Summary of Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

In the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses the ongoing proxy war between France and Russia in the Sahel region of Africa. The speaker highlights the historical significance of French colonialism in Africa, specifically in the Sahel region, and how it has contributed to the unique exploitative history of French colonialism and the long-lasting vestiges of French neocolonialism. The speaker then focuses on the economic relationship between France and African countries using the CFA Frank currency, which has perpetuated France's colonial influence and discouraged domestic industries from developing. The situation in Mali and neighboring countries is discussed, where the French counterinsurgency operation began in 2013, and the volatile situation has led to the expulsion of French troops and the welcome of the Russian mercenary group Vagner. Russia's role in the conflict is explored, as it aims to disrupt French access to raw materials like uranium and gold, and the African states have announced their formal withdrawals from the CFA Frank system. The speaker notes that Russia did not cause the anti-French sentiment in the region but saw the opportunity to advance its own interests. The French military's efforts to combat terrorism in the Sahel have evolved into what the speaker calls France's "Forever War," with the territorial cores of ISIS and Al-Qaeda shifting from the Middle East to the Sahel. The speaker encourages viewers to watch the next part of the video on Nebula for a full exploration of how these groups established themselves and how the French military responded.

• 00:00:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses the ongoing proxy war between France and Russia in Africa, specifically in the Sahel region. The speaker highlights the series of coups that have occurred in the region since 2020, including in Nier and Gabon, which have led to instability and the rise of radical Islamist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. The speaker notes that these countries, which make up Africa's "C Belt," are former economic colonies of France and have seen the expulsion of French troops and ambassadors in the wake of the coups. In their place, Russian troops from the mercenary Vagner group have been welcomed, marking a shift in influence from France to Russia. The speaker argues that this complex proxy war, which challenges France's neocolonial domination over its former colonies, threatens the foundation of France's prosperity and is a theater of Russia's war with the West. The speaker emphasizes that this war is hardly understood or reported on in the Western world.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses the historical significance of French colonialism in Africa, specifically in the Sahel region. The Sahel, a long and narrow band of land running from the Red Sea to the Atlantic, was once an epicenter of global trade and one of the wealthiest regions in the world. However, the arrival of European trading vessels and the establishment of new maritime trading routes led to the decline of the Sahel's economic fortunes. During the late 19th century, the French Colonial Empire expanded across the Sahel region, disregarding historically important overland camel trading routes, biogeographic realities, and ethnic boundaries. Unlike other European colonial projects, the French considered Algeria an integral part of France, leading to the mass colonization of European settlers. After World War II, France sought to maintain its status as a global power by using its African colonies, including the Sahel region, to establish a new currency, the CFA Frank, which was deliberately overvalued against the French Frank to strengthen the French currency and compete with the US dollar. These historical events have contributed to the unique exploitative history of French colonialism in Africa and the long-lasting vestiges of French neocolonialism that persist in the present day.
• 00:10:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses France's economic exploitation of its African colonies through the CFA Frank currency system. This system enabled France to import raw materials from its African colonies at below-market rates and sell finished products back for above-market rates. France also used the CFA Frank to fund its post-World War II economic recovery through a wealth transfer from its African colonies. However, as the call for African independence grew, France responded with violence, most notably in the Algerian War from 1954 to 1962, which resulted in the deaths of around 1 million Algerians and the displacement of over 2 million more. After the Algerian War, France attempted to maintain control of its African colonies through less violent means, including co-opting independence movements and offering cooperation agreements that required the colonies to remain within the CFA Frank system. When Guinea rejected these offers in 1958, France retaliated by destroying Guinean infrastructure and cutting off foreign aid, leading Guinea to turn to the Soviet Union for help.
• 00:15:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses France's historical interest in maintaining access to natural resources, specifically uranium and oil, in its former African colonies. The French took control of Guinea's economy by flooding it with counterfeited currency and arming rebels in response to threats against their CFA Frank system. In Niger, France discovered large uranium reserves and wanted continued access to them for strategic autonomy and energy needs. French geologists discovered uranium in Niger, which has the seventh largest known reserves of uranium in the world and the highest quality uranium ore. France opened commercial uranium mines in Niger in 1971, and Niger's uranium has been a major component of France's energy strategy ever since. France currently relies on imports for 8,000 tons of raw uranium per year, with Kazakhstan being the largest supplier and Niger the second largest. France's control over Niger's uranium resources has been maintained through unfair deals with French multinational companies, exploiting the country's resources and bringing them back to France. Similar historical patterns have been observed in France's dealings with Gabon and its oil resources.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses the long-standing relationship between France and Gabon, focusing on the Bongo family's rule and the country's oil production. The speaker explains that Omar Bongo ruled Gabon from 1967 until his overthrow in 2009, enabling France's Total oil company to dominate Gabonese oil production in exchange for annual bribes. France reportedly covered around 13% of the Gabonese government's budget during this time, with much of the money going directly into the Bongo family's personal accounts. Despite Gabon's high oil-driven GDP per capita growth, the country had poor infrastructure and high rates of poverty and infant mortality. Omar Bongo was quoted as saying that Gabon without France is like a car with no driver, and France without Gabon is like a car with no fuel. The speaker also touches upon the CFA Frank system, which has kept the currencies of 14 African countries stable but has been criticized by Africans for limiting their economic sovereignty.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses the economic relationship between France and the African countries using the CFA Frank currency. The European Central Bank, which controls the monetary policy of these countries, prioritizes combating inflation in Europe, while the African countries are more focused on investing in infrastructure and creating jobs. This has led to a lack of sovereignty and economic growth for the African countries, as they are financially benefiting France and Europe while being unable to make significant revenues from their exports. The speaker argues that this situation has perpetuated France's colonial influence in Africa and has discouraged domestic industries from developing. Despite lower inflation rates, the economic growth rates in these countries have generally been significantly lower compared to their neighbors who do not use the CFA Frank. The speaker also mentions the historical exploitation of Africa by France and the continued struggle for true decolonization.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the focus shifts to the Sahel region, specifically the nomadic pastoral groups, and the challenges they face due to climate change, population growth, and desertification. The Sahel, home to large nomadic groups like the Targ and Fani, has experienced significant temperature rises since the Industrial Revolution, leading to increased droughts, erosion, and desertification. These environmental pressures force nomadic peoples to move south, often resulting in conflict with sedentary societies. The Targ people, who have historically disputed the legitimacy of postcolonial states, have engaged in rebellions, most notably in Mali in 2012. The French intervened militarily to restore control and protect their neocolonial interests, such as uranium mines and the CFA Frank Financial system. Despite deploying over 10,000 troops, the vast and sparsely populated Sahel proved challenging to secure, allowing Islamist insurgents to regroup and expand their influence, leading to a surge in terrorist attacks between 2007 and 2022.
• 00:35:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses the volatile situation in Mali and neighboring countries, where the French counterinsurgency operation began in 2013. Since then, over 20,000 people have been killed in terror attacks, and after French troops were expelled from Burkina Faso in 2022, violence surged, making it the deadliest country in the world for terrorism. The Islamic State Sahel Province and the Al-Qaeda-backed JNIM control large swaths of land in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. As frustration grew over the lack of progress against the insurgencies, anti-French sentiment intensified, with many Africans questioning the true intentions of the French presence. In 2021, a coup led by military officers brought an anti-French regime to power in Mali, which expelled French troops and welcomed the Russian mercenary group Vagner to fill the void. The Vagner group, which had been operating in Africa since 2017, had previously found success in the Central African Republic and was eager to expand its influence. With France imposing sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, the Vagner group saw an opportunity to present itself as a capable and alternative security partner to France, without the colonial and neocolonial baggage. Despite accusations of war crimes and massacres, the group's anti-colonial message resonated with Africans tired of France's presence. The Russian government recognized the value of the Vagner group's operations in Africa and rebranded it as the Africa Core, a semi-officially named entity now directly controlled by the Russian military intelligence service. After coups in Burkina Faso and Niger, the Africa Core offered similar deals to these countries, promising to protect their leadership and fight against insurgencies.
• 00:40:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses the role of Russia and its Africa Corps in the conflict between France and several African countries, specifically Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The speaker explains that these countries are major producers of gold, which Russia desires to access covertly to fund its war effort in Ukraine. The speaker also mentions that Russia aims to disrupt French access to raw materials like uranium and has been welcomed into some of these countries to achieve its objectives. The African states have announced their formal withdrawals from the ECOAS Regional Alliance System and have discussed replacing the CFA Frank system with their own currency. This defiance to France has inspired other African countries with similar grievances against French exploitation. The speaker notes that Russia did not cause the anti-French sentiment in the region but saw the opportunity to advance its own interests. The speaker also mentions that France's intervention in Libya and the resulting chaos led to the rise of rebellions in Mali and other countries, which France has been trying to quell ever since.
• 00:45:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France & Russia are Secretly at War in Africa," the speaker discusses how the French military's efforts to combat terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa evolved into what he calls France's "Forever War." The speaker explains that the territorial cores of ISIS and Al-Qaeda shifted from the Middle East to the Sahel, and while a full exploration of how these groups established themselves and how the French military responded would likely result in a demonetized and age-restricted video, he encourages viewers to watch the next part of the video on Nebula, a subscription-based platform, where they can find over 30 exclusive full-length videos on various conflicts. The speaker also mentions a new series called "War Room" that provides monthly updates on global crises and a lifetime membership offer for access to all content on Nebula.