Thread by @nssylla

[Thread] In their official reports, French officials acknowledge the strategic importance of #Africa for Europe’s future. They often subtly reiterate President Mitterrand’s 1957 warning that “Without Africa, France will have no history in the twenty-first century.”

However, they persistently downplay the strategic importance of Africa when speaking on media and social media.

The report below was published in 2013 by the French Senate. It is entitled “Africa is OUR future”. Not Africa is the future of AFRICA. But Africa is the future of FRANCE!
senat.fr/notice-rapport…

The report said that the uranium coming from Niger covered until then 30 % of the civil needs and 100 % of the military needs of France. It also underscored that Africa supplied 30 % of French oil imports (page 237).

In a context of growing international competition led by #China and other “emerging” countries, securing supplies of critical raw materials from Africa becomes a must for France and #Europe, (p.383) [This will intensify if Russia reduces its raw material supplies to the West]

Here an approximate translation in English

A 2019 #Afrobarometer survey showed that at least 2/3 of the Togolese were favorable to the abolition of the #CFA franc as they believed that this colonial currency benefited more French interests than Togolese ones.
diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/relanc…

By contrast, a survey made on behalf of the French Ministry of Foreign affairs showed that only 4 % of French companies operating in #Cfaland judged the CFA to be an handicap for them while 49 % found it as an "asset highly valuable for business". diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/relanc…

You now know who supports the CFA franc: the French government, French companies and some African elites loyal to French interests are for it.

The Orwellian “doublespeak” of French officials has a long colonial history. I invite you to read the interesting piece by Economics Prof. Jamee Moudud on “Double Speak and Monetary Sovereignty” published by @afronomicslaw
afronomicslaw.org/index.php/cate…