Alliance of Sahel States making political, economic progress

ON SEPTEMBER 16, the people of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger marked the second anniversary of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), established by the Liptako-Gourma Charter in 2023.

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This is not merely a date on the calendar, but a celebration of a renewed struggle for sovereignty in a region long suffocated by French neocolonialism and failed Western security strategies. As solidarity actions are planned across the Sahel, it is essential to look beyond the mainstream narratives of “coup belts” and understand the conditions that led to this pivotal moment.

For decades, the Sahel has been a textbook case of neo-colonial plunder. The “flag independence” of the 1960s was a facade for continued French domination, maintained through the CFA franc and a web of defence pacts.

The 1961 accord with Niger, for instance, granted France control over military installations and strategic resources like uranium while providing tax exemptions for French businesses. This system gutted the region's fiscal sovereignty, resulting in catastrophic underdevelopment, poverty and a security crisis exacerbated by the very powers claiming to resolve it.

The numbers are grim. In 2023, Niger's per capita GDP was just $560 (R9 728), with nearly half its population in poverty, and its neighbours face similar realities. This is the direct consequence of a system designed for extraction.

French mining companies have for years siphoned off the region’s uranium and gold, leaving little behind. In 2010, for example, Niger received only 13% of the total export value from its own uranium.

This economic exploitation is inextricably linked to the security crisis. Nato’s 2011 intervention in Libya unleashed a torrent of arms and extremists across the region.

Subsequent French-led operations like “Barkhane” proved counterproductive, as terrorist activity skyrocketed under their watch, with deaths increasing by 2 860% over 15 years.

For the people of the Sahel, the conclusion was inescapable — the fox was guarding the henhouse.