End France’s Domination of Africa — End Francafrique
Our forefathers fought and died to liberate our continent from the colonial powers, who had carried out the worst form of acculturation in Africa. Many of the colonial powers left Africa during the wave of independence in the 1950s and 1960s, leaving behind arbitrary borders, weak administrative structures and a pronounced bias, which persists today in many countries, towards western languages and culture over our local languages, cultures and traditions.
For the French, the damage was not enough. They also left behind something more sinister and tangible in the shape of the CFA franc – a colonial currency currently used by 14 African countries, which coincidentally happen to be among the poorest in the continent and in the world.
Given that France’s Treasury backs the CFA franc, they do everything to discourage any external or domestic challenges to their primacy. As such, France has orchestrated coups and interventions in Africa, leaving behind a long list of Francophone African leaders who tried — and failed — to defy or reduce French authority.
As a consequence, France has kept unusually close ties with its former colonies in Africa, ruthlessly guarding its interests there through cultural and economic power, covert action and dozens of military interventions.
Demand:
- An End to France’s continuous intervention and domination of African Affairs
- An End to the use of the Franc CFA in 14 African Countries
- An effective End to Francafrique – France’s neocolonial domination of its former empire in Africa.
- An End to Neocolonialism
- End of modern day enslavement
There are four fundamental principles guiding France’s relationship with the CFA countries. These are captured succinctly by Pierre Canac and Rogelio Garcia-Contreras in an article in the Journal of Asian and African Studies (February 2011).
1. The French Treasury guarantees without limits, the convertibility of the two CFA francs.
2. The two CFA francs are convertible at a fixed exchange into French francs [now euros],”. So France abandoned the French Francs but we are stuck with the CFA Franc. Also, the fixed exchange rate can change, but only when France approves.
3. Despite plenty of restrictions, there are no de jure controls on the movements of capital within the [CFA] zone.”
4. The CFA zone members must “pool together a minimum of 65% of their international reserves, corresponding to 20% of the monetary base of each central bank, into an operations account at the French Treasury”.
Former French President Francois Mitterrand once declared that Africa is France’s future in the 21st century. In the same light, successive French presidents have declared an end to Francafrique, but none has done so. Emmanuel Macron should, therefore, be called upon to end this NOW!