Highlights: Domestic opposition remains inside Nigeria, which Tinubu would find difficult to ignore. President of ECOWAS Commission, who is Gambian, urges military intervention in Niger. In line with the wishes of the smaller member-states, the final communique issued by ECOWAS urges military intervention to restore constitutional order in Niger, citing the recalcitrance of the new military junta.
"What alarms Macron government about the military coup in Niger is not uranium supplies, but yet another blow to French influence in a Francophone African country". Indeed.
What is hardly mentioned in the press is that soon after his first election to the presidency in 2017, Macron chose as his legacy construction the costly renovation of a dilapidated royal castle known for the signature of the Villers-Coterets Act of 1539 which instituted French as the official administrative language of France instead of latin and reinforced control over the church, solidifying king François Ist's grip on the kingdom. Macron's project was to turn it into a "Cité internationale de la langue française", and to found his foreign policy on the soft power domination of the French language. Of course this was as immature and misguided as most of his political decisions, and inconsistent with the fact that he praises himself to be the first French president to express himself publicly in English, which in fact is often an embarrassment (and even led to the suppression of some tweets) his command of the language being shaky at best.
But back to the Villers-Coterets project. Since president Pompidou, each French president has left a new trophy cultural institution as his legacy (centre Pompidou, Orsay museum (Giscard d'Estaing), second national library (Mitterrand), museum of non-western civilizations (Chirac)). Macron, the first of a generation who grew up in the ersatz of American culture that now permeates France's popular culture, did not read the tea leaves and chose what was a former nursing home located in a pauperized region north-east of Paris with one of the lowest rates of literacy in the country, to house his ambitions to renew France's influence over Africa through the French language. The grandiose project was announced to be opened in March 2022 (before the next presidential election) but the opening was postponed several times and is now scheduled for October 2023. In the meantime, one poor enclaved former colony after the next is dumping French as an official language as Macron's clumsy handling of African affairs and his avowed attempt to use the French as a domination tool backfire. How many chiefs of state will show up in October? That will be a test of what remains of French cultural prestige.
Paradoxically, the institution could also be the last nail in the coffin, considering how pitiful the state of the French language is inside France itself, where a bastardized American gibberish now reigns supreme, and where national funerals are bestowed by Macron on a fake American rock singer unknown outside of France (Jean-Philippe Smet aka Johnny Halliday) while a world-renowned French singer who has sung in French in many countries (Charles Aznavour) is buried without fanfare.
A very comprehensive piece. It should be required reading for anyone who seeks understanding of the situation there. I appreciate Simplicius directing his readers here. I will definitely subscribe.
Left out of your commentary is the apparent overwhelming support for the coup by the people of Niger itself. Only 4% of Nigeriens indicated support for intervention by ECOWAS. No doubt this apparent domestic mass support for the actions of the Junta against what many viewed to be an irredeemably compromised and corrupt government has stayed the hand of Nigerian leadership. https://tass.com/world/1658013
Chima, what are the treason charges against Bazoum for? What has he been accused of doing? I can't find anything in the western media explaining what act the charges are for.
In terms of geopolitics and the existential threat posed by Russia to US imperialism the use of every means including financial/economic covert threats to destabilise Nigeria is likely. How vulnerable is the Nigerian economy in this context ?
"What alarms Macron government about the military coup in Niger is not uranium supplies, but yet another blow to French influence in a Francophone African country". Indeed.
What is hardly mentioned in the press is that soon after his first election to the presidency in 2017, Macron chose as his legacy construction the costly renovation of a dilapidated royal castle known for the signature of the Villers-Coterets Act of 1539 which instituted French as the official administrative language of France instead of latin and reinforced control over the church, solidifying king François Ist's grip on the kingdom. Macron's project was to turn it into a "Cité internationale de la langue française", and to found his foreign policy on the soft power domination of the French language. Of course this was as immature and misguided as most of his political decisions, and inconsistent with the fact that he praises himself to be the first French president to express himself publicly in English, which in fact is often an embarrassment (and even led to the suppression of some tweets) his command of the language being shaky at best.
But back to the Villers-Coterets project. Since president Pompidou, each French president has left a new trophy cultural institution as his legacy (centre Pompidou, Orsay museum (Giscard d'Estaing), second national library (Mitterrand), museum of non-western civilizations (Chirac)). Macron, the first of a generation who grew up in the ersatz of American culture that now permeates France's popular culture, did not read the tea leaves and chose what was a former nursing home located in a pauperized region north-east of Paris with one of the lowest rates of literacy in the country, to house his ambitions to renew France's influence over Africa through the French language. The grandiose project was announced to be opened in March 2022 (before the next presidential election) but the opening was postponed several times and is now scheduled for October 2023. In the meantime, one poor enclaved former colony after the next is dumping French as an official language as Macron's clumsy handling of African affairs and his avowed attempt to use the French as a domination tool backfire. How many chiefs of state will show up in October? That will be a test of what remains of French cultural prestige.
Paradoxically, the institution could also be the last nail in the coffin, considering how pitiful the state of the French language is inside France itself, where a bastardized American gibberish now reigns supreme, and where national funerals are bestowed by Macron on a fake American rock singer unknown outside of France (Jean-Philippe Smet aka Johnny Halliday) while a world-renowned French singer who has sung in French in many countries (Charles Aznavour) is buried without fanfare.
Excellent piece, I learned quite a few things about the situation. It's the most detailed explanation on what's really happening there
A very comprehensive piece. It should be required reading for anyone who seeks understanding of the situation there. I appreciate Simplicius directing his readers here. I will definitely subscribe.
One correction; GWOT was Bush regime's Global War On Terror.
Thank you Chima for this most comprehensive reporting ! Just what I was searching for and look forwarded reading more from you
Outstanding!! So glad I was steered to your substack!!
Left out of your commentary is the apparent overwhelming support for the coup by the people of Niger itself. Only 4% of Nigeriens indicated support for intervention by ECOWAS. No doubt this apparent domestic mass support for the actions of the Junta against what many viewed to be an irredeemably compromised and corrupt government has stayed the hand of Nigerian leadership. https://tass.com/world/1658013
Brilliant, eye-opening info & summary, like what happened with AFRICOM, I hadn't kept track after the 2K-noughties:
"As a result of this, AFRICOM is still in its “temporary” location of Stuttgart, Germany, almost two decades after the African continent rejected it."
Chima, what are the treason charges against Bazoum for? What has he been accused of doing? I can't find anything in the western media explaining what act the charges are for.
In terms of geopolitics and the existential threat posed by Russia to US imperialism the use of every means including financial/economic covert threats to destabilise Nigeria is likely. How vulnerable is the Nigerian economy in this context ?