How French Neo-Colonialism Destabilized Africa’s Sahel, w/ Hannah Armstrong
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
- Africa’s Sahel region encompasses Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad and has been an arena of French colonialism, liberation struggles, ongoing imperialist interventions, the war on terror, and coups d’etat.
To discuss this and more Rania Khalek, was joined by Hannah Rae Armstrong, a long-time researcher with years of experience living and working in Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and then covering the Sahel for the International Crisis Group from her base in Senegal.
Hannah’s latest article in Foreign Affairs: www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...
Listen to every episode of Rania Khalek Dispatches anywhere you get podcasts.
Apple: apple.co/3zeYpeW
Spotify: spoti.fi/3za9DRK
TIME CODES
1:03 What is the Sahel?
5:12 Causes of destabilization
8:21 Borders
13:14 Impact of regime change in Libya
16:21 Local conflict exacerbated by counterterrorism efforts
20:02 Role of the Gulf countries in Sahel Jihadist groups
28:35 Why is France obsessed w/ the Sahel?
34:57 Impact of French intervention in Mali
41:18 Why so many coups in Mali?
44:32 Why are the French leaving Mali?
50:35 Russian interests in Mali
54:58 Turkey, Israel, Morocco & Algeria in the Sahel
1:00:15 US role in the Sahel 
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The guest chose some very convenient historical starting points for her version of why things developed. Colonialism started this hundreds of years ago. Gaddafi had a much higher approval rating in his country than any USA leader has ever had. He was going to bring Africa away from the USA dollar and form an African currency based on Libyan gold reserves. NATO had to kill him and destroy Libya to stop this. The guest also spoke of the so called "Libya freedom rebels" as terrorists after they left Libya. They were good in Libya but bad in Mali. They are and always were a segment of Al-Qaeda. NATO publicly demonizes Al-Qaeda but privately supports them, just as they support Nazi's in Ukraine.
B*llsht, almost everything you wrote is ridiculous and not true, or twisted to fit your narrative.
Misinformation par excellence!
👍
Indeed. Her analysis is not as deep as it could have been. Her analysis on why France still stays in Africa and intervenes actively in it, is actually quite shallow. These countries provide a captive market for French corporation’s finished goods as well as opportunities for natural resource and wealth extraction. In fact, France has been trying to grow its footprint into neighbouring anglophone countries to extend its greedy reach backed by its military forces in the region. She should read the 2020 UNCTAD report on illicit funds flows from Africa and assess whether imperialists waste time on frivolous projects of trying to relive ancient colonial fantasies or whether there are real material benefits of theft and treasure that drive their maintenance of a vice-like grip on African countries.
Seriously. Even saying these clashes are because of pre existing conditions like those pre existing conditions themselves are not another terrible by product of colonialism is jst baffling. I can’t decide if this speaker is jst uninformed or callous.
@@platosbeard4449 who r u and can we be friends? Tryna start a podcast on this very topic. Not to blow but to educate. Absolutely loved ur comment!👌🏽
The guess is omitting a lot of truth. Please bring an intellectual from the region for more detail analysis.
This is what I have been saying this about the French Colonial mindset. The French thing cannot get over these countries having gained independence from France!
They are not independent in any real sense. That's the function of neo-colonialism.
@@fun_ghoul Couldn’t agree more.
All former French colonies in West Africa must push France out of West Africa and close all their embassies. They will gain even more by trading with other countries in the world. You can only fight fire with fire.
@@Didmasela The second any seriously tries, they will be assassinated or otherwise co-opted.
We must wake up and be free of colonialism and imperialism.
Note to self: don’t bother watching when Rania has Hannah on again. A waste of 60 minutes of life listening to Council of Foreign Relations viewpoints while I could be getting a socialist perspective to balance off my overdose of imperialists viewpoints which I get from simply just existing in the west.
I am not crazy phew!
I agree
We Malians are fighting for the freedom and sovereignty of our country from European neocolonialism.
Brother/sister keep fighting. Uhuru sasa.
I support your fight to get those white supremacists out of Africa
Our government and army saved your ass from terrorists taking control over your entire country from your incompetent army and government (who called our government at the rescue btw) in 2013 but thanks...That's good you are willing to fight now, but it would have been better than complaining about "European neocolonialism" you all enrolled in the army to defend your country rather relying on foreign troops for all of these years.
Solidarity from America. Hopefully when we and the rest of the West implode, your countries will be free from the imperial machine to be independent and prosper.
Why do you need to fight?
Don't get swept away in those criticisms of imperialism and former colonizers, she tells us.
She's a mole
What your guest forgot to mention is that France-Afrique is for France what most of the rest of the world is for the US dollar: a way to maintain economic strength. That IS a resource, based on material goods and resources. Please bring back Kambale Musavuli and his colleagues for more detailed analysis.
And her take on the French intervention in Mali is more that disturbing, to say the least. On the other hand, she writes for Foreign Affairs, a known propagandist voice of western imperialism....
Oh wow. You are right. Its even linked at the top. Agree that Foreign Affairs writes propaganda for Western Imperialism. BT normally reports the socialist viewpoint.
Not true, the amount of trade with the region is marginal, the cost outweigh the economic opportunities by far, don't buy into the propaganda narrative.
@@AKAHEIZER It is not about trade, it is about debt and the international reserves of these countries. Look it up by yourself on the French government's numbers (Misitres des Affaires Étrangères, France-Afrique, Fonds de Développement, etc.)
The moment I saw a white Algerian woman talking about the Sahel I knew she wouldn't be truthful
Same people who called Toure a dictator
Hannah Armstrong made a disappointing guest to talk about the issue. She was quite biased if not a racist by calling the freedom fighters jihadists and radicals. She, however, indirectly highlighted some of the objectives of the white imperialist forces in the region: prevent free movement of people, spy on the locals, keep a friendly regime in place, continue to exploit the Africans, prevent/limit immigration to European countries, keep the region destabilised and impoverished, set up the most polluting factories such as those for ciment etc, carry out tests of vectorized pathogens and vaccines by using the Africans as guinea pigs. These white imperialist forces should definitely be forced to leave the region. In any case thanks for all your videos. I hope you can re-do this video by getting the perspective of someone from the region itself (from Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso).
It could be used as a counterpoint dialogue if they could get a socialist African to respond to the segment? I would also like to see a different guest for this issue. More than one guest might be needed for all the topics you mentioned.
ICG works with Western "intelligence" agencies. People in the region know that. You could see that when she said I can't talk about that, there are people monitoring that more closely. I'm not saying everything is inaccurate but yes, she's coming from an ideological and material place.
Right, hence illustrating the dynamic of a complex problem.
Thanks a lot for your comments. I started to watch this video and became cynical almost immediately. Thanks to you I don't have to waste my valuable time to engage. If this western woman is not anti-imperialist then it's useless bringing her on to Breakthrough which purports to represent an alternative viewpoint. Sometimes Rania says she wants to present different perspectives but this perspective by Armstrong can be found any where in bourgeois media, including The Intercept. So, why waste the anti-imperialist activists', who presumably constitute the bulk of the audience, time by bringing a tepid guest like Armstrong. Rania could certainly do better! I'm kind of offended as a person who was born in West Africa but currently residing in the US having to be presented with a watered down version, at best, and a disguised pro-west view of events in the Sahel as legitimate narrative! I hope Rania takes these constructive criticisms for what they are.
@@TheAdwoaoni Accurate. Rania's professionalism saves this document.
Everyone knows the atrocities of the French army in Mali.
Rather, everyone SHOULD know.
Thank you for discussing the Sahel and colonialism BT! But, don't leave the discussion with only a Foreign Affairs writer. Is it possible to follow-up with an socialist African counterpoint to this topic? The Sahel will continue to be relevant in the future.
This is actually the first broadcast from this channel that the didn't watch til the end!!!.......I couldn't take more than 50 min of her rhetoric!
Same here. My 43 minutes are wasted!
I stopped watching in the first few seconds once I heard who guest Hannah works for...
She works for International Crisis Group (ICG), a.k.a., Crisis Creating Group...nasty Western media brand profiting from fanning flames in Africa.
Another excellent show, comprehensive and balanced, thank you!! Speaking as an Englishman one of the things that really irks me is the tendency of people in former colonial powers to deride and sneer at developing countries which are former imperial possessions while refusing to accept any suggestion that many of the problems in the developing world are to no small extent a result of colonial legacies and continued interference by former colonial powers who remained de-facto colonial meddlers. It displays a shocking lack of self awareness.
Yes I agree,but Africa has to take responsibility for what the continent is facing,colonialism and slavery are now gone,and i agree with you completely,imperialist interventions does more harm than good.
@@knowstitches7958 I certainly agree that African governments and organisations have to shoulder their responsibility too. To pretend that the colonial legacy and ongoing post colonial meddling by outsiders is responsible for all the continents problems would be just as wrong as denying that those factors are very important. One of the things I liked about this report was the unusual depth which demonstrated the complexity of the region
This video barely explains what the Sahel region is, and what intrinsic problems threaten this region. One very important problem for this region is the problem of desertification, which causes loss of farmland and graze lands to deserts. In combination with large population grow this is an important source of the problems, combined with otther threats (islamic fighters, etc.). The Sahel region is defined as the border zone between the Sahara and the savanna and tropical forests further south, and due to natural and human factors, the Sahara dessert is still growing southwards, threatening the existence of the people dependent on farming and cattle. African Union planned to combat desertification by building a green wall (forests), 15 km wide and stretching from Senegal to Eritrea (ca. 8000 km). This project was inspired by the Chinese green wall, the Chinese initiative to combat desertification in the Gobi desert. The african project however suffers from delays. It was planned that this green wall would be complete in 2030, but as of yet only 8% has been built. Another threat is the drying up of Lake Chad, where millions of people are dependent for their water.
Additionally, west african countries are still the subject of neo-colonialism, as France has the monopoly on the currency and restricts the way these countries can spent their national budget. France interfered in western african countries who try to get rid of the monetary restrictions.
Exactly. Thank u.
If this presentation only scratches the surface of the problem, it would be useful to provide us with additional sources that provide information on which we could build greater understanding and learning. A takeoff point is always useful for a beginning.
Nothing against your guest, but I wish you had someone from the region to have more understanding of what is going on instead of hearing the same generalities and superficial "analysis" that are not that different from mainstream media lies..
Hannah Amstrong is not intellectually qualified for this interview of Africa Sahel and French colonialism. She is very ideologically driven by her western conservatism instincts and ideology. Mrs Amstrong defines the real colonialism issues so lightly or simply ignores them. Khania there are more qualified and historically objective people for this type of interview than Hannah Armstrong.
Such a superficial interview !
Disappointing! The guest is either naive or ignorant!
Happy birthday ho chi minh
Love from 🇻🇳
30:00 is very interesting while also absurd, that the French want to play superpower. But it's true, you can buy any resources on the free market, with or without military involvement. China has zero troops in the Sahel, yet they can buy whatever they need in terms of resources.
"HOW" to stop further destabilisation of African countries among others?
It seems that politicians in the west/US/UK see that it is very difficult for them to lead and solve the problems of the West/UK/US people with the system they know and apply so far. They were already at the stage of frustration. The only way is to wreak havoc in the world, so that they can rob the wealth and money of rich countries like Iran, Libya, Iraq, Venezuela, Syria, and now they want to rob Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, UAE. , Taiwan, China, Germany, Japan, Australia and India. They want to play against each other. Antique colonial politics "Divide and Conquer" is still the best choice for them. But the politicians of the West/US/UK forget or turn a blind eye to the new conditions now, other countries are already smart and strong. They were already prepared for an all-out power battle.😀😃😄
Hold on a minute. If the French indeed have billions invested in Mali, how come material interests are not the priority? Total S.A. has been exploring oil reserves there. It's not likely that a capitalist power, be it France or Russia, would send military into Mali just to play tough.
The French are not the US, they intervened on the behalf of the government, of course although for regional and french security interest, power projection and "prestige" and a neo-colonial hangover (get over it France!), but mostly for humanitarian reasons and a honest effort of stabilizing the region.
@@AKAHEIZER Humanitarian reasons have always been a mere sugar-coating on real issues. For imperialists, human rights matter only as a tool for propaganda. French and U.S. imperialism don't differ in any fundamental sense.
@@AKAHEIZER They intervene for regional stability, huh? It has nothing to do with maintaining markets for French corporations’ finished goods? Nothing to do with exploitation and resource extraction? They maintain control of the francophone countries currency out of a paternal benevolence huh? They snuffed out Sankara’s life using their proxies in Ivory Coast just because they wanted to maintain stability huh, not because his ideas of breaking away from colonial economic exploitation was too bitter to swallow? How amusing.
@@platosbeard4449In 2013 the islamist terrorists controled most of Mali and were heading toward the capitale of the country to take total control of it. The Malian government called the French government to save them, it's what they did through the French army that pushed them back toward North of the country. For all the billions we invested in and all the french soldiers dead, it would have been pretty sweet of them to compensate us with Malian resources unfortunately Mali is a very poor country with few resources.
You are just full of BS coming from anti-France propaganda. I hope one day truth will triumph over fake news but...I'm a bit skeptical.
The debate of moving from colonialism to neo-colonialism is an ongoing one. However, in the effort to move on, it's absolutely important to ensure that speakers of diverse opinions are presented, thereby allowing opportunities for enhanced learning that could prove mutually beneficial in the course of resolving the problems that prevent meaningful development for the people of the region.
You guys are ahead of the curve.
Gurl come on! 🙄 this lady may has well have been here to defend France. Absolutely awful interview. But i still love u! Thanks for wat u do.
Super impressed with your work, Rania! Subscribed!
Mali has GOLD. Mali is rich.
Rania is a brilliant and thorough researcher.
This show is off of usual quality for BreakThrough news. That's what happens when you call up people which are neither marxist nor directly affected by the conflicts they are talking about.
We should fight against colonialism even more in it's current "subtle" forms which are still as violent as usual. Not doing so is a fault with the truth and the erasure of these people's struggles.
Why does everyone ignore Ghana?
if mali gets ultra mad and sends a ninja, it will be macron whose throat is slit on a dark and stormy night
Free the Land
maps are great visual aids! throw some country B roll in to add more color to the narrative presentations ... more questions, less presumptions: "Is Quatr having an influence...?" don't want to presuppose based on unverified information, particularly when talking with a person that is on the ground and deeply engaged.
During the colonial era, France relied heavily on forced labor and slavery in its colonies, particularly in industries such as agriculture and mining. These practices were characterized by various injustices, including physical abuse, rape, harsh working conditions, and the denial of basic human rights. Africans argue that the economic benefit derived from these unjust practices came at the expense of the lives and dignity of the colonial subjects.
I don’t think this guest knows much about the area she is talking about.Which countries did she live in while she was there and how long did she live in each of the countries she visited Whom did she talk to garner the information to base her conclusions on
Remember they did say "Europe is a garden and Africa is the jungle".
All these EU countries do not want anyway getting their way of their age old thievery.
African and other nations are tired of the pillaging and hypocracy so this is time for this to end.
This is the worst guest Rania ever had! Is she your highschool classmate, Rania 😅?
I appreciate the humour, but really, I wonder if it's just a matter of "return on (labour) investment": Having spent the time to interview some a-hole, do you shitcan it, line up another guest and hope to get it done before the same deadline? Or just float one down the river to give Al Gore rhythm or whatever?
I can't logically blame a worker who chooses the latter when they find themselves in such a predicament, sucky though suffering through it may be for those who do; I haven't and won't watch this one...bless the thorough comrade-rehashers in the comments!
Guest works for International Crisis Group (ICG), a.k.a., Crisis Creating Group...nasty Western media brand profiting from fanning flames in Africa.
Freedom of questions and speech!
Democracy isn't a one size fits all government system. There's absolute mornachies in Asia and Europe that are doing far better than democracies. I don't know what the right fit is for Africa or the Sahel. But all these modern systems have been tried out in most countries, to no avail. The democracy practiced in the continent is often a winner takes all, zero sum game. Such that every election year comes with economic and political crises. Many African countries tend to be on the verge of breakdown after an election. With foreign powers jumping at the opportunity to exploit the division to serve their interests. Maybe we're trying something that just doesn't fit here, or maybe we're not ready for it, I don't know. Basic needs, peace and long term stability are Africa's priority right now. Democracy doesn't seem to be delivering that. There's some countries that succeed every now and then but it's usually dependent on the benevolence of the leaders elected. As soon as they're out, there's a fallout. Then another wave of instability begins. It's a viscous cycle that's plunging so many Africans into abject poverty and suffering. We should try to curate these systems and find something that actually works, and can be effectively integrated within our culture. Ideological concerns such as democracy cannot be sustained as long as majority of the population is grappling with extreme poverty and violence on a daily basis.
The West created ALL these problems for/in Africa with the Berlin Conference (1884-1885). Perhaps it is no coincidence that Africom is in Stuttgart.
8min And I now who she is supporting! 🤬
Guest works for International Crisis Group (ICG), a.k.a., Crisis Creating Group...nasty Western media brand profiting from fanning flames in Africa.
Democracy isn't a one size fits all system of government. There's mornachies in Europe and Asia that are doing far better than democracies. What Africa needs today is basic needs, long term peace and stability. We've tried just about every other system on the planet be it liberal or conservative. Democracy or whatever that is here, seems not to be delivering on it's hefty promises. It's often a winner take all, zero sum game. Therefore, every election year many African countries tend to be on the verge of a breakdown. Foreign powers jump at the opportunity to exploit the division to serve their own interests. It's a viscous cycle that's leaving many Africans in abject poverty and suffering.
Maybe we're trying something that just doesn't fit here. Or maybe we're not ready for it, I don't know. But, the problem is these systems have come from outside. We've adopted them without any thorough examination. We've not studied their suitability to our unique cultural and social- economic conditions.
Most of the population don't understand how it actually works. There's inadequate engagement by the civil activists and educators at the grass roots level to teach the rural population. The school curriculum doesn't cultivate civic consciousness. So most don't even know when or how to hold leaders accountable. The primary pillar of democracy is accountability. Yet in most democracies, it's the weakest link. It takes the population to be driven to the most desperate depths of survival to finally put up a resistance. Perhaps we should take all these systems we've borrowed and curate something that can be effectively integrated into our culture. Problem is, there's little to no political will to reform democracy within the continent or globally. It's perceived as the only system without flaws. It's becoming a religion that is practised without questioning its merits.
Your guest is a mole of the Empire lol
Adventurism! Yay ugghhh.
I agree with a lot of the commenters here. This show was a disaster. Not because of the guest being left, right, up or down, or representing a specific group, or being a French apologist, but because she had absolute no skills in how to communicate.
I mean, it took her several minutes to NOT explain what the Sahel region is! Apparently the host felt likewise and had to pull up a map of the region to help the viewers.
.🔍👌
Your guess conveniently chose her narrative of things. The west recruited paid fighters as far as middle east and the southern cocourses to fight Gaddafi while they provided air support. Then use remnants of these forces to disstabilise the various states in these areas so in the middle of that chaos, they can extra the resourse without challenge. Then they turn around and provided their security services and increase recruitment of these terrorists organizations. After 10 years of the presence of western forces, there was no securiy improvement given that they sponsored these terrorist organizations. Today, these countries have elected to partner with other countries to drive out everyone. The terrorists organizations and the neocolonialists armies.
typical ngo(?) cultural differences etc etc
Why don't you have Africans talk about situations happening within Africa...???
No puppets allowed 1:04:41
Listening to Ms Hannah Armstrong is like listening to the spokesperson of the Quay d’Orsay. Ignorance or lack of knowledge of the real issues, I wonder ?
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A superficial, White European-centric narrative of why things are. Her research findings would do well in sustaining the Colonial mindset.
Isn't the French army actually stabilizing the region and keeping borders as they are?
Thats what they want you to believe
Who made the borders? Who benefits from the current configuration? If you won't ask the questions, you'll never know the answers...
In fact the French army saved Mali from terrorist groups who were close to take control over all Mali in 2013. But facts are not in their agenda here....
@@shakya00 I wish the did. They didn't and they cannot (no body could) . French corporations dealin w their government are taking advantage the uranium deposits in mali. Check it out
@@mussie2039 Yes, they did....It's just fact. In 2013 the Malian government called them because the islamist extremists were taking control of the country...
For the uranium mines, France doesn't have interest to get a few millions dollars through Orano (French company which exploits mines) in Mali while on the other hand spending billions each year to secure the region. Do the maths. Mali isn't even a big player on the uranium market. We don't need it to get the uranium for our nuclear power plants. Either buying it from foreign companies or Orano through its mines in Niger is way cheaper than securing small malian mines costing billions of dollars in opex and soldier deaths... It doesn't even make sense.
you need to invite an african person to speak on Mali, not a euro person. Thanks. Ask Natalie Yamb. She has no clue of the anger malians feel towards the french and their allies. It was not mali who invited the french, but a french puppet. A euro person cannot educate you like a well-informed african person.
Please bring a much more knowledgeable guest next time. This lady is a fake specialist on the subject !!! I know more than she knows about the area
Why shouldn't European countries be involved in African countries as there are tens of millions of Africans in Europe, so while Afticans live and thrive in Europe, why shouldn't Europeans live and thrive in Africa.
You are duly welcome to come and live like normal citizen 😂. Always remember their resources gives you comfort.
Hopefully you've connected the dots by now! The French, American and EU governments and Western corporations who privatise Africa's natural resources are taking 500 billion dollars out of Africa every single year untaxed, in natural resources. While only paying these countries a small fraction of money in comparison. You could call it theft! The African continent is poor because of the lack of industries. African leaders are deterred from nationalising their natural resources by assassinations or incentives surrounding corruption.
Coupled with the fact that the US state department selects pro Western puppet leaders to run for presidency in order to protect their own selfish interests instead of having the best interests of the citizens.
Most importantly for the 14 Francophone countries, France dominates their national budget by printing their currency the CFA Franc and holding back 85% in the French treasury in Paris, which is put on the stock market and pegged against the Euro. If these countries need more than their allocated 15% yearly funds, they have to apply for a loan. If the loan is approved then they will have to pay back the loan with interests. Which means that they are essentially paying back interest on their own money as the 85% is kept in France. Then there's the colonialism tax which they are forced to pay for the infrastructure that the French built during colonialism.
There's a lot more to add but I'm just giving you an idea of the monopoly that France has acquired over the economic stability in 14 Francophone countries in Africa, which significantly results in a lack of development and crippling economy. The hundreds of thousands of people who risk their lives to come to Europe crossing the Channel in dinghy boats each year are not risking death for the fun of it.
You can come and inhabit within African countries like the way Africans come over and stay in Europe. But don’t come over to destabilize, steal resources and install puppet leaders because Africans don’t do that in Europe 😆.