A wave of popular coups is redrawing the map of West Africa. Discover how Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are expelling foreign forces, defying regional pressure, and forging a new path for sovereignty against a backdrop of colonial legacy and economic exploitation.
In Africa, They Say: “France, Get Out!”
The Sahel region is rising. From the wind-swept streets of Niamey to the vast uranium-laden lands of Niger, a fierce call echoes: La France dégage! — France, get out! This cry of resistance is more than a slogan. It is a refusal rooted in centuries of struggle against imperial domination, a demand for sovereignty that refuses to be silenced or diluted. The story of the Sahel’s defiance is both historical and urgent, marked by resilience, betrayal, and an unwavering quest for dignity.
The Ghost of Colonial Conquest
The landscape between the Sahara and the Atlantic tells a story of relentless conflict and conquest. From the mid-19th century, French colonial forces engaged in protracted wars against powerful Islamic states and jihadist movements to impose their control on the Western Sahel. By 1910, after decades of resistance battles, France annexed territories spanning from Senegal to Chad, carving out the vast region of French West Africa (Trnovec, 2020).
But French conquest was not just military. It reinvented social, political, and economic orders to serve colonial aims. Many local communities fiercely opposed colonial imposition, yet official narratives painted this as progress—from “anarchy to order,” “tyranny to stability,” and “darkness to civilisation” (Trnovec, 2020). This brutal razing of indigenous autonomy and reshaping of society sowed seeds of rebellion that remain vibrant today.
Independence and the Illusion of Freedom
Although the wave of decolonisation washed across Africa in the mid-20th century, it often failed to fully dismantle colonial legacies. The case of Guinea’s defiant independence in 1958 encapsulates this dynamic. President Ahmed Sékou Touré’s declaration, preferring “poverty in freedom to riches in slavery”, set a defiant tone against French attempts to maintain hegemony through covert operations and economic strangleholds (Tricontinental, 2024).
For the Sahel states, post-independence political institutions mimicked structures imposed by France, embedding a continued form of external influence despite formal sovereignty (Mann, 2021). This “neo-Françafrique” system ensured strategic resources and political control remained under French sway, fuelling corruption and inequality and trivialising the aspirations of ordinary citizens (Truthout, 2023).
The Current Storm: Coups, Resistance, ECOWAS and Retribution
This legacy has recently erupted into political ruptures. The popular coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger (2021-2023) reflect deep dissatisfaction with corruption, governance, and neo-colonial influence. The formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) was a direct reaction to economic sanctions and military intervention threats from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional bloc opposing the Niger coup and demanding constitutional restoration.
ECOWAS swiftly imposed sanctions and threatened military intervention after Niger’s 2023 coup. In response, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger formalised the AES defence pact in September 2023, later announcing withdrawal from ECOWAS in January 2025 (Crisis Group, 2024; Clingendael, 2023). This schism exposed fundamental regional fissures, reflecting resentment towards ECOWAS as a tool of Western and former colonial powers, and critiquing its failure to effectively address terrorism, insecurity and economic marginalisation within its member states.
Economic Exploitation and Continued French Influence
In Niger, French companies control 85% of its vast uranium mining operations, while millions live in poverty without electricity (Tricontinental, 2024). When Nigeriens seized French military and diplomatic installations in 2023, it symbolised a rejection of exploitation and foreign control.
The Failure of Western Military Interventions
Western military efforts, notably France’s Operation Barkhane and expansive US AFRICOM presence in the Sahel, have failed to reduce jihadist violence, making the region a global terrorism hotspot (Global Terrorism Index, 2024). The Sahel’s revocation of military agreements with the US underscored local assertions of sovereignty and opposition to foreign interference (Tricontinental, 2024).
New Horizons: Towards Sovereignty and Development
Despite challenges, the Sahel states pursue new partnerships and regional development through energy cooperation and nuclear power initiatives with Russia and other allies (Tricontinental, 2024). As Malian novelist Aïcha Fofana observed, change comes with patient strength and respect for tradition — a fitting metaphor for the Sahel’s enduring quest for autonomy and dignity.
This piece was written for the September 2025 edition of Postscripts, Shamillah Wilson’s monthly round-up of what’s been happening in feminist circles, her work, and some recommended reading suggestions.
