Niger Republic, is a recent African country that has witnessed a political change of government by coup; in an interval of two years, six African democratic countries Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Chad, and Mali with Western influence have been overthrown by coups, coming under military rule; but the biggest question is why is the western world worried?
Literally, the West has been robbing the African continent of its birthright, stealing its resources to grow fat, and leaving the continent to languish in poverty and hardship. The West has created many rebellions in Niger’s history and in West Africa. There are often military-led political coups, which often lead to power shifts in the country.
The insurgency in Niger and the entire African continent has been fueled by a variety of factors, including economic hardship, corruption, political tensions, and ethnic tensions, masterminded by the imperialist.
Niger was a French colony that gains its independence on 11th July 1960, France had much influence in Niger which has contributed to the economic hardship despite being rich with uranium which has been the major power source for Franch, while more than 80 percent of Nigerien live in total darkness.
The economy of the country is heavily dependent on agriculture, due to its geographical location, lack of fertile soil and vulnerability to factors such as drought and deserts often leads to extreme food insecurity which has increased the rate of poverty.
The population’s discontentment with its so-called democratic leaders who show little or no concern for its citizen welfare, paving the way for France and its imperialist ally to keep exploiting the county; instigated the overthrow of the democratic government by military personnel, which seems the only practical way to boycott Imperialist and form a resistance front for liberation and growth.
Corruption, reports have shown that most pro-west African leaders are deeply corrupt, and that has played a destructive role in Nigerien politics and has always been a factor in political instability. Widespread corruption undermines public confidence in government and exacerbates economic crisis. Leaders taking public funds meant for development, basic infrastructure, and poverty alleviation, which has led to political unrest and a loss of confidence in the government’s ability to run the country in the solution of positive challenges.
Political tensions and power struggles between factions within the government had an impact if the coup took place. Africa has had a history of contested elections, disputed results, and distrust between political parties due to Western meddling in African elections; in selecting politician savers as an Imperialist puppet. And the act has kept Africa to remain undeveloped despite its rich and large natural resources which is been used to develop Europe.
Furthermore, one tactical method that the Imperialists used in plundering the African continent is ethnic tensions have played a role in the emergence of the insurgency in Niger. The country is diverse, with factions competing for influence and wealth among elites. The government’s inability to effectively address ethnic tensions has led to social divisions and grievances among its citizens which has placed the country on the brink of collapse, leaving the nation vulnerable to invasion and exploitation.
However, the colonial Imperialists have seen that the African continent is beginning to rise and resist modern slavery and Western hegemony. Africans are becoming conscious of the deception called Western democracy which only severs the interest of a few individuals at the detriment of the masses.
The Western country is now calling for human rights over Niger; the human right that they never respected, the human right that they violated in Libya instigating the murder of Gaddafi, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world. Obliviously, human right in Western terminology seems more like fraud which lacks the essence of humanity.
Analyzed by Isah Omogbai: a student and a researcher on Contemporary thought
