SAHEL STATES LEADING AFRICA'S DECOLONISATION

Guinea's first president and Pan-Africanist leader, Ahmed Sékou Touré (1922-84), championed the revolutionary idea that Africa should 'liquidate all dependence complex' by striving to achieve 'real' and 'complete' 'independence,' for imperialism cannot survive in countries that are culturally, socially, ideologically, politically and economically independent.

Touré, we are sure, would agree with the analysis of our panel in this video that Africa can only realise real democracy by gaining total independence from domination by former colonial powers and modern-day imperialists. The Sahel trio of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, who bravely kicked out the French military from their soil with the support of the country's populace, are an inspiring example of decolonisation in action. Not to mention Niger booted US troops, too. These states are moving to reclaim their sovereignty and control over their natural resources.

As our man, William Sakawa, notes, the East African state of Kenya espouses Western-style democratic values. But is Kenya genuinely democratic if its leaders ignore the wishes of its citizens, such as when thousands rushed into the streets to denounce International Monetary Fund-backed tax hikes? Has Kenya gained independence from Britain, given the British military maintains a base in Nanyuki, where its troops commit atrocities against the local communities?

Subscribe to our X handle @african_stream and watch the entire discussion that we posted a few days ago. We are also on BlueSky, Patreon, Rumble and Telegram.Sources:https://www.jstor.org/stable/532497

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7ve6y735djo

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/02/thousands-rally-in-niger-seeking-withdrawal-of-french-troops