The region of Sahel It includes a vast band of territory that crosses the northern part of the African continent from the east to the west, in the conjunction area between the Sahara desert and the large rain forests of equatorial Africa, characterized by a dry climate and a landscape of savannas and acacia forests. The countries of this area (Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Sudan) have always been characterized since independence by extreme instability dragged throughout the Cold War period. In recent years the area has returned to the limelight of the chronicles following a series of State strokes who have dangerously cracked the hegemonic position traditionally maintained by France in the area. The causes of these state strokes are to be found in the institutional fragility of states, in economic difficulties and above all the growing influence of terrorist groups related to Islamic integralism.
Sahel and state strokes: history of a failed stabilization
With the only exception of the Sudanwhich in colonial era was conquered by the British Empire, all the other Sahel countries were French colonies and their own internationally recognized boundaries do nothing but follow the administrative boundaries created artificially by France for its colonies. The independent states that arose in the 1960 With the disintegration of the French colonial empire they immediately were extremely weak, and even if in the following decades they did not lack of dynamic and strong -willed political and military leaders, their enormous background weaknesses meant that they could never really get rid of the “neocolonial” protection by Paris.
France has for the following sixty years kept under its strict control these countries thanks to a triple strategy: first, promoting and protecting the role of French language between the elites and local populations, second, through the imposition of a coin (Franco CFA) anchored to the French Franco before and the euro after, third, intervening militarilywithout too many delay or pity, whenever his interests in the area were in danger. The last military operation completed by the French state in the Sahelina area was The Barkhane operationduration from August 1, 2014 to 9 November 2022and having as its purpose the containment of the jihadist threat, in particular that linked toISIS and to the branch of Al-Qaida in the Maghreb.
In order to better support their actions, the French promoted, during the Nouakchott conference of February 16, 2014, the creation of the so -called “G5 du Sahel”a coordination group composed of: Mauretania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. As part of this format, the 5 ex-colonies undertook to coordinate their anti-terrorist activities with Paris, however, which ended up pushing them even more in the arms of France. Needless to say, even the latest French initiatives have completely failed in an attempt to stabilize the fragile local balances with the result of leading instead to an enlargement of the jihadist insurrection.
Today’s strokes
Things began to take a different turn from the year 2021 when a series of rapidly succession state strokes led to a radical change in geopolitical balances in the area. The beginning of this new trend was the Evils Where, on May 24, 2021 The Malian armed forces arrested the president Bah ndawthe prime minister Moctar Ouane and the Minister of Defense Souleyman doucouré who were replaced by a military junta led by the then vice president, the general Assimi Goïta which has since become the undisputed “strong man” of the nation.
Just over a year later, on 30 September 2022, the interim president of the Burkina Faso, Paul-Henri Sandoogo Damibawas defended by another coup d’état that brought the captain to power Ibrahim Traoréman who has since reached great popularity both at home and abroad. Finally, on July 26, 2023, a last military pronouncement, this time in Nigerled to the deposition of the President Mohamed Bazoum and to the power of a military council cappened by the General Abdourahamane Tchiani.
Despite the events in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are necessarily scrutinized under the lens of the specific dynamics of local power, however there is a minimum common denominator, namely the role that Russia has played, especially through the deceased time PMSC Wagnerin supporting and in consolidating the power taken of the Golder forces as well as in the coordination of their efforts for the creation of the so -called “Confederation of the Sahel States”geopolitical project declaredly anti -frocncese but which also opposes the hegemonic ambitions of nearby Nigeria.
The decline of the Françafrique
Needless to say, the state strokes that affected the countries of the Sahelina area, as well as the parallel events that, in the same time span, affected other important geopolitical actors of the area such as Senegal, Guinea, Chad, Gabon and even before the civil war in the Central African Republic have contributed to completely unhinge the geopolitical and military device that for decades guaranteed the thrilling and maintenance of interests French in that part of Africa.
Every day that passes, the one that was once known as the name “Françafrique” He is taking an increasingly autonomous road that is mainly directing it towards Russia he is BRICS. The ability with which Russia has managed to navigate the complicated internal political events of the Françafrique countries so far, as well as the leading role that Moscow is playing in the context of civil wars that continue to affect Libya and Sudan has had its counterbath in the inability shown by France to “counter” and regain its positions lost even if they still are still able to count on important levers. on site.
Completely absorbed by European affairs and by Russian-Ukraine war And it itself subjected to a process of creeping anglicization, the Parisian elite seems to have definitively lost its strategic compass sacrificing on the altar of atlantism and westernism the control over what is traditionally its sphere of privileged influence, which was correctly identified in its time by François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrandlong-term French politician and ex-president of the Republic as: “The area the possession of which will decree the future stay or not of France in the restricted circle of the great powers”.
