trade unions, left-wing parties of the New Ecological and Social People’s Union (NUPES) coalition, as well as various youth groups. According to the union estimates, over 900,000 people participated in the protests in 250 different locations. Around 300,000 people marched in Paris alone, denouncing the unpopular pension reforms.

Group Of Seven Should Finally Be Shut Down

May 26, 2023 Vijay Prashad, Tricontinental: Institute For Social Research. Educate! Canada, France, G7, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom (UK), US Imperialism, Wars and Militarism, Western imperialism

During the May 2023 Group of Seven (G7) summit, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, near where the meeting was held. Not doing so would have been an act of immense discourtesy. Despite many calls for an apology from the US for dropping an atomic bomb on a civilian population in 1945, US President Joe Biden has demurred. Instead, he wrote in the Peace Memorial guest book: ‘May the stories of this museum remind us all of our obligations to build a future of peace’. Apologies, amplified by the tensions of our time, take on interesting sociological and political roles.

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