Could the West have ever predicted that the coup in Mali in 2020 would spark a movement of coups across Africa, breed anti-French sentiments, and raise African leaders who refuse to dance to their tune and boldly tell them No? Obviously not, because if they had, they would have put a lot more pressure on Mali to quickly restore democracy, as they are attempting to do in Niger. But they couldn’t predict it and this led to the rise of two young African leaders who think differently. They are Anti-imperialist and Anti-Neocolonialist, they laugh and in the face of sanctions and they do not hesitate to tell the West to mind their business and leave since they have overstayed their presence. We present to you the two African leaders who are nightmares of the West: Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso and Assimi Goita of Mali.
Ibrahim Traore: President of Burkina Faso
President Ibrahim Traore became the youngest president in the world at age 34 when he and other junior military officers ousted Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Henri Damiba, who had also ascended to the presidency through a coup earlier in January 2022. His persona echoes the regional politics and geopolitics of another flamboyant commander, Thomas Sankara, who jolted Burkina Faso’s sub-regional national security imperatives 37 years ago, challenging Paris’ role and control.Sporting fatigues and a red beret, the 34-year-old President has emerged as someone who is clearly driven towards liberating Burkina Faso from the shackles of Western imperialism. He has promised a “refoundation of the nation” and extensive “modernization” to combat violent extremism, and corruption, and “totally reform the system of government.”
The young president has said that due to the growing insurgency in the country, security is foremost in his mind then afterward he would move to development. In line with this, Traore has acted decisively by re-organising the armed forces and boosting the country’s military capabilities in an attempt to regain control over large swathes of the country.In line with his anti-imperialist and anti-neocolonialist ideology, a few months after he came to power, Traore ended a military accord that allowed French troops to fight insurgents on its territory because according to him, the country wants to defend itself and gave them one month to leave the country which they did a month after. He has also expelled the French Media as well as the French Ambassador Luc Hallade from the country.
Since Traore came to power Burkina Faso has continued to distance itself from France and gotten closer to non- western countries including Russia. In partnering with Russia and other non-western countries, Traore has proved that African countries have the right as sovereign countries to partner with any country regardless of whether the powers that be like it or not.Despite some detractors’ claims that Traore is a power-hungry dictator with no legitimacy or vision for his country, his words and actions show otherwise.
During the Russia-Africa summit, President Traore delivered a powerful speech that again hints at the kind of leader he is. Listening to his rousing speech, many are reminded of the prophetic words of Sankara in 1987 “Kill Sankara, and thousands of Sankara will be born”. In his speech the President called for greater sovereignty, food security, and recognition of Africa’s historical contributions. He urged fellow African leaders to resist manipulation by imperialist forces stating
that “We African heads of state have to stop behaving like puppets who dance every time the imperialists pull the strings.”
“By the end of 2022,” he continued, “my administration and I made calls for volunteers, leading to nearly 100,000 additional civilian forces enlisting. Several hundred of these courageous individuals have already sacrificed their lives to safeguard those of their fellow countrymen.”“What I cannot comprehend,” Traoré said, “is why other African leaders, who offer no assistance, stoop so low as to label these brave men and women ‘militias.’ Elsewhere, they would have been hailed as ‘patriots.’
Traore also emphasised the essential need of food self-sufficiency for African nations. While he hailed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of sending free food to six African nations following the breakdown of the Black Sea accord, he also urged African leaders that it was a wake-up call stating that “At the next forum, we must not come here without having ensured food self-sufficiency for our peoples,”In closing his speech, Traoré reiterated the powerful lines from Thomas Sankara’s 1984 UN address, “The slave who is unable to assume his revolt does not deserve to be pitied,” along with Sankara’s distinctive finishing phrase, ‘Fatherland or death: we shall triumph!’ These words sounded like a battle cry, quickly spreading over the continent and touching the hearts and spirits of Africans. Ibrahim Traore is truly an exceptional young African leader who should not be underestimated by the West and if he continues on this revolutionary path he is sure to bring Burkina Faso and by extension Africa to a greater height.
Colonel Assimi Goita: President of Mali
Colonel Assimi Goita was the man who started the revolution of coups across Africa in 2020. It all started on August 18, 2020, when Assimi Goita together with other military officers marched to Bamako and arrested President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, a close ally to France, and other senior officials. While the coup was cheered by the citizens in Mali, it was met with condemnation by the International community and ECOWAS. Due to the pressure from the regional bloc to quickly transition into a civilian government, Assimi Goita had to step down and , a retired colonel and former defense minister, was named interim president while Goita became interim vice president.Goita held this position for about ten months before on May 24, 2021, he decided to seize power again and ousted Bah N’Daw. He claimed that Ndaw was attempting to “sabotage” the transition to democracy, because Ndaw failed to consult him about a cabinet reshuffle. Goita detained Bah N’Daw and his prime minister Moctar Ouane which led them to resign from office and he assumed office as the interim President.
Supported by France, the ECOWAS community insisted that Goita restore civilian rule in 2022 but he refused. This led the regional bloc to impose sanctions, a trade embargo and shut its borders with Mali in January. France also in retaliation decided to withdraw its troops with President Macron saying that the withdrawal of the troops would take over six months. This was the beginning of the deteriorating relationship between France and Mali.
Since Assimi Goita assumed office he has shown not just in words but also in his actions that he had had enough of France’s interference in Mali and he would no longer allow it and since France decided to withdraw their troops, he decided with all confidence to terminate all the military and defense cooperation treaties with France, accusing France of flagrant attacks” on its sovereignty and ordered France to withdraw their troops without delay. Goita declared that this decision was in line with the demands of the Malien people.
Following this, Goita also ordered the French ambassador of Mali Joēl Meyer to quickly leave the country within 72 hours. This was because the ambassador had said that Mali’s military junta, referring to Assimi Goita, which seized power last May, was “out of control” and “illegitimate.” The President has also suspended France Media in the country accusing the French public news service of reporting “false allegations” of abuse by the Malian army.All this shows how decisive and serious Colonel Assimi Goita is about stopping France’s interference in Mali. But that’s not all he has done. The President, through the constitution he has put in place, marking the beginning of the Fourth Republic in the West African nation, has dropped French as its official language. The decision stated that French will serve as the primary working language, while the 13 national languages spoken within the country will be formally recognized as official languages.
Like Burkina Faso, Assimi Goita has also strived to deepen its relationship with Russia as it distances itself farther and farther from the West. Despite the pressure from the international community for Mali to not partner with Russia, Assimi Goita has stood his ground as it’s his sovereign right to partner with whomever he chooses.Indeed both Ibrahim Traore and Assimi Goita have proven that they are their own men and would do what they believe is right for their nation and in Africa at large. Their actions concerning the Niger coup is another instance where they have proved that they are different from other African leaders.
While some African leaders supported ECOWAS sanctions on the Niger junta and others are indifferent to it, President Ibrahim Traore and President Assimi Goita were part of those few African leaders who backed the military junta in Niger. They declared in a joint statement that any military intervention against Niger is a declaration of war between ECOWAS and them. They even went further to solidify their support by sending combat jets to Niger.
These leaders are exceptional and they stand as symbols of hope against Western imperialism, neocolonialism, and interference.
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