Editor’s note: Morrigan Johnson attended this event and conducted the interviews. The commentators did not give their names for public use, so the privacy was kept consistent throughout the article.

Written by: Morrigan Johnson

Imminent war

On September 3, a rally took place at Calgary City Hall to oppose a US/French-led ECOWAS war in Africa. The Pan-African group United African Diaspora called an emergency rally in defense of Africa from imperialist and neo colonial forces.

Escalations have risen in Africa since a popular military coup deposed Niger’s former leader, Mohamed Bazoum. The military junta governing has sent shockwaves through the global south, inspiring decolonial resistance, and and anti- imperialists. Niger is backed up by the Malian and Burkina Faso juntas which came to power in 2021 and 2022 respectively. .

The recent coup tossed the region in upheaval by ousting the Western puppet government, where the interests of rich western imperialist countries override the very people who live and toil in the country. There is a threat of an imminent war of intervention by imperialist US/France and the NATO regional front ECOWAS. This would serve to re-install a pro-western puppet government in Niger, but could escalate into a new world African war in the process.

Strong solidarity with Africa

"We're here to express solidarity with the anti-colonial movement" an organizer of the rally said, "we are a Pan-African organization".

"We have to become better citizens. The relationship Canada has with the rest of the world is harmful, genocidal. We have to be tuned into the fact that Canada is not some perfect country or benevolent nation that's just everybody's friend".

"We have to wake up to the fact that our country, it's policies are harming millions of people in the global south, or the third world, whatever we call it. We must actively stand with these people, and demand that our government change and do better".

Hands off Africa! Canadians oppose neo colonialism and imperialism

"We must fight," another protester said: "It might be very small today, but it's a calling. As Africans here in Canada, we are not free, until Africa is free".

"The youth of Africa give me hope. That they are not giving up. We need to get out there and educate people" the protester said.

Down the street the Calgary Pride Parade was finishing and crowds were walking back, a queer person who joined the rally explained "[this is a] totally different movement, but our struggle is connected. We are increasingly threatened and drawing on the solidarity of pride is the centre of my practice. Not all countries might necessarily be progressive, but how can any country develop under imperialism? There's more support for this movement than people might realize".

People are being killed for the resources

Niger is geostrategic because it is resource rich. The US maintains a drone base in the region, and France stations thousands of troops which maintain Western dominance in the region. Many operate through the US DOD branch of command, AFRICOM. Foreign troops in Niger are now being asked to leave.

Niger is rich in gold and uranium, extracted by Western companies, but nearly half of Nigerieans live in extreme poverty.

"It's not fair that their lives must be lost in order for our government to take what isn't even theirs" another organizer says. "This happened to Haiti, and everywhere else."

"Things will change, people will wake up, when it starts to hit close to home. Ignorance can be a blessing until it happens to you, then you will realize that we have to stand together" she said.

“What has been stolen goes beyond the resources. But what must be regained is the spirit and the people of Africa,” another organizer of the rally said over the phone, after the rally.

“Working with poor people on the street and talking to people not on the street who could change things for those who are struggling, is the same as other places in the world who are very poor. The attitude of our economy and its economic logic pervades, and we ignore the marks of whip.”

He continued, “when people speak about the economy, like an invisible hand, they assume someone who is downtrodden really deserves it. But also on the issue of the right of nations to self determine. People think there’s nothing we can do about it, or that if we do, we might be interrupting a divine invisible hand. Do some nations deserve to be poor, maybe they did it to themselves? Nobody is willing to look closely enough to see how this happens in detail. Why should our nation interfere in the interests of others? Africa is rich in resources and culture, yet it is one of the poorest places on Earth. Following the colonial period, those riches are still in foreign hands, from western supply chains benefiting Western nations. Africans are not involved”.

“It really isn’t hard to learn about,” he said. “An enormous wealth of resources are on the internet. In fact it's hard not to stumble onto the cultures of the world, just by being curious”.

The demand for a new world is undeniable

On July 28, the second Russia-Africa summit and the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in St. Petersburg concluded. On the agenda was trade, cooperation, development, and the future of a multi polar world moving away from colonialism.

The President of the Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso said: “It is impossible to industrialize our continent without electrification.” He commented to President Vladimir Putin: “You will remember the famous slogan of the great revolutionary of your country: “Communism is Soviet power plus the electrification of the whole country.” Meanwhile today, he said, “600 million Africans – I will repeat this figure – 600 million Africans live without electricity.”

After the BRICS summit concluded in August, the alliance added six new countries bolstersing the economic cooperation, trade, and ushering the re-alignment of the global south. In terms of purchasing power, the BRICS countries surpassed the G7 countries in 2022, and produced more of the real commodities that are necessary for human survival, such as food and raw materials than the G7 countries. The alternative economic and financial system gives new hope to the global south, namely the prospects of development for the African continent. Russia and China play a big role in opening the door to this progress through non-interference, and the BRICS system.

Many Western countries have economically retaliated against the new Nigerien government by implementing sanctions, calling for a return of the old government. Canada has suspended direct development assistance to Niger and refused to pull its troops from the country. and stated strong condemnation, rallying behind the US/NATO regional front ECOWAS.

The hypocrisy of Canadian imperialism espousing rights and democracy, however, is whether nations have a right to self determination without Western interference, or not? Canadian imperialism would have a puppet government in Niger for another millennia if it could. Even if the true character of the Nigerien junta will take time to understand well, the world is changing for the better.

Editor’s note: The Canada Files is the country's only news outlet focused on Canadian foreign policy. We've provided critical investigations & hard-hitting analysis on Canadian foreign policy since 2019, and need your support.
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Morrigan Johnson is an anti-imperialist writer. He has published on geopolitics, war and peace, international economy, and international governance.

Morrigan is the organizer of the Calgary Peace Council and is an editorial board member of the International Manifesto Group.

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