Rethinking Francophone Africa

Critical perspectives

The struggle against violent jihad: An alternative approach to bringing peace to the Sahel?

Posted on 17th August 2020 by Francophone Africa

In a recent article, Reuters documents regional peacekeeping comittees’ efforts to maintain stability in Amataltal, Niger.

“In the Tillaberi region, a lack of local leadership, peace mechanisms or strong ties with Niamey have allowed ethnic rivalries to fester and attacks to continue, security experts said. Jihadist groups have won recruits among disaffected locals who believe the state has abandoned them.”

With French troops struggling to contain violence elsewhere, and the US contemplating a drawdown of forces, local leaders offer a possible blueprint for defeating militants without weapons: a network of influential ex-rebels, clerics and peace committees that has stopped jihadists gaining a foothold by monitoring grievances and people with extreme ideas.

The 1958 Referendum in French Sub-Saharan Africa

Posted on 10th August 2020 by Francophone Africa

In most of France’s colonial territories in sub-Saharan Africa there was a massive ‘yes’ vote, with over 90% of those who turned out to vote voting in favour of joining the French Community. The two exceptions were Guinée, where over 95% of those voting voted ‘No’ to the Community, and Niger, where the turnout was low (only 37%) and just 78% of those who turned out to vote voted ‘Yes’ to the Community. Here a prominent Nigerien historian says that, if the elections had been free and fair, ‘No’ would have won.