I think the criticism is not about companies doing business, more about that those companies are owned by France and that nigers population doesn't really seem to benefit at all from those businesses.

[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And yet, going back to the article posted by OP, France didn't announce they were going to intervene. It is disinformation pure and simple with the aim at antagonizing the population against France and Western countries in general.

[–] birdcat@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ok forget the article. You seem like a reasonable and critical person. Why in your opinion is France becoming less and less welcomed in African countries? Is it simply because of disinformation and antagonization, or could there also be other reasons?

[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I do think that the new generation of Africans genuinely want to emancipate from what is viewed as the oppressive nation, i.e. the one that colonized the country, exploited the resouces and brutalized the population for more than a century.

China and Russia are viewed as plausible partners that don't have a history of imperialism in Africa so why not work with them?

In my opinion, France coming back with military bases to fight islamists after the terrorists attacks of the mid-2010 made things worse, more so because it didn't work that well.

Finally yes, Putin is doing everything he can to undermine Western powers: making Germany dependent on cheap gas, pushing for Brexit, for Trump's election, funding neo-fascists in EU countries and, in the case of France, pushing the anti colonialism narrative everywhere in West Africa. It is working to an extend.

[–] birdcat@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yea, good points, it remains to be seen if the push for socialism/nationalism in those countries is a) genuine and b) will actually work and not just result in a situation where the old thieves are replaced by new thieves.

Putin is [...] pushing the anti colonialism narrative everywhere in West Africa. It is working to an extend.

Regarding this, I was also super confused by this article: Burkina Faso's new president condemns imperialism, quotes Che Guevara, allies with Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba

It paints a very favorable picture of President Traoré (from a socialist, anti-imperialist viewpoint, really stuff that I find interesting and support, worth a read), but then:

On July 29, Traoré had a private meeting in Saint Petersburgh with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In their talks, the Burkinabè leader praised the Soviet Union for defeating Nazism in World War II.

Like, I cannot even imagine the awkwardness of that moment ... 🤦‍♂️

Maybe he just had no other friendly things to say, who knows, but it's also possible that he fails to understand that modern Russia is NOT the Soviet Union.

But yea, hoping for the best.

[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 year ago

Like you say, hoping for the best