MN Anti-War Committee Stands in Solidarity with the People of Niger
Published September 2023
The Anti-War Committee stands in solidarity with the people of Niger and against US and NATO military intervention in the country. We commend Burkina Faso and Mali for their strong support for Niger and for creating an independent, anti-imperialist bloc in West Africa. The people of Niger are fighting against US/NATO-supported French imperialism and neocolonialism.
The US military plays a signi ficant role behind the scenes in supporting French neo-colonialism in Niger. The US military is engaging in drone warfare and joint US-French “counter-terrorism” operations in the country. The United States began military operations in Niger in 2002 under President George Bush as part of the “war on terror” and each subsequent administration has increased US military presence in Niger. Currently, the US military and CIA have two permanent bases and over 1,000 US military personnel in Niger. The US has nearly as many stationed military personnel in Niger as France does. The US bases in Niger are a fundamental part of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) which oversees US military operations across the continent of Africa. The US government uses its military power to support the interests of Western multinational corporations and its ally, France, in Niger.
The US’ “global war on terrorism” has spread violence and instability in Niger. It is important to note that the previous Nigerien government’s inability to deal with violent extremism and the worsening security situation is the primary reason why the military deposed the Bazoum government, with the popular support of the Nigerien people. US and French military interventions and drone strikes across the Sahel region are fueling the rise of reactionary violence, the very “Islamist terrorism” that the West has purported to fight by reinforcing the conditions that produce terrorism: extreme poverty, foreign military occupation, and political inequality.
The US and NATO have played an integral role in destabilizing the Sahel region and supporting neocolonialism all across Africa. In particular, France has demonstrated a clear interest in continuing to control the political and economic situation in Niger, to continue to leech their natural resources, as they have for over a hundred years, and to maintain Niger’s place in the neocolonial Françafrique system. Françafrique is a neocolonial political, economic, and military system that France has developed to exploit African nations in its sphere of influence. This agreement forces France’s former colonies to pay France to hold on to their money and essentially amounts to a massive wealth transfer from many of the poorest countries in the world to France. Niger, the world’s 7th largest producer of uranium, currently supplies 20% of the uranium used for French nuclear energy production while 80% of Nigeriens do not have access to electricity. France is reported to have 153 billion dollars in gold reserves while possessing zero gold mines of their own. Niger has well over 100 gold mines, and yet it is currently the 7th poorest country on Earth. The resources stolen from Niger and other Françafrique nations placed France in the powerful global position that it holds today.
The recent struggle against French imperialism in the Sahel region and the decolonization of Niger has been met with threats of military intervention from France, and other Western imperialist countries. It does not go unnoticed that many of the voices denouncing the overthrow of former Nigerien President Bazoum as “undemocratic”, primarily the US and NATO nations, had no qualms spearheading the undemocratic overthrow of the Libyan State in 2011. The US/NATO intervention in Libya has led to a brutal, decade-long ongoing civil war that has allowed extremist groups to flourish in Libya and spill over into neighboring countries such as Niger, Mali, and Chad. Western cries for the restoration of democracy in Niger ring hollow against the backdrop of imperialist hypocrisy. Western imperialism has ensured that West African nations are highly susceptible to neo-colonial exploitation, and has created political conditions where graft, corruption, and subservience to multinational corporations are rewarded with “humanitarian development aid” and US and French military support. Due to centuries of pillaging, colonialism, and Western intervention, many African state governments and economies are very weak and impoverished. This has led to a system where the militaries, often trained by the West to maintain the colonial status quo, are the only strong institutions within many African states. Niger has chosen their path toward economic and political sovereignty from limited options.
We at the Anti-War Committee condemn in the strongest possible terms any attempt by France, the EU, the UN, the US, ECOWAS, or NATO, to initiate or support a military intervention to reinstate former President Bazoum.
U.S. out of Africa!
U.S. hands off Niger!
Ground the drones!
Shut down AFRICOM!