The Fall of Western Dominance in Francophone Africa: A Wake-Up Call
A powerful wave of change is sweeping across West Africa, and we, as Westerners, must pay attention. In recent years, three francophone nations in the Sahel, the arid region bordering the Sahara, have experienced military coups: Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. This is not a series of isolated incidents; it's a clear rejection of the post-colonial order.
The new juntas didn't waste any time, quickly forming an anti-Western alliance through the Liptako-Gourma Charter, a mutual defense agreement signed in 2023. This pact signaled their commitment to standing against any external aggression, a direct challenge to Western-backed institutions. It's a bold move, and one that should have us questioning our influence in the region.
And it gets more intriguing. These countries, once hosts to French troops fighting terrorism, have now expelled French forces and envoys. Burkina Faso, in 2022, demanded that France recall its ambassador and withdraw all troops. Mali followed suit, pulling French soldiers after a decade of failed attempts to quell jihadist activity. Even Niger, by 2023, ordered the French ambassador and troops to leave. France's post-9/11 military intervention has become a symbol of failure and humiliation.
Western leaders were caught off guard by these events. They blame the Kremlin and China for influencing these nations, with French officials insisting that Moscow is behind the anti-French sentiment. But is this narrative too convenient? It allows Western policymakers to avoid taking responsibility for their own mistakes.
The truth is, the anger towards France and the West is justified. A French-led military mission, starting in 2013, was an utter failure. Ordinary people in the Sahel witnessed their schools and clinics shut down, and their villages massacred by jihadists. Beyond the security failures, there was also a significant collapse of Western soft power and moral authority.
For years, Western diplomats preached democracy and human rights to their African counterparts. Yet, when Chad's longtime dictator, Idriss Deby, died in 2021, his son seized power in a blatant military takeover, and the West turned a blind eye. France and other major powers endorsed this new junta while sanctioning coup leaders in Mali. This double standard didn't go unnoticed, making Western liberalism look hollow and hypocritical.
The economic relationship was no better. France maintained tight control over the currency and resources of its former colonies, enriching French firms while youth unemployment soared in these neo-colonies. Take Niger, for example, where a French company, Orano, held rights to one of the world's largest uranium deposits, powering France's nuclear plants, while Niger's citizens remained among the poorest globally. After the coup, Orano's license was revoked.
This vacuum created an opportunity for China and Russia to step in and capitalize on Western failures. Their strategy? To offer African countries what the West wouldn't.
For Moscow, it was about security. In countries facing insurgencies, Russian military advisors replaced France as the new patrons. After Mali's second coup in 2021, Wagner Group mercenaries were deployed to assist Mali's army in fighting jihadists, and arms shipments followed. The Malian junta praised Russia as a more reliable ally than France, and Wagner was granted lucrative mining concessions. Despite Russia's struggles in fighting terrorism, its unwavering support for these regimes was a welcome change.
Meanwhile, China focused on development. They offered resources and consultants to build infrastructure, like roads and railways, and access to resources. When Niger wanted to export its crude oil, Western investors couldn't justify the costs, but China's state oil corporation, CNPC, stepped in with a $5 billion investment to develop Niger's oilfields, construct a refinery, and build a massive 1,950-kilometer pipeline to the Benin coast. Chinese companies are deeply involved in Niger's uranium sector and oil production. In Burkina Faso, China has funded a high-tech surveillance network, with Huawei laying fiber optic cables and installing surveillance cameras across the country. The goal is to help their new allies fight jihadists and criminals, and China is willing to take risks to secure both profit and influence.
This isn't an endorsement of Moscow or Beijing. The reality is that African governments and their people perceive these partnerships as more beneficial than the status quo with the West. Even with the risks of Russia's predatory approach and China's opaque contracts and debt risks, the perception of a better deal is powerful.
And perception is power. Right now, the West is losing this battle.
In a competitive world, soft diplomacy isn't enough. The United States and its allies must follow China and Russia's lead and offer hard, tangible benefits like investment, infrastructure, and strategic partnerships. If we retreat, we risk signaling to the Global South that the West is unreliable. And once that perception takes hold, they will logically pursue their interests, aligning with those willing to help, regardless of their origins.
We must be those allies. The Global South holds the resources, population, and economic growth of the next century. It's in our best interest to have them on our side. We must act decisively and forcefully to reclaim Western influence and ensure a stable future.
