The intellectual Boubacar Boris Diop did not pull any punches regarding relations between Senegal and France. Enhancing with his presence the dedication ceremony of the book “De la democracy en Françafrique, une histoire de l’imperialisme electoral” by the French journalist Fanny Pigeaud and the economist Ndongo Samba Sylla, the Senegalese writer thinks that France has lost definitely Senegal. According to him, in fact, the French ambassador has become one diplomat among others in the country.
For Boubacar Boris Diop, Françafrique is losing one of its “jewels” in Africa. With the change of regime in Senegal, the writer who is certainly one of the best-known thinkers underlines the importance of noting the end of Françafrique in several countries on the continent, starting with Senegal. In front of an avalanche of intellectuals and members of the country’s civil society, and dissecting the news of the book “Democracy in Françafrique, a history of electoral imperialism”, Boubacar Boris Diop bluntly argues: “Senegal was a bit of a jewel in the crown. And there was never any question of accepting losing Senegal for Françafrique. But it’s lost.”
What happens here is that it’s not done in a spectacular way, it’s done very delicately. “Basically, it is a slow strangulation of Françafrique in Senegal. The French ambassador has become a diplomat among many others,” says the author of “Murambi, the Book of Bones”. He further indicated that in four years, Africa has practically moved into another dimension of time. “Today Mali, Burkina, Niger have driven out the French. A few days ago, Chad did the same,” he adds.
« The book is actually an autopsy dand La françafrique »
Speaking about the book, the Senegalese writer finds that it is an important work in the sense that it speaks of Françafrique. “Which unfortunately we have not done often enough on the African continent. Fanny and Ndongo speak on essential subjects for us. I even want to talk about existential subjects,” he notes with satisfaction before adding: “We have become accustomed to this bloody dimension of Françafrique, a spectacular dimension. What Ndongo and Fanny are doing is showing us that Françafrique is also a daily knitting in ministerial offices. We don’t need to have blood flowing, but we control the situation through elections which are rigged, through articles in this or that constitution.
Indicating at the same time that in the work, there are no vociferations, there is no vehemence. “It’s written in a clinical way. It is written with great precision,” declares the Founder of Defuwaxu.com, the only online daily newspaper in the Wolof language in Senegal. According to him, it is possible to see this book as a diagnosis of Françafrique. But in fact, he reveals, it is an autopsy of Françafrique. However, he is saddened by the fact that on the continent, people do not seem to understand the event. The turning point, according to him, is the fact that ECOWAS is in the process of exploding in mid-air, the fact that all these countries are liberating themselves. “We are not analyzing this boiling point,” he worries.
Ndongo Samba SYlla: «Bassirwhere Diomaye is the only anti françafrique who came to power via elections, this is the only exception »
For his part, Ndongo Samba Sylla recalls that from 1960 until now, there has never been an anti-Françafrique, openly anti-Françafrique leader who came to power via normal elections. “The only exception is the election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye in March 2024, it is the first exception”, informs the Senegalese researcher in his analysis not without indicating that the only anti-Françafrique who came to power in the history are soldiers like Thomas Sankara. In Sylla’s opinion, only the military has the level of organization to fight against imperialism. “And I disagree with those who say this is a democratic step backwards. As for what is happening in the Sahel, we are in a dynamic of liberation. I would never say whether a coup is good or bad. It all depends on whether we are in a perspective of liberation,” explains Ndongo Samba Sy, observing what is happening in the sub-region currently. Remember that the French journalist and the Senegalese economist had already co-written the book The Invisible Weapon of Françafrique, a history of the CFA.
Related News :