The African century begins in the Sahel

The world's population reached 8 billion in 2022, and although India recently surpassed China as the most populous country, it is Africa that is capturing the attention of experts due to its rapid population growth. Over the last century, this continent has gone from two hundred million inhabitants to becoming one of the most populous and youngest regions in the world, with 1.4 billion. The majority of its people are under thirty, a stark contrast to the widespread aging in many other regions. Demographers, in fact, estimate that in just a few years, this continent will represent a quarter of the world's population. This dynamism could generate a significant demographic dividend and favor the rise of new powers such as Tanzania and Nigeria. For this reason, many authors assert that the 21st century will be the "century of Africa." However, it is not all rosy, because this hopeful future coexists with an old shadow: the persistent influence of the former colonial powers.

It is in this context of change that the movement known as 'No more FranceThis climate of rejection coincided with the coups that took place in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger between 2020 and 2022—political changes that France openly criticized. This is understandable, because the new military juntas quickly severed relations with the former colonial power and expelled French troops from their territory. At the same time, these governments sought new allies and moved closer to Moscow and China in the military, energy, and strategic spheres. It is no coincidence that demonstrations with Russian flags and images of Vladimir Putin appeared in the streets of Bamako and Ouagadougou. All of this can be explained by the new global context: competition between powers and the war in Ukraine have altered the international balance and opened up opportunities that previously seemed unthinkable.

In this new framework, the Sahel countries no longer want a facade of independence, that "independence in name only" that Frantz Fanon criticized in his book The wretched of the earth (1961). They demand real sovereignty. Let's remember that the independence movements of the 1960s were superficial: many states kept the CFA franc pegged to France, allowed French companies to control key sectors, and accepted military bases on their territory. And they've had enough.

Burkina Faso is one of the clearest examples. The former Upper Volta has a history of instability: since its independence in 1960, it has experienced numerous coups, two of them in recent years. The country suffers from very deep structural problems. Its population depends primarily on subsistence farming and is exposed to increasingly extreme droughts and floods, exacerbated by climate change. Its development indicators are among the lowest in the world. Furthermore, the insecurity caused by armed jihadist groups fuels poverty. Although gold represents the vast majority of exports—much of this production ends up in Switzerland—the population does not reap the benefits.

This is where Ibrahim Traore, the country's new coup-installed president, emerges. His leadership is inspired by Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary of the 1980s who sought to break with the colonial legacy. Embracing some of that spirit, Traore's government has implemented economic measures aimed at strengthening the country's sovereignty. For example, he nationalized gold mines that were previously foreign-owned. With the revenue generated, he distributed agricultural machinery throughout the country to promote a "revolution" intended to improve life in rural areas, where the majority of the population lives. He also launched a campaign against corruption.

Fanon already warned that when a people cannot decide for themselves, they end up rebelling. The Sahel seems to have reached this point.

It is clear that these processes are not perfect. The new revolutionary governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are not paragons of democracy, but neither were their predecessors, often subject to external influences or incapable of responding to basic needs. It is also quite possible that these new governments will end up becoming despotic or failing to deliver on many of their promises: only time will tell.

But putting aside our prejudices… what can we learn from everything that's happening thousands of kilometers away? I think the message is clear. At a time when it's hard to imagine alternatives and when utopias seem like relics of the past, what's happening in Africa forces us to look beyond our own borders. Despite their contradictions, these emancipatory movements in the Sahel express a profound demand for dignity and autonomy. And they remind us that another world is still possible, even if it doesn't align with the European perspective and takes place in countries we can't even locate on a map.