Menu
OPINION/CAR : "Françafrique" continues whatever...
Second round of presidential election in CAR at least turned Faustin-Archange Touadera as new elected President. But, while armed groups continue to terrorize the population at each corner of street, François Hollande the French President, absolutely wanted that these elections took place against all, in order to state later that the French military intervention reached a successful conclusion in this poor land.
As seen, now, the country is endowed with attributes of what representatives of great powers call DEMOCRACY: elections, president, and soon government and a legal Parliament.
Faustin-Archange Touadera is not exactly new to the game. He was the last Premier of dictator François Bozizé, from 2008 to 2013, just before this one was overthrown through a coup by the rebel group of Seleka, ruled by Michel Djotodia.
So, he had been complicit in misappropriation of the thin wealth of the CAR for the benefit of the former dictator and his family and clan. Diamonds, customs duties, till UN aid programs, everything ended up in the pockets of Bozizé and selected ministers of the government managed by Touadéra.
References of Touadera's opponent is not terribly brilliant. Anicet-Georges Dologuele had been too a PM in the past, before taking the lead of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). So, him, as well, participated in pillaging the country for the profit of imperialist countries, with France in the front row. The same could be said of the major candidates who run for Presidency, as with close ties to France.
Touadera claims that he holds the power to put an end to the bloodshed and to emerge the country from the present turmoil and impasse, by establishing the implementation of a DDR programme and the reinsertion of armed criminal gangs. But such programs, Centrafric experienced them at many times in the past, and for nothing. Except, the resurgence of a new rebellion years later. The integration of the armed forces that would include rebel army groups planned by these programs has been consistently drawing the same conclusion, in a country where the State does not exist, or better said, boils down to the feeding dish of a clan; It is always more lucrative to plunder the wealth at source, whether it is diamond mines, or levies extorted from the population.
Today, the French government largely subcontracted its military presence in CAR to the almost 12,000 UN Peacekeepers of MINUSCA, knowing that the African troops act under mandate of UN. Remain on ground, again 900 French troops, a number that Hollande would like to reduce to 300. Both of them act as armed groups among others, as proven by charges of sexual abuse, targetting as well French and African troops.
The election FARCE that has just taken place, and the overall decorum supposedly democratic, will not change the fact that the country is rife with chaos. It is the result of pillaging of the natural wealth of the country by the French imperialism, during the colonial period and after the independence. The result too, of its multiple military interventions to support predatory dictators.
And when Hollande promises to Touadera "all the support necessary", that means the continuation of such colonial way of doing.
D. M. | lutte-ouvriere-journal.org
Version française : http://wp.me/p39iaI-Rv
As seen, now, the country is endowed with attributes of what representatives of great powers call DEMOCRACY: elections, president, and soon government and a legal Parliament.
Faustin-Archange Touadera is not exactly new to the game. He was the last Premier of dictator François Bozizé, from 2008 to 2013, just before this one was overthrown through a coup by the rebel group of Seleka, ruled by Michel Djotodia.
So, he had been complicit in misappropriation of the thin wealth of the CAR for the benefit of the former dictator and his family and clan. Diamonds, customs duties, till UN aid programs, everything ended up in the pockets of Bozizé and selected ministers of the government managed by Touadéra.
References of Touadera's opponent is not terribly brilliant. Anicet-Georges Dologuele had been too a PM in the past, before taking the lead of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). So, him, as well, participated in pillaging the country for the profit of imperialist countries, with France in the front row. The same could be said of the major candidates who run for Presidency, as with close ties to France.
Touadera claims that he holds the power to put an end to the bloodshed and to emerge the country from the present turmoil and impasse, by establishing the implementation of a DDR programme and the reinsertion of armed criminal gangs. But such programs, Centrafric experienced them at many times in the past, and for nothing. Except, the resurgence of a new rebellion years later. The integration of the armed forces that would include rebel army groups planned by these programs has been consistently drawing the same conclusion, in a country where the State does not exist, or better said, boils down to the feeding dish of a clan; It is always more lucrative to plunder the wealth at source, whether it is diamond mines, or levies extorted from the population.
Today, the French government largely subcontracted its military presence in CAR to the almost 12,000 UN Peacekeepers of MINUSCA, knowing that the African troops act under mandate of UN. Remain on ground, again 900 French troops, a number that Hollande would like to reduce to 300. Both of them act as armed groups among others, as proven by charges of sexual abuse, targetting as well French and African troops.
The election FARCE that has just taken place, and the overall decorum supposedly democratic, will not change the fact that the country is rife with chaos. It is the result of pillaging of the natural wealth of the country by the French imperialism, during the colonial period and after the independence. The result too, of its multiple military interventions to support predatory dictators.
And when Hollande promises to Touadera "all the support necessary", that means the continuation of such colonial way of doing.
D. M. | lutte-ouvriere-journal.org
Version française : http://wp.me/p39iaI-Rv
