Facts are beginning to emerge on why the French Prime Minister, Emmanuel Macron, did a volte face on the issue of the Eco, the west African common currency, dragging the eight Francophone Countries into the Eco -to have a measure of control-a situation he was said to have sabotaged because the Francophone countries would have to jettison the CFA, the French currency, for the Eco, thereby destabilizing more than fifty years of stronger colonial chains over their victims through the back door.
It is believed to have been linked to the sack of Arikana Chihombori-Quao, the African Union Ambassador to the United States under controversial circumstances.
Last year, Chihombori-Quoa presented a scathing criticism of Europe and, especially France, on their role in the impoverishment of the African Continent. She cited the pact that France went into with the former colonies, where France forced them to agree to deposit 85% of their National income with the French Central Bank to be managed by the French Finance minister and invested in the french stock market by the French government, while the Francophone countries have to only apply for their own money as a loan, which only about 20% can be approved. According to her, any African leader that comes up with any resistance to the status quo will be assassinated and overthrown by french backed groups.
This exposition was embarrassing to the French government, and it was believed in some quarters that the world powers put pressures on the African Union to recall and sack Chihombori-Quao. they appeared to have succumbed to such pressures when eventually she was recalled from the US and relieved of her duties.
But rather than douse tension, there erupted an avalanche of protests and demand for her recall by several groups of African American. Many African leaders joined in criticizing the decision of the AU to sack her. John Rawlings, a former president of Ghana Head of state, was particularly piqued.
“The dismissal of Arikana Chihombori-Quao, AU Ambassador to the United States raises serious questions about the independence of the AU”, he tweeted. “For someone who spoke her mind about the detrimental effect of colonisation and the huge cost of French control in several parts of Africa, this is an act that can best be described as coming from French controlled colonized minds. How can this shameful behavior emanate from us?…How can this continent progress?’, he querried.
It is believed that her position gingered the ECOWAS sub-region to fastrack the 30 years old negotiations so that the french colonies in west Africa will severe themselves from the CFA. Hence Macron had to strike a balance “so that he will not lose all”, an analyst told the magazine within the week. “He didn’t have a choice in the matter, really”.
Ghana had immediately welcomed Macrons decision, but Nigeria has said nothing other than that they are studying the issue.
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