Month: May 2026

Forced Labor and ‘La Marseillaise’ in Congo in 1934

On By Dr. Y.In Great MomentsLeave a comment
Senegalese Tirailleurs serving in France in 1940

There was a time when Africans of another generation, proudly sang La Marseillaise… That was the generation of the tirailleurs, the generation of those trained in France before and after ‘independence’, the generation who loved the Métropole. There was a time when, like the kids described below by Marcel Homet in Congo Français: Terre de souffrance (Paris 1934), Africans believed that France, the land of Marianne, could want their freedom or at least a ‘fair’ partnership. The current generation, after seeing the sweat and blood of their parents and grandparents in the uranium mines or banana plantations, after suffering, after witnessing the NATO attacks on Libya, Cote d’Ivoire, or the repeated putsches funded by France on their territories, or seeing their economy and savings fall to the exchange factor of their currency FCFA in Francophone Africa, or seeing these French and foreign companies plundering their resources for over a century with no roads no hospitals and barely any taxes paid… this generation has become disillusioned, and can no longer sing La Marseillaise. They have learned that singing La Marseillaise equates with the massacre of Thiaroye, the genocides in Algeria, Cameroon, Madagascar, and so many other places, or more recently the joint attacks of NATO on Libya. Singing La Marseillaise has equated to so much blood so much so that this generation no longer wants anything to do with France or imperialist forces.

Decapitated Heads during the French repression of Cameroonians in Cameroon

As you read the description below from another time, it is interesting to note how the gruesome conditions of from another era do not seem to have changed much with time. We are fighting today, whether in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso for dignity and for respect owed to any human being. We are fighting for the right to use our resources as we see fit. We are fighting for simple, human dignity. Below are excerpts from Marcel Hormet in Congo Français: Terre de souffrance (Paris 1934) where he describes a time of forced labor in French colonies, in this case Congo which was part of the French Equatorial Africa (Afrique Equatoriale Francaise (AEF)).

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In the village square of Loko, a few children – aged eight to ten – pass by, singing *La Marseillaise* in French. They vanish around the bend in the path.

Slowly, the tricolor flag rises up the mast planted before the chief’s dwelling. Everyone uncovers their heads. That anthem, still echoing in the distance, that song of liberty and hope, which can be so deeply moving, takes on a poignant significance here. Unwittingly, the children who proclaim it, understanding nothing of its meaning, are thereby giving voice to the aspirations of a people looking to France for some alleviation of the colony’s pitiful plight: empty bellies, festering sores, and an undisguised slavery, more rigorous than the trade ever was in the era of “ebony wood.”

In French Equatorial Africa, when exhausted slaves die, the local government replaces them, one for one.

Why, then, bother to hold back?

(Sur la place de Loko, quelques enfants de huit à dix ans, passent en chantant “en français” la Marseillaise. Ils disparaissent au tournant du chemin.

Au mât planté devant la demeure du chef monte lentement le drapeau tricolore. Tout le monde se découvre. Ce chant qui, là-bas, résonne encore, ce chant de liberté et d’espoir qui peut être si émouvant, prend ici une signification poignante. Sans s’en rendre compte, les enfants qui le clament et qui n’y comprennent rien manifestent ainsi les aspirations d’un peuple qui attend de la France un adoucissement au sort pitoyable de la colonie : ventres vides, plaies suppurantes et cet esclavage non déguisé, plus strict que ne l’a jamais été la traite à l’époque « du bois d’ébène ».

En AEF, lorsque les esclaves épuisés sont morts, le gouvernement local les remplace, nombre pour nombre.

Pourquoi alors se gêner ?)

Sad Moments in Mali : Fallen Brothers and the Black Winter

On By Dr. Y.In Great Civilizations, Great Moments, Great PeopleLeave a comment

 

Map of Mali with its capital Bamako

Over the past week, there have been severe confrontations/battles in Mali between the government forces backed by the proud people of Mali and the jihadists forces funded by the West. These intense attacks culminated on April 25, 2026, with the deaths of the Malian Defense Minister, General Sadio Camara, members of his family, and countless soldiers and civilians. We have learned that the attacks were complex, coordinated, and simultaneous.

General Assimi Goita

As always, the Western media celebrated, and wondered where the Malian president was, and told us that the rebels were now in total control of Kidal. On Tuesday, President General Assimi Goïta, addressed the nation, and told us that, “A violent halt was put to the attackers who sought to establish a climate of violence.” These attacks, as President Assimi Goïta shared, were “coordinated [and] of an extreme gravity.”

ECOWAS Members – old map

The attacks were quite complex, as they were very sophisticated; the bandits were no longer thugs driving simple motorcycles, but advanced military vehicles instead, had high technology, missiles, and even satellite access for such coordination, and much more. As you can see, common bandits cannot have access to such high tech or intelligence: where do they get the money? It is clear that they are funded by the West, with France at the forefront, Ukraine, the E.U. and thus NATO, and the ECOWAS countries which are governed by puppets of France (Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, Algeria, Mauritania). Remember that American general who lied about Ibrahim Traoré last summer visited several of these countries to establish other centers for the AFRICOM (What are American Troops doing in Nigeria ?)? This time, the jihadists hit almost simultaneously the cities of Gao, Kidal, Mopti, and Kati. You can see that this is an army, and not just ‘rebels’ as labelled by the western media, directly financed by the West with France in the front. It is said that they are numbering several thousand men.

Flag of Mali
Flag of Mali

President Goïta said, “Thanks to the promptness and professionalism of the armed and security forces, the attackers – whose objectives was to instill a climate of widespread violence in the affected localities –were  dealt a decisive blow. Thanks to the calm of the personnel deployed and the maintenance of a cohesive chain of command, the enemy’s nefarious plot was thwarted, resulting in the neutralization of a significant number of attackers. As I speak to you now, security measures have been reinforced; the situation is under control, and operations involving combing, search, intelligence gathering, and security consolidation remain ongoing.”

 

AES Logo

This, as you can see, is the black winter (dark winter), President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso referred to at the beginning of the year. However, what the enemy has forgotten is that Assimi Goïta, Ibrahim Traoré, Abdourahamane Tchiani are all proud descendants of the great Mali Empire, Songhai Empire, Kanem-Bornu Empire, and offspring of the mighty Sundiata Keïta, Kankan Musa, Samori Touré, and so many others; these are men whose ancestors have been fighting for their freedom for generations (like Malians fighting the French forces at the battle of Sikasso). The fight for freedom did not start yesterday in 2020, but has been ongoing for centuries. As President Goïta said, “Our people have made the choice, the choice of sovereignty and dignity. The choice is the expression of a national will, fully embraced and boldly asserted. It comes at a price, and we are fully aware of it. This choice is the only path worth taking if we wish to offer our children a future that is free, just, and prosperous.” As president Goïta told us in 2022, No Sacrifice is too Big for this Country.