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Africa North
France never stopped looting Africa, now the tables are turning
2023-08-14
by Brad Pearce
AUG 8, 2023

[TheCradle] As developments in West Africa demonstrate, the francophone countries are no longer willing to accept French neo-colonialism. With the fear factor finally removed, Africa’s quest for genuine independence is steadily coming to fruition.

The 26 July coup in the West African nation of Niger, which threatens to undermine French and US military presence in the region, has shed light on the historical exploitation and continued practices of Francafrique - the term used to describe the persistent exploitation by the former French Empire in Africa.

France heavily relies on nuclear energy, with 68 percent of its power coming from nuclear plants. It obtains 19 percent of the uranium required to run these plants from Niger. Despite this significant contribution toward France's energy needs, only 14.3 percent of Nigeriens have access to a power grid, and even that is often unreliable. This stark contrast highlights the disparities and ongoing exploitation by rapine foreign powers throughout the African continent.

THE LEGACY OF FRANCAFRIQUE
Francafrique has been known for its exploitative systems designed to profit from African resources, using pressure, capital, and frequently outright force to maintain control over its former empire. As a result, many African states, including Niger, continue to face poverty and underdevelopment.

Burkina Faso’s young, charismatic leader Ibrahim Traore recently spoke at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg and decried the fact that Africa is resource-rich, but its people are poor, and criticized African leaders seeking hand-outs from the west, as they perpetuate dependency and poverty. He also described what is being imposed on Africa as a form of slavery, stating:
Read the rest at the link
Related:
Francafrique: 2008-02-05 France faces tough choices over Chad
Posted by:badanov

#8  Magic dirt / Tragic dirt. As I've mentioned before, it seems to have a lot to do with who's standing on it.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2023-08-14 19:59  

#7  /\ Thank you Steve.
Posted by: Besoeker   2023-08-14 19:38  

#6  RE: #3 A bit of a graphic design nightmare, but I suppose it cuts down on counterfeiting.

Lemme see if I understand this right:
So there was this dirt in Africa nobody was using for nothing.
Western Civilization in the form of France shows up and says we'll trade you money for that dirt.
France turns the dirt into electricity to run their corner of civilization.
African leaders squander the money on things other than building the infrastructure to power their future.
So yeah, it's definitely the White Man(tm)'s fault.
Posted by: SteveS   2023-08-14 18:00  

#5  Looting? Perhaps, but the usual situation is that most colonies cost more than they bring back in revenue and are held more for national prestige.

The French also had an interesting custom in that there was their armed forces were divided into the Metropolitan France forces based and paid for from European France. Almost all of the colonial forces were paid and recruited from the colonies directly. As the French began shuttering their colonial empire their 'oversea army' imploded spectacularly. As they pulled back they negotiated favorable, almost monopolistic, trade agreements ...but compared to the endemic corruption of the Third World it is hard to say if these contracts were 'a good thing or a bad thing'.

There is a story (Too good to check?) that the departing French presented a bill to the 'new governments' for all of the colonial improvements --paid in full if they did not sign up for French (near-)monopolistic interests in their post-colonial countries. Supposedly, as the story goes, one colony told the French to 'pound sand and just leave!' ...the French then started boxing up all the municipal indoor plumbing, rolling up all the overhead cables and basically returning much of what was there to empty concrete buildings. Supposedly the other ex-colonies got The Messageâ„¢.
Posted by: magpie   2023-08-14 17:13  

#4  I often read that African mortality rate was less, that unemployment was less, and poverty was less, and literacy rate was increased and they had larger middle class (where less bush meat is consumed) under colonialism.
Posted by: mossomo   2023-08-14 12:40  

#3  
Posted by: Harcourt Tholuse6841   2023-08-14 04:47  

#2  

This is the franc that the French created and forced African countries to use. Africa sends their rich resources to France, France sells them back this paper at a profit. This has continued for decades. And the French think that they're generous in removing Africa from its wealth. You think Africans aren't angry at finding out they're being ripped off in this way?

Remember Khadafi's gold-backed dinar, for trade among African countries? That would deprive the French of their highly unethical usury? Wow, he got overthrown super fast after that idea. Now the cork is off the bottle of African migration and they're flooding Europe.

Shows you what they will do to protect their right to loot other countries.
Posted by: Harcourt Tholuse6841   2023-08-14 04:46  

#1  Moreover, a vast network of French business interests, which include major multinational companies, dominate industries such as energy, communications, and transportation in many African countries.

Where before France. there was nothing. After France departs, nothing will return.

Posted by: Besoeker   2023-08-14 02:29  

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