Recall that in July last year, a military coup took place in the North African country of Niger. Subsequently, as soon as the junta came to power, it demanded de-Frenchization. At that time, France reacted very strongly, rallying the West African Community to put pressure on Niger and warn about sanctions, the European Union cut off financial support, France refused to withdraw its troops from Niger, and even threatened to plan air strikes on Niger. But in the end, we also know the result, Niger did not bow down under heavy pressure, and the French army fled back to France in disgrace.
As a former colonial suzerainty in many countries in Central, North and West Africa, France has always regarded the region as its traditional sphere of influence, likening it to "France's backyard". But the "back garden" will not be saved, and in less than a year, the next "Niger" will appear again.
Recently, the West African country of Senegal held a presidential election, and the young "left-wing pan-Africanist" Basiru Diomaje Faye from the largest opposition party won. To put it simply, the candidate's political appeal is to seek to break the treaty with France and improve relations with Russia. Immediately after his election, he said that it was time for France to leave Senegal. It also promised to review oil and gas agreements with Western companies, advocated a radical revision of relations between Senegal and France, following the example of neighboring Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and abandoning the French monetary system.
This is another African country following Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to expel French colonizers. In just two years, opposition to French forces has grown louder and louder in the region. Once the anti-colonial trend is re-established, it will be difficult to extinguish it. Although the vast majority of African countries have declared independence, they are still firmly controlled by France in the political, economic, financial and other fields, the most typical is the Franco-French Community of Africa - the franc system, through which France extracts up to 800 billion US dollars of wealth from Africa every year. For example, the uranium mines in Niger are controlled by France, which provides key materials for many of France's nuclear power plants. But Niger can only get a fraction of it, most of it is in the pockets of French mining companies, and most of the foreign exchange of these countries has to be handed over to the French Central Bank, and then French goods are still circulating freely in Africa, and finally make some money, and then flow back into the pockets of the French, which is the more obscure new era colonization of the West. The days when the high welfare life of some European countries is still built on the basis of colonizing other countries, squeezing out the resources of third world countries, and pouring their blood and tears into the superior life of Western countries is long over.
Do you still remember the previous "yellow vest" protests in France and the "Deferred Retirement Act" that triggered mass protests? The underlying reason is that because more African countries are trying to get rid of colonial control, France can no longer suck blood from Africa, and therefore cannot guarantee a high welfare system for its citizens.
These African countries are being profoundly influenced by Russia and China, China has been working in Africa for many years, and many African countries are closely linked to China politically, economically, culturally, and militarily. In recent years, Russia has also increased its investment in Africa, and what the Soviet Union did not accomplish was completed by Russia, and the anti-colonial awakening of African countries is inseparable from the help of China and Russia. But it is useless to be anxious, France is still like this in Africa, where does it really have the courage to harden Russia? The final result of France is to completely get out of Africa, and then France can only be reduced to a second-rate country, and the countries that lie on the blood vessels of the third world and suck blood will have the same outcome.