Burkina Faso Names Boulevard in Honor of Thomas Sankara

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Ibrahim Traore, President of the Transition, raises the new plate renaming the boulevard after President Thomas Sankara (Source: LeFaso.net)

On the 36th anniversary of Thomas Sankara’s assassination, Burkina Faso rulers have officially renamed one of the main streets of the capital Ouagadougou, previously known as General Charles de Gaulle Boulevard, replacing the country’s former colonial ruler with its very own leader and inspiration of the nation, Thomas Sankara.

The event took place on October 15 at the Thomas Sankara Memorial in Ouagadougou. Attendees included relatives of the late leader, the president of the transition, Ibrahim Traore, and government officials were in Ouagadougou. During this ceremony, President Thomas Sankara was elevated to the rank of hero of the nation.

“We are heirs of the revolution” by Thomas Sankara

“Article 1. The late Captain Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara is recognised as a Hero of the Nation […] The day of homage to the late Captain Isidore Thomas Noël Sankara is to be celebrated every 15th of October in Ouagadougou,” Bassolma Bazié, Minister of the Civil Service of Burkina Faso said.

The President of the transition, captain Traoré, laid the foundation stone for the Thomas Sankara mausoleum. The mausoleum will be built on the very site of the assassination of Thomas Sankara and of 12 of his companions. The Memorial complex will contribute to the strengthening of national unity, the valorization of history and collective memory, the revival of tourism in Burkina Faso, the revitalization of cultural and creative industries, the blossoming of science productions and education.

Ibrahim Traore lays the foundation for the Thomas Sankara Mausoleum (Source: LeFaso.net)

The boulevard, previously known as Boulevard Charles de Gaulle, adjoining the memorial, has been renamed after the panafricanist icon and former president Thomas Sankara.

“Today the Boulevard has been named Boulevard Thomas Sankara instead of Boulevard Charles de Gaulle. So today we’re very proud. Because if the Boulevard had been named after imperialists, today we think that we also have heroes, we also have valiant Burkinabe [after whom we] can name these Boulevards or streets […]” [Africanews]

Is Air France Resuming Flights in Mali?

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments3 Comments
Flag of Mali
Flag of Mali

The answer is a resounding NO! or rather not yet! When someone has treated another like a sub-human, it might be hard to all of a sudden recognize the other person’s humanity. This is what Air France has been doing on the African continent. After helping to wipe out Air Afrique, it is no secret that Air France has been the main carrier servicing many African countries for the past decades, and it has enjoyed a perfect monopoly with super-hiked up prices… it is cheaper to fly to Paris from any African capital, than to fly to a neighboring country (story for another day).

Map of Mali with its capital Bamako

On August 7, the commercial company, Air France, decided to take a political stand against the countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, cancelling its flights to those countries without as much as a notice, a real breech of contract, because of the coup d’etat in neighboring Niger. Air France suspended its flights to Mali (seven per week) and Burkina Faso (five) on August 7 after the closure of the airspace of neighboring Niger following the coup in Niger. Imagine all the passengers who had paid tickets? Air France’s service is notoriously bad in Africa, do you think that they reimbursed them? Why should the coup in Niger make Air France stop servicing Mali or Burkina Faso? Just because the countries are neighbors? Imagine a country has issues with say, Germany, then as a result its airline cancels all flights to neighboring Belgium, and Netherlands without as much as a notice… the height of disrespect! how does it make sense?

After the suspension of Paris-Bamako connections by Air France, the Malian authorities decided on August 11 to cancel the company’s authorization to operate this line.

Now Air France would like to resume flights in Mali and Burkina Faso. Air France was set to resume this Friday October 13, and Malian authorities have halted the process with more requests to Air France. If you were the Malian or Burkinabe governments, would you agree? Shouldn’t there be new conditions to the partnership, if it is meant to resume?

To read more, check out SimpleFlying.

Bye Bye to French Troops in Niger

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Map of Niger

French troops have started withdrawing from Niger this week. The first convoy of French soldiers was escorted by Niger troops out of the country; they are moving to neighboring Chad where they are planning to stay. The French ambassador to Niger has already left the country, after defiantly ignoring the the numerous requests from the Niger government for him to leave (France set to Withdraw Troops and Ambassador from Niger). To this day, the Western media and the West still call the Niger government “junta leaders” or “mutinous soldiers” while they praise the Gabon military coup leader; such double standards! Niger’s government has also given 72 hours to the UN resident coordinator in Niger to leave the country; citing “underhanded maneuvers” by the U.N. secretary-general to prevent Niger’s full participation at last month’s General Assembly in New York, given that Niger’s representative was denied attendance (can you imagine: a nation belonging to the UN has a conflict with another member state, and the UN (organization supposed to serve all nations) refuses it a chance to talk at its tribune?). The US has now called the deposed president (puppet Bazoum), and suspended aid to Niger, while still maintaining their military drone base in Niger… All Niger people should remain on high alert!!!

Excerpts below are from Al-Jazeera.

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French flag

French soldiers have started to withdraw from their bases in Niger, with the first convoy of troops escorted out of the country by Niger’s military as it travelled in the “direction of Chad”, authorities in the capital Niamey said.

Pick-up trucks and armoured personnel carriers laden with French soldiers drove through the dusty outskirts of Niamey on Tuesday, marking a departure demanded by Niger’s military rulers who seized power in July.

In a statement read on state television, Niger’s military called on citizens to cooperate with the troop movements, which it said would involve some of the 1,500 French soldiers leaving Niger by road to Chad, a journey of hundreds of kilometres through sometimes insecure territory.

“The troops based in Ouallam have left their base today. These are the operations for the departure of the first ground convoy in the direction of Chad, escorted by our defence and security forces,” the military said.

In addition to the departure by land, “three special flights” have been registered at the airport in Niamey, two for the departure of “97 special forces elements” and one “dedicated to logistics.”

… Approximately 1,000 French troops were stationed in Niamey, with another 400 deployed at two forward bases in the northwest, near Mali and Burkina Faso, ….

Flag of Niger

Niger’s military rulers, which assured the withdrawal will take place in “complete safety”, said remaining French forces would continue to leave on “a timetable agreed to by both parties”.

The United States on Tuesday also formally declared that Niger’s democratically-elected president was removed in a military coup, which results in officially suspending assistance to Niger [what else is new?]. Though there are no plans to change the US troop presence in the country, senior administration officials said….

There are now about 1,000 US defence department personnel in Niger, according to the officials. …

African Governments should make Contracts Public to their Populations!

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments5 Comments

As we remember the Zambia Sovereign Debt Crisis, the Entebbe airport Uganda-China debt (Ugandan international airport at Entebbe about to be seized by China), the 999-year land lease granted to Europeans in Kenya, and the price of gold in Mali or uranium in Niger, the common thread seems to be that in most of these cases African countries are taken in for a ride, and that these contracts are negotiated without the people’s knowledge, or rather none of these contracts are discussed in the parliaments of these countries were the people’s representatives could all get to vote on it. The contracts are instead negotiated behind closed doors, thus ensuring constant corruption, and of course many years of “walking blindfolded”. If the future of their constituents is going to be traded away, why shouldn’t the people be invited to the negotiation table? Some argue that this would take too long, that sometimes, waiting for parliament’s approval may lead to gridlocks and more… however if the people’s future is going to be signed away like in the case of Zambia and countless African countries, contracts need to be made public. Now if it is confidential, why not release at least the ones that were signed over 20, 50 years ago? or the ones signed at independence (which are now over 60 years old)? This will help the new generations of lawyers to also learn how to negotiate for better contracts in the future. The reason is most likely that, just like in the case of The 11 Components of the French Colonial Tax in Africa, if Africans were made aware of what their forefathers were made to sign, they would have risen in riots, and many of the puppet governments installed to serve the West will all get toppled down.

It is about time that current African governments release the contracts signed at the time of independence!!! More importantly, it is also high time that when negotiating our future away, that we, the people, are invited at the negotiation table so that our children and children’s children and generations to come do not spend centuries paying interest on a debt that keeps increasing because of poor deals! Some may say, “we are in 2023, why do you need to know what happened in the 1960s? We need to focus on the present!“ Oh yes, but the past will inform the future! The contracts of yesterday still affect today, particularly in Africa, see The 11 Components of the French Colonial Tax in Africa, and The Bank of Senegal: Ancestor to the FCFA – producing Bank. It is because we do not keep archives that we keep repeating the same mistakes over and over. If we all learned from the fact that, for instance, Pascal Lissouba of Congo was deposed because he asked for the re-negotiation of Congo’s oil and dared change partners from French to Americans, and then later under fire he back-pedaled back to French, we will know never to back-pedal and that once we have set our minds for liberty, no matter how hard it is, we should stay the course.

Senegalese Couple Makes History by Winning Literary Caine Prize for African Writing

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Woppa Diallo and Mame Bougouma Diene (Source: The Caine Prize/Guardian)

A Senegalese couple, Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo, has made history this week by winning the Caine Prize for African Writing. It is the first time in the history of the prize that it is awarded to a couple. Diallo is a lawyer and activist while French-Senegalese American Diene is a humanitarian and a short-story writer. They are married.

Their winning story, “A Soul of Small Places,” drew inspiration from Diallo’s personal experience of gender-based violence in Senegal. Her story highlighted themes of violence, revenge, love, and loss, mirroring her own life experiences. She revealed to the BBC that her personal struggles served as the inspiration behind the story.

Congratulations to this couple, and excerpts below are from the BBC. Please take the time to also read articles at the Guardian and the Caine Prize.

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Flag of Senegal
Flag of Senegal

Senegalese writing duo Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo have won this year’s prestigious Caine Prize for African writing, making it the first time a pair has won the award.

Their story A Soul of Small Places is inspired by Diallo’s experience of gender-based violence in Senegal.

Her story weaves through themes of violence, revenge, love and loss.

“The story is simply my life. It’s the struggles I’ve been through that have inspired me,” Diallo told the BBC.

It was praised for its deep storytelling and ability to celebrate love while also addressing pressing global issues.

… They met when Diene was visiting a shelter in northern Senegal where Woppa was speaking about her advocacy against gender-based violence.

“The co-authoring comes from the fact that the story could not have been written if I hadn’t met Woppa and if I hadn’t heard Woppa speak,” he says.

… The Caine Prize winners receive a cash gift of £10,000 ($12,000), as well as featuring their work in the 2023 Caine Prize anthology.

The award for a short story by an African writer published in English had a record-breaking 297 entries from 28 different countries this year.

Why is Niger so Poor and Why the Anti-French Sentiment?

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments3 Comments
Map of Niger

Somebody recently asked why the anti-French sentiment was so high in West Africa and in particular in Niger. After all, France is the land of lights and liberties, so why would anyone not like France? The person argued that Africans and Nigeriens in particular had no reason to have such feelings toward France.

For all who look at the index of countries in the world, Niger is the poorest country in the world, yet it is so rich in uranium, and among the world’s first producers of uranium in the world. For many years, France’s nuclear centrals were fully furnished ONLY by the uranium from Niger, and in 2021 Niger was the main supplier for the EU.

Flag of Niger

Let’s do the math, focusing just on uranium, shall we? Niger produces about 130,000 tons of uranium per year. Uranium was not traded internationally for many years. At some point, the price for 1 kg of uranium was about 200 Euros, worth about 131,118 FCFA (the currency imposed upon Niger and 14 other countries in Africa by France, FCFA, The 11 Components of the French Colonial Tax in Africa). Thus, this uranium should bring to Niger about 26,000,000,000 Euros per year ==> 26,000,000,000 x 655.59 FCFA = 17,045,340,000,000 FCFA. It has been over 50 years that uranium has been exploited in Niger. Thus, 26,000,000,000 Euros in 50 years = 1,300,000,000,000 Euros or 17,045,340,000,000 FCFA in 50 years = 852,267,000,000,000 FCFA.

However, France does not pay Niger’s uranium 200 Euros per kg, but rather 0.80 Euro per kg (4000 FCFA vs 131,118 FCFA Industrial Info Resources)!!! And when Mamadou Tamdja, former president of Niger asked France to increase the price to 10 meager Euros, he was deposed in a coup d’etat (Africa: Can you Feel the Wind of Change?)!

Thus for 130,000 tons of uranium per year, Niger receives 520,000,000,000 FCFA. In 50 years, Niger has only gotten about 26,000,000,000,000 FCFA.

In summary, Niger losses equal 852,267,000,000,000 – 26,000,000,000,000 FCFA = 826,267,000,000,000 FCFA = 1,294,800,000,000 Euros in 50 years of exploitation of Niger. And all this math is without counting the money taken away by France with the FCFA currency (∼50%)! No wonder Niger is so poor!

1000 FCFA (BEAO)

Then in recent days, we heard France’s government claim in the media that France gives out 130,000,000 Euros per year to Niger for help; France is so generous, isn’t it? However, this amount represents about 1/200th of what France has been “taking” home from Niger from uranium only. Remember that France’s companies in Niger (and in countless other African countries) do not pay taxes in Niger, but in France! And this is only the uranium of Niger! Niger has gold, and other resources that France has been taking out dirt cheap. This is only Niger, JUST think about the other 14 African countries!!! NO WONDER NIGER IS POOR… ITS WEALTH IS IN FRANCE’S COFFERS. After this mathematics exercise, if you were Nigerien, can you love France?

P.S.: The current price of uranium is about $73 per lbs, so about 70 Euros/lbs today. This exercise can be done to apply to today’s prices.

Proverbe Peul sur les parents/ Fula Proverb on Parents

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Vaches / Cows

La vache bouscule son veau, mais ne le hait pas (Proverbe Peul – Afrique de l’Ouest et Afrique Centrale). – Les parents punissent les enfants, mais ne les haïssent pas.

The cow jostles her calf, but does not hate it (Fula proverb – West Africa and Central Africa). – Parents punish children, but do not hate them.

France set to Withdraw Troops and Ambassador from Niger

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Flag of Niger

The diplomatic tug-of-war between France and Niger has finally come to an end? President Macron of France said that France will be withdrawing its troops and ambassador from Niger. It has taken almost 2 months for France to agree to remove its ambassador and troops. On August 26, Niger’s government asked the French ambassador to join them for talks like they do with all diplomatic representations in their country. France refused and said that they could not talk to a junta, as they only recognized the fallen president Bazoum as an interlocutor. Niger’s authorities then gave the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, 48 hours to leave their country given that France would not recognize them on their own soil. France refused to withdraw their ambassador, stating that it doesn’t recognize the coup-plotters as the country’s legitimate leaders. Niger’s authorities then revoked the diplomatic immunity of France‘s ambassador and ordered the police to expel him from the West African country. If the ambassador and his family were found anywhere outside of the embassy, they were considered persona non grata and will be deported immediately; they posted military outside which checked every car entering or leaving the embassy.

French flag

President Macron finally came to his senses and has decided to withdraw the 1500 French troops stationed in Niger, as well as his ambassador. This is the best way to avoid further humiliation. This is a step forward. However, the Niger authorities and people need to stay alert, this is not the end. There is no way France or Europe will leave the uranium and other resources of Niger just like that. There are still American, German, and Italian forces on Niger’s soil: there is a strong solidarity among Europeans, they act as a United force. Excerpts below are from the BBC.

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Map of Niger

President Emmanuel Macron has said France will withdraw its ambassador and end all military co-operation with Niger following a coup.

“France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France,” Mr Macron said.

He added that military co-operation was “over” and French troops would leave in “the months to come“.

The military junta [Niger authorities] which seized power in Niger in July welcomed the move.

“This Sunday we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger,” the junta said, in a statement quoted by AFP news agency.

There are about 1,500 French soldiers in the landlocked West African country helping to fight Islamist militants. The US also has more than 1,000 troops in Niger but these have not been asked to leave.

The decision by Paris follows months of animosity and protests against the French presence in its former colony, with regular demonstrations in the capital Niamey.

The move deals a hammer blow to France’s operations against jihadists in the wider Sahel region and Paris’ influence there. But Mr Macron said France would “not be held hostage by the putschists,” …

Mr Macron said he still regarded ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, currently held prisoner by the coup leaders, as the country’s “sole legitimate authority” and had informed him of his decision. He described the deposed president as a “hostage“.

“He was targeted by this coup d’etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice,” he said.

Niger is one of several former French colonies in West and Central Africa where the military has recently seized control – it follows Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Chad. …

Anti-French vitriol has flourished in the region in recent years, with many local politicians accusing Paris of carrying out neocolonialist policies – a charge denied by France.

….

On the 65th Commemoration of Ruben Um Nyobe’s Murder, His Widow Passes Away

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Ruben Um Nyobé
Ruben Um Nyobé

Marie Um Nyobe (born Marie Ngo Ndjock Yebga), the widow of one of Cameroon’s greatest opposition fighters and freedom fighters, the real Father of Cameroonian independence, Ruben Um Nyobé, has passed away on the exact same day that her husband was murdered 65 years ago, on 13 September 1958. This comes just as Cameroon and the Union des Populations du Cameroon (UPC) is commemorating the 65th year of his murder by the French forces in Cameroon.

Her son, Daniel Ruben Um Nyobe, communicated in a press release (Journal Du Cameroun) « the family of Mpodol Ruben Um Nyobe, the greater family Nlog Ngond, the greater family Ndog Soul have the grief to announce the passing of Widow Marie Um Nyobe born Ngo Ndjock Yebga on 13 September 2023 in … Yaoundé. »

UPC Leaders (L. to R.) front row: Castor Osende Afana, Abel Kingué, Ruben Um Nyobé, Felix Moumié, and Ernest Ouandié
UPC Leaders (L. to R.) front row: Castor Osende Afana, Abel Kingué, Ruben Um Nyobé, Felix Moumié, and Ernest Ouandié

Marie Um Nyobe is the spouse from a second union with the leader, Ruben Um Nyobé: Fighting for the independence of Cameroon. Um Nyobe had a first union in 1944 with Marthe Ngo Mayack which produced 3 daughters, and when the union fell apart, married Marie Ngo Ndjock Yebga with whom he had the son, Daniel, who was born a year before his death. We hope that Cameroonian historians had had a chance to talk to Mpodol’s wife to learn more about the man himself and Cameroon during the days of the fight for independence.

Flag of the UPC
Flag of the UPC

Mpodol, the one who carries the demands or who defends the cause, was a Cameroonian freedom fighter, and an anti-imperialist leader. During his fight, he wrote, “la colonisation, c’est l’esclavage ; c’est l’asservissement des peuples par un groupe d’individus dont le rôle consiste à exploiter les richesses et les hommes des peuples asservis“( “Colonization is slavery; it is an enslavement of the populations by a group of individuals whose role is to exploit the riches and the men of the enslaved populations.”). He further wrote, Political Constant of Unity Practiced by Ruben Um Nyobe – 1959, and Ruben Um Nyobe and Liberation.

For this commemoration, as Cameroonians and Africans, celebrate the lives of Ruben and Marie Um Nyobe, they should also, above all, stand on the message of Mpodol and fight for the total independence of Africa [Remember Ruben: A Rare Video Biography of Ruben Um Nyobé].

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Sign a Mutual Defence Pact

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Map of Liptako-Gourma region (Source: aha-international.org)

We raise our hats to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, countries which have signed the Liptako-Gourma Charter, a mutual defense pact to protect their countries, and fight effectively against terrorists which have been occupying the northern parts of their territories.

The Liptako-Gourma Charter establishes the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which aims to “establish an architecture of collective defence and mutual assistance for the benefit of our populations“, Colonel and leader of Mali, Assimi Goïta wrote on X.

The Liptako-Gourma area is a region of over 370,000 km2, shared among the three countries, and which has been at the heart of the jihadists’ attack in recent years. It is difficult for a single country to face terrorists or try to defend itself, when those jihadists after attacking one run into the neighboring country in impunity. All three countries are faced with the same issues, and by this charter, they unite their efforts to defend themselves, thus tripling their forces.

Map of Mali with its capital Bamako

“This alliance will be a combination of military and economic efforts between the three countries“, Mali’s Defence Minister Abdoulaye Diop told journalists. “Our priority is the fight against terrorism in the three countries.”

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has threatened to intervene militarily in Niger over the 26 July coup. Mali and Burkina Faso have quickly responded by saying that any such operation would be deemed a “declaration of war” against them (Niger Coup d’Etat: Airspace Closure, Sanctions, Diplomatic Overtures?, All Eyes on Niger, Niger – France Diplomatic Arm Wrestling). Thus the Liptako-Gourma is a clear creation of a defense alliance for these countries, a normal evolution, and a breath of fresh air. As always, united we stand.

Below are excerpts from AfricaNews. The Liptako region was part of the ancient Liptako Emirate, don’t forget to check out the 1891 treaty with France pertaining to the Liptako kingdom.

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Flag of Burkina Faso

The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger on Saturday signed a mutual defence pact, ministerial delegations from the three Sahel countries announced in Mali’s capital Bamako.

The Liptako-Gourma Charter establishes the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Mali’s junta leader Assimi Goita posted on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. Its aim is to “establish an architecture of collective defence and mutual assistance for the benefit of our populations“, he wrote.

…

A jihadist insurgency that erupted in northern Mali in 2012 spread to Niger and Burkina Faso in 2015. All three countries have undergone coups since 2020, most recently Niger, where soldiers in July overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has threatened to intervene militarily in Niger over the coup. Mali and Burkina Faso quickly responded by saying that any such operation would be deemed a “declaration of war” against them.

Map of Niger

– Mutual defence pact –

The charter signed on Saturday binds the signatories to assist one another — including militarily — in the event of an attack on any one of them.

“Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracting parties shall be considered as an aggression against the other parties and shall give rise to a duty of assistance… including the use of armed force to restore and ensure security“, it states.

It also binds the three countries to work to prevent or settle armed rebellions.

…