France vents her anger on Black journalists

The debacle of France in Africa is no longer news. Paris has been booted out of the former French colonies of Africa. That anti-French sentiment was obvious in African Francophone countries that experienced coups between 2021 and 2023. While some were genuine manifestations of the anger of the African masses against the neocolonialist policy and politics of France, others were less trenchant politically and looked like palace coups orchestrated by France. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger belong to the first category of coups d’état referred to; Gabon and Chad (the case of Chad is slightly more nuanced) are affiliated to the French machinations. The coup in Guinea also has a veiled colour, since no clear break from Françafrique is being heard from Conakry.

The African youth are fed up with Françafrique and its tentacles. In other words, the postcolonial influence, domination and exploitation of African countries by France has reached the end of its epoch. When Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Zaire (today’s DRC) were led respectively by Houphouet-Boigny, Omar Bongo and his “heir” Ali Bongo, Mobutu Seseseko, France had a tight grip on these countries, that were strategically chosen as zones of occupation and terrains of watch towers, lands whose leaders were at the beck and call of France, points from which military operations could be launched to defend French interests in Africa. Of course, that influence of France still prevails in some of those countries, unfortunately. Alassane Ouattara in Côte d’Ivoire, Mahamat Déby in Chad and General Brice Oligui Nguema in Gabon cannot be cited when the demise of Françafrique is voiced. These leaders are clinging to the ties of the “support” that France provides.

General Nguema who deposed Ali Bongo in a coup paid special visits to Alassane Ouatarra and Emmanuel Macron. French military bases still remain in N’Djamena and other areas in Chad. While French neocolonialism is true in those countries, in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the general population kicked the French out. The US contributed a bit to this policy of “delinking” from neocolonialism, imperialism and exploitation. In Niger for instance, both the French and American politico-military apparels were dismissed. That general rebellion against France by her backyard in Africa was one of the most painful blows that could be administered to Paris. The effusion of anti-French sentiments led several political leaders and commentators to speculate. Some French political analysts say that the era of the French manipulation of Africa has come to an end. On the other hand, some conservative and hardcore defenders of French hegemony in Africa play the ostrich by turning a blind eye to the maturity of the conscience of the African populations, especially the youth, in this era of social media. French President Macron who has the misfortune to be steering the affairs of the Elysée during that period of politico-economic defeat of France keeps acting like the “teacher” in French-speaking Africa.

Other French dignitaries like Anne Sophie Avé, the ambassador of France to Africa (the whole continent) unveil their myopic views of the French rejection in Africa. To make matters worse, that French “super ambassador” accuses two prominent Black chroniclers living in France of instigating Africa’s rejection of France. These two Black political analysts are Alain Foka, a native of Cameroon and Claudy Siar who hails originally from Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. It does not come as a surprise when the ambassador frames these media persons as the makers of anti-French positions in Africa. Each is an energetic, intelligent, profound analyst and critic of the African facet of geopolitics.

Foka studied political science, journalism and audiovisual Arts in France, then worked with Radio France International (RFI) for 25 years before he resigned and decided to devote his time and talents to the observation, analysis and reportage of social, political and economic occurrences in Africa. He produced many documentaries on African leaders like Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, interviewed the current Bukinabè President Captain Traoré, aired a programme on the mineral resources of DRC, and much more. One of Foka’s major achievements is his creation of the Manssah project which he manages with other partners. Manssah and its work speak to Foka’s radical Pan-Africanist position, the main goal of which is to “rethink Africa”.

The second innocent victim of the French is Claudy Siar, a 51-year-old journalist who has been working for Radio France International for 26 years, the same French media house where Foka worked. Siar was vehemently propagating and defending Afro-Caribbean culture. His main medium is a music programme on Radio France, he openly asserts his Pan-African devotion and defends the rights of Blacks in France. He is popularly known as “someone who is defined by Africa, not a mere lover of Africa”. Siar said several times that his native Gaudeloupe is “full of Africanity, Caribbeanity and Europeanity, but the foundation of these cultures and values is the Africanity”. It is said that several voices (certainly from conservative France) are calling for his dismissal from the mega French media house, because of his blatant defense of Pan-Africanism and opposition to racism and French imperialism in Africa and the Caribbean.

These two Black men of culture define the current changes in Africa as “the manifestation of the pro-African ideology, mentality and sentiment that emerged in the African youth, as a result of geopolitical events on the continent”, especially the skirmishes and woeful pillage by France. So, to certain French spokespersons like Avé, France lost her influence in Africa because of the pro-African and Pan-Africanist coverage and analyses of Foka and Siar.

Foka pointed out to Ave the shallowness of her statement and stance that equates Pro-African and Pan-Africanism with anti-French. While Siar did not react openly, he still goes on, unperturbed with his powerful, efficient, radical and objective observation of the geopolitical scene. To Siar, Pan-Africanism is humanism. It is such a pity to see so-called first class political figures of France venting their frustration on two innocent media persons and discerning activists.  It is more disheartening to hear a high class French ambassador committing the mistake of seeing Pro-Africa as anti-French. What could be the way out for France is a sincere and truthful evaluation of their rapport with Africa to find out what can provide the French the riches that they looted in Africa for more than a century.

Moussa Traoré is Associate Professor at the Department of English of the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast.