This question has been in circulation since recent developments in some of the West African countries which had been under the influence of France for a long time because Francophone Africa never really got true independence from the shackles of France.
The term Francophone refers to the group of West African states where the French language has been spoken since they were colonized by France and Belgium, and even after decolonization in the 1950s and 1960s, the former colonial empires particularly France maintained tight control on the economy and the governance of the so-called independent states. However, there is at least one country, Burkina Faso, whose young military Captain Ibrahim Traore has stood up to France’s unjust and unacceptable interference in the country’s governance.
West Africa is comprised of fifteen (15) independent states which have formed an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). These states include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
This revolutionary change in Africa has not taken place overnight. One needs to understand the phenomenon of neopolitics, a hybrid term for geopolitics, geostrategy, and geoeconomics. While the US-led Western World was busy with wars and conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan, China was quietly working on its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) across all continents, particularly Africa.
The people of Burkina Faso see Traore as if Sankara has risen from the grave to fulfil his promises of two meals a day with clean drinking water.
By now, at least 52 African countries have signed numerous agreements with the BRI projects because Africa is considered a key part of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) efforts. Interestingly, China has adopted Sun Tzu’s precepts of winning without fighting. Therefore, China does not give direct aid to African leaders but invests in developing projects like rails, roads, ports, and energy. This makes China different from all the former colonial empires of Africa who still invest in few leaders to maintain their influence on the economy and the governance of the state.
Back to the question of how Africa is changing. To answer that question, one needs to look at the recent developments in some of the West African countries before deploying the China factor. Burkina Faso, a former French colony, gained independence as Upper Volta in 1960. Despite significant reserves of gold, the country remains extremely poor. Its landlocked location makes it dependable on neighbouring states which are also very poor. Concurrently, it has been facing the adverse effects of climate change in the form of droughts and famine alongside political instability due to jihadist insurgency from the neighbouring country, Mali.
In the midst of chaos, a young Captain Ibrahim Traore took charge of Burkina Faso in September 2022. After a brief period of consolidation, he started to act independently and in January 2023, he asked the Frech troops to leave the country within a month. A contingent comprised of 400 troops were present in Burkina Faso to counter terrorism arising out of Mali. Frcance reacted sharply but had no choice but to accept the demand of the incumbent regime of Traore.
Furthermore, Traore hit the international headlines when he visited Russia alongwith other African leaders for a Russia-Africa summit in July 2023. His speech on the forum earned him praise from different quarters because he stated on the face of other African leaders that “We, African heads of state, must stop acting like marionettes who dance each time the imperialists pull on our strings.”
Traore called for the need to strive for self-sufficiency in food for the African people on the occasion. He also coined a popular phrase ‘Let us feed our citizens.’ Traore’s pronouncement reminded of Thomas Sankara, a revolutionary leader of Burkina Faso who seized power on August 4, 1983 from leadership supported by France. Sankara made a powerful speech in the United Nations General Assembly on October 4, 1984, which will be long remembered. “Our economic ambition is to use the strength of the people of Burkina Faso to provide, for all, two meals a day and drinking water.” The people of Burkina Faso see Traore as if Sankara has risen from the grave to fulfil his promises of two meals a day with clean drinking water. Unfortunately, Sankara was assasinated on October 15, 1987.
Likewise, the leaders of Mali and Niger have also started to assert themselves against the interventions of fromer colonizers. Perhaps, they are drawing strength from the support of China and Russia.
In my opinion, if Traore survives in power over the long run, and the support from the China-Russia duo continues at the current pace, Africa might see the light for a more independent and fast-developing continent than any other region.
The writer of this article has authored three international books: “Nuclear Deterrence and Conflict Management Between India and Pakistan” “South Asia Needs Hybrid Peace” and “Understanding Sun Tzu and the Art of Hybrid War.”