A through-line from every source I’ve read on the crisis is that there seems to be broad support across the country for the French military to remove their troops from Nigerien land. Another source: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/west-african-defence-chiefs-mull-response-niger-coup-2023-08-03/
The French refusal to relinquish military influence over their former colonial regions is a big part of why these popular coups have been seeking the support of Russia. If France and the West in general want to repair their relations with the people of the Sahel and steer them away from Russia, they need to reduce their military presence (assuming that has popular support) and begin providing reparations. This region was fucked over by the French and that has never been acknowledged fairly.
The article is about Nigeria’s willingness to intervene, not the origin of the coup that ousted the elected president. But I guess any article about the current crisis in Niger is a fair opening to take a shot at France.
from the article, it sounds like people there dont want Bazoum to return to power. ECOWAS is entirely unnecessary
But that isn’t how governments are supposed to work. If you don’t like a guy, vote him out next election. Nigeria should know this, as it did what Niger is currently doing 30 years ago. The reason ECOWAS is intervening is because of the amount of chaos that the junta will bring to the region. They’re trying to regulate their own area of the globe. And if look at Niger’s history, you’ll see why. They’re on their SEVENTH REPUBLIC. Because they set up a republic, then a general has a hissy fit when the duly elected leader pisses them off and they go a couping. Then all hell breaks loose for a few years until they do it again. Nigeria, in particular, should be looking to help keep the seventh republic stable.
Overthrown of a government that the people do not want is something completely democratic thing. It is what the French did in the revolution, it is what the Cubans did, it is what the Nicaraguans did, it is what a lot of nations did. Simply because a coup is supported by the military does not mean it is not legitimate. Military have shifted to right wing politics mostly in the West but it didn’t used to be like that and there are multiple examples of this throughout history. Voting isn’t the only way to do democracy.
a government that the people do not want
Is remains to be proven that Niger’s population actually wanted to remove their elected leader by force. This coup was carried out by the military group that was in charge of the president’s security, not Niger’s citizen.
Fair, I am not saying this is exactly that case but wanted to point out coups are not always something bad for the people.
it’s almost like republics/democracy doesnt work in that part of the world.
Nigeria, is literally right next door, gone through the same democracy-coup cycles in the past AND had had a functional democracy for the last 20+ years. What about that part of the world makes you think democracies can’t work?
Not a news piece but whatever goes to fight Western imperialism, am I right?
It’s good that Niger is trying to unshackle themselves from French influence. But it did not need to be in exchange for another imperialist that is just as bad if not worse.
As I said in another thread, Niger is replacing the somewat flawed influence of a Western democracy with the fatal influence of a full out dictatorship. But in the end, it’s their choice, or that of their military rulers at least.
