By Harry Booluck
Africa-Press – Lesotho. The military coups in West Africa where the army intervened to oust the civilian regime from power in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger, and Gabon do not auger well for democracy in the region.
Why has democracy failed the West African Francophone countries? The virus, it appears, was planted before independence was granted by the imperial power.
The African Union (AU) ambassador to the US recalls the strings attached prior to granting the 14 Francophone countries independence: overtly they would be independent but covertly they would remain attached to the European imperial power through a pact they were compelled to sign with France.
Accordingly, the African executive head of state would have his umbilical cord attached to Paris where major international decisions would be taken. The ‘independent’ country’s foreign currencies would be managed by France where 85% of their reserves would have to be deposited.
Francophone Africans need to have a single currency, the CFA Franc, which would be minted and printed in France alone. There would be a French standing army garrisoned in the country (to protect the puppet head of state), connected to the presidential palace via an underground tunnel.
All existing and potential mineral resources of the country would be exploited by French companies. With so many strings attached, the African President was simply a French vassal whose survival was determined by Paris.
The obedient and subservient African would be lauded, protected and his re-election guaranteed whereas he who earned the ire of Paris could be ousted through an army coup or would lose the next elections.
Unsurprising, some Africans reigned for decades whilst others were thrown out in disgrace. Such an incestuous relationship developed into a win-win situation for both the Africans and French.
Mineral exploitation led to the creation of an African black chest which both French politicians and Gabon President Omar Bongo and later his son Ali freely used for private and political purposes.
Through this mechanism, African leaders looted their people and pillaged their countries to buy properties in France, Britain, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and USA whilst their people struggled to eke out a living.
It was this pre-independence complicity of an ex-imperial power in tolerating and protecting corrupt African rulers and the failure of the African electors to rid their corrupt rulers that eventually forced the army to intervene.
http://www.mauritiustimes.com/mt/when-the-ballot-fails-the-bullet-takes-over-2/
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