Have you ever wondered why 14 African nations still pay colonial taxes to France after many years of their independence? It is because of the pact for the continuation of colonization also known as modern-day slavery.
Have you ever wondered why 14 African nations still pay colonial taxes to France after many years of their independence? It is because of the pact for the continuation of colonization also known as modern-day slavery. The French administration takes over $500 billion from these countries each year which is enough evidence to explain the cause of military coups in some of these countries.
Nine major components of the pact since 1950 will be discussed with significant military coups associated with the French administration.
Components of the Continuation of Colonization.
1) Involuntary seizure of national reserves: According to the pact, all 14 African nations should deposit their countries’ monetary reserves into the French Central Bank. Since 1961, France has been holding the monetary reserves of Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Congo-Brazzaville, Benin, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Niger, Central African Republic, Chad, and Mali. With their monetary policy governed by the French treasury, all 14 countries must keep at least 65% of their foreign exchange reserves and 20% for financial liabilities in operations account in the French treasury.
They are allowed to access only 15% of their finances each year. If they need more than 15% for project completion in their respective nations, they will have to borrow from their own 65% foreign exchange reserves at commercial rates from
the French treasury. The amount of funds these countries can borrow is imposed at a fixed cap of 20% of their public revenue in the preceding year.
2) Priority to French interests and corporations in public bidding and procurement: In the award of major government contracts like road constructions, airfields, major government buildings, HEP dams, and more, French companies and/or corporations must be considered first.
It does not matter if these ex-colonies find excellent value for money elsewhere. Only after French interest is satisfied that these nations to explore elsewhere for other options.
As a consequence of the pact, all key economic assets of Francophone African countries are in the hands of French expatriates.
3) The right of first refusal on any natural or raw resource discovered in the French ex-colonies: According to the pact, the French people possess the first right to buy any natural or raw resources discovered in the land of French African countries. It’s only after France is no more interested, that her ex-colonies are allowed to seek other buyers or partners.
4) The obligation to use FCFA as your country’s legal tender and to send your reserve and annual balance report for review: The franc CFA is the “real milk cow” that gives over $500 billion to the French treasury. Despite being the fortress of France’s riches, these ex-colonies are forced to submit their reserve and annual balance reports. Without these reports, no finances for these respective nations.
5) Colonial debt for the benefit of French colonization: Though funny, the pact stipulated that all newly independent French colonies should pay for the infrastructure built by the French in these nations during colonization.
6) Exclusive right for France to supply soldierly equipment, train military personnel, pre-deploy, and intervene militarily in French Africa to protect its interests: France has put in place a superb scheme of defence agreements, grants, and scholarships linked to the colonial pact. This component allows the French ex-colonies to send their senior service members for training in French training facilities or homeland France. The French administration has and is still training thousands of defence conspirators who are active when needed during military coups. With instrumental rights to intervene militarily in these African countries, France has also stationed troops permanently in its bases as is the case with Gabon, Chad, and Mali.
7) Obligation to ally with the French homeland in situations of global crisis or war: Millions of French African service members fought alongside France for the subjugation of fascism and Nazism during World War II. France knows the importance of its ex-colonies during wartime as it took Germany just six weeks to overthrow France in 1940. However, Africa could be useful in the future if fighting for the “Greatness of France”.
8) The restriction to enter into a military alliance with other nations unless approved by France:
French African countries are forbidden to seek external military alliances except for the one France offers.
9) The compulsion to make French an official language and the language for education: All 14 countries have established French as the first official language and the language for education in their respective countries.
Having understood the components of the pact, it is important to point out some military coups that took place in Francophone Africa as a result of trying to break ties with France.
Military Coups in West and Central Africa.
In 1968 after Mali became independent from France, the country’s first president Modibo Keita also known as a resistance fighter, actively tried to rupture ties with France. He was overthrown on November 19, 1968, through a military coup d’état, and later died in captivity in Bamako in 1977. Since then, the Malian authorities have agreed to hold more than 60% of their monetary reserves in the French treasury in France.
Burkina Faso is another pertinent example. After her independence in 1960, Burkina B president Thomas Sankara attempted to sever ties with France by cancelling their agreement to the pact. Though having great concern for the wellness and safety of his people, he was killed after the 1983 military coup.
In 1958, Guinea fought for her independence and attempted to abridge ties with France under the leadership of President Ahmed Sekou Toure from 1965 to 1975.
The French who lived in Guinea at the time caused massive destruction to Guinea’s French-built assets. Subsequently, in 1984, Sekou Toure was forced out of office in the 1984 Guinean coup d’état.
Away from military coups, the flawed logic of the interventionist French policies as a component of the pact aiming to “stabilize” French African nations have bolstered violence and authoritarian political orders. The French protection has enabled many and/or all French African regimes to pursue corruption, discriminatory, and occasionally genocidal policies as breathing ground to protect the French Economic interests. Authoritarian regimes, border militias, and irregulars are a part of the French foreign policy to Africa. They are like political entrepreneurs to whom the ‘war’ against ‘jihad’ is outsourced. With
man rights abuses which France tends to ignore as a necessary evil to protect her interests.
For instance, Niger is the primary source of fissile uranium to France. Areva and EDF (Electricitéde France) are the two major power multinational corporations that operate 59 nuclear power plants and depend on the uranium supply from two mines in Niger which also are owned and operated by French concerns. In 2004 alone, out of total 540.6 TWh of total electricity produced, 425.8 TWh (78%approx.) had been derived from nuclear sources. This was not only the cornerstone of her low carbon footprint environment-friendly energy initiative but also made her one of the largest exporters of electricity globally grossing about 3 million Euros per annum. This explains why France has turned to ignore all human rights abuses in the Niger crisis. However, anything that could jeopardize the supply of fissile uranium to Areva and EDF may face devastating consequences from the French government.
The Way forward to breaking the Pact for the Continuation of Colonization.
Other repressive African regimes and leaders that have benefited from the French disregard of human rights abuses include; the French intervention and support of Mobutu Sese Seko in the 1970s which gave the dictator space to crack down on agitators while pursuing the ill-gotten gains of his country for another two decades. The support and protection of Habre’s regime in the 1980s allowed him to become one of the bloodiest rulers in post-colonial African history. France’s 1990-1993 intervention in support of Juvenal Habyarimana’s regime in Rwanda prolonged a war that later resulted in genocide. Today, France has ignored all human rights abuses caused by Biya’s regime in the Cameroon Crisis from 2016 to the present day.It should be noted that the long-standing nature of grievances in French African countries can be linked to the political and economic nature of French policy for the region itself since independence. This fact can be looked at through different perspectives. One perspective holds that the neo-colonial practices of controlling the economy and polity of the French African states to appropriate surplus are to make conditions ripe for terrorism or violence. The other view contends the deliberate marginalization of minority communities like is the case with the English-speaking community of Cameroon, Arabic Northern Mali, and the Muslim minority in the Central African Republic by France and its supported regime to radicalize these communities. Yet another view interprets the crisis as an outcome of domestic politics and aspirations of France and the sequence of international events to which the French state responds accordingly about the pact for the continuation of colonization.
The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.
Breaking ties with France isn’t that easy. Doing this will require a series of steps. The practice of democracy within French African countries is important. It will not only ease in severing ties but will help in eliminating authoritarian regimes, genocidal policies, violence, and/or radicalization of minority communities.
First and famous, West and Central African states need to practice impartiality, representation, liberty, and justice within their political systems and regimes. This way, the voice of its people will shape the domestic and foreign policy of their respective nations towards France.
Also, they need to implement the principle of separation of power. Equal power distribution among all arms of government will pave the way for checks and balances between the Executive, legislature, and judiciary. The right of mutual control and influence will make all three powers interact in an equitable and balanced way thus implementing the rule of law as enshrined in their various constitutions.
Furthermore, free and fair elections will be the foundation of a healthy democracy in French Africa if practiced. This will ensure that government authorities derive
power from the will of the African people and not France while helping facilitate tasks for ties rupture. If all three pillars of democracy are implemented as mentioned above, the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement will help in the complete rupture of ties between Africa and France to the benefit of Africans.
As a new “Baby” yet to be born, the African Continental Free Trade Area is indeed the “crown savior” in the political and economic bargaining power of not just French Africa but of the entire continent. Although trade flows among African states remain below their potential, this ambitious project will accelerate political and economic integration and significantly expand intra-continental trade.
Privileges of this Agreement.
The Major Deal: This agreement makes Africa the biggest regional bloc since the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1995.
Expected to have a transformative impact on participating markets, this deal is set to increase intra-African trade by 52% in 2022.
A forecast range of long-term economic benefits including overall gains after full implementation of the deal is estimated at $16.1 billion per year. Also, the bloc’s GDP and employment growth are predicted at 0.97% and 1.17%. With full implementation expected in the years ahead, the AfCFTA is an essential milestone potentially laying the groundwork for an integrated Africa. People, cultures, goods, and services will move freely as an African intuitive, driven by African states and institutions.
Powerful Bloc: the AfCFTA will enable African states to transition towards a collective bargaining bloc, negotiating as one market and strengthening Africa’s common voice in global trade deals. This will support negotiations with major
powers such as the EU and China, with whom African countries usually negotiate as single entities.
Collective bargaining will boost Africa’s trading position in the world’s market while strengthening the continent’s appeal as a global trading partner.
Manufacturing Boost: The agreement is set to bring a wide range of benefits to African citizens and their entrepreneurs. It will help substantially in needed job creation in the continent particularly in areas of manufacturing. Its implementation has the potential to double the size of the manufacturing sector by creating 13 to 16 million jobs and helping to bridge the gap in employment.
Greater Cooperation: For a successful implementation of the AfCFTA, continuing cooperative efforts will be required. The improvement of governance and transparency will significantly contribute to enhancing the continent’s investment climate. Investing and cooperating in education will bring much-needed skills in science, technology, and digital training. Also, greater efforts to the region’s security issues and regional conflicts would require great cooperation from the African states excluding France and the outside world as increased trade integration and economic development both require peace and stability.
Endnotes.
A country that practices impartiality, representation, liberty, and justice, will give no room for authoritarian regimes, genocidal policies, violence, and/or radicalization of the minority communities. This in exchange, is the price
French Africa has to pay for complete freedom from France and its pact for the continuation of colonization.
Their separate existence is a myth. For science, music, sport, etc, Europe uses the same vocabulary. The languages only differ in their grammar, their pronunciation and their most common words. Everyone realizes why a new common language would be desirable: one could refuse to pay expensive translators.
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