By Adewuyi Adegbite
SIR: The wave of anti-French sentiment blowing over Francophone Africa has reached a point where the super power nation has to reconsider her relationship with her former colonies. The options before France in this regard are to allow the former colonies to breathe by leaving those that want to de-link be; and secondly, to review her economic relations with those who still cooperate with her and stop unequal exchange in their economic relations in order to grow and reduce tension brewing between them.
The military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and now Niger have decided to sever relations with France while looking towards Russia for emancipation. Thus far, the relations between France and her former colonies have been exploitative if the truth must be told. Ironically, French imperialism in the 19th century was not meant to be exploitative though search for raw materials for French industries could not be ruled out of her quest for colonies in Africa. Although, French imperialism later assumed exploitation of the Francophone Africa, her policy at inception pointed otherwise. This is because her policy of assimilation was meant to make French people out of Africans.
As a matter of fact, African educated elites of Francophone Africa extraction schooled in France and many of them served in the French parliament. Leopold Senghor of Senegal, Felix Houphouët-Boigny of Ivory Coast among others were products of assimilation and association policies. Meanwhile, Francophone Africa was tied to the apron string of France economically, politically, militarily and so on. To a great extent, France determined the rulers in her colonies.
Call by the nationalists for independence from France was received with disgust by France but the wave of nationalism blowing across Africa tied the hands of France.
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A country like Guinea which voted for severance of relationship with France had her infrastructures provided by France destroyed. However, many of the colonies gained their independence but puppet regimes were imposed with the help of France. In countries where nationalists emerged as leaders, many of them in no time were assassinated and replaced by French agents to ease the continued exploitation of the colonies.
Today, the exploited youths in many of the ex-colonies have woken up from slumber to take their destinies in their hands with the support given for anti-French coupists who toppled puppet regimes as exemplified by Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and now Niger.
Niger especially is one of largest producers of uranium in the world. This resource is known to be exploited by France since its discovery decades ago for her nuclear power plant. Yet, much of Niger is in darkness to the extent that Nigeria is a supplier of electricity to the country.
With the present development between France and her ex-colonies, can we say the journey of over a century has come to an end? This is not exactly the case because of the country’s presence in form of economic interests, military bases and so on and so forth remains. The truth however is that France has to review her relations with those countries. Door of opportunities should be opened for those countries to develop and their people’s condition of living improved. Democracy should be allowed to blossom not only in Francophone Africa but Africa as whole with no intervention from the superpowers including France.
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As it appears, contemporary African youths have woken up from their slumber and it can no longer be business as usual in their relations with former colonial masters. Russia and China are luring these countries to their side with promises of better bargain and Russia is walking her talk. The earlier France and other powers take note, the better it will be for the country.