France continuing exploitation of West Africa: Ex-UN official

A US academic and former UN official says France created a set of conditions that made West African societies incapable of stable and equitable governance even after gaining independence.

“As elsewhere, but perhaps more crudely and more deeply, France dominated West African countries politically and ruthlessly exploited them economically, said Richard Anderson Falk, a professor of international law at Princeton University.

In 2008, the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Falk to a six-year term as a UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian occupied territories.

“In Africa in particular, France also created a set of conditions that made the society incapable of stable and equitable governance if and when independence was gained. As a result, the residue of colonialism remained after independent statehood was formally achieved,” Falk said.

Observers accuse France of pursuing neo-colonialism in Africa, falsely claiming to fight terrorism as a pretext to maintain its influence in the region.

on July 26, General Abdourahamane Tiani, the leader of Niger’s presidential guard, ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

On July 30, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gave the junta leaders a week to return power to the previous government or face consequences, including the use of force.

In its first official reaction following the expiry of the deadline, the bloc said it had agreed to hold a summit meeting to discuss how to proceed.

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