Three years ago, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso broke with the old regional order and formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Since then, mainstream coverage has largely portrayed their governments through the language of military juntas, coups, and instability. But on the ground, a much bigger political transformation is underway.
BT’s Nairobi correspondent Nicholas Mwangi explains how the AES emerged, why its governments broke with France and the old regional order, and the changes now underway in security, agriculture, infrastructure, and control over natural resources, despite the enormous historical, security, and geopolitical challenges facing the region.
This video also features firsthand accounts from people across the AES countries, captured by our colleagues at Brasil de Fato in their documentary, Sahel: Homeland or Death.
/watch?v=xxSPUnPm-8s
I mean aren’t they juntas though?
Yep. Not sure if it actually said that in the video though. Really just posting it as an interesting development I hadn’t seen posted anywhere.
Yeah, what makes me suspicious of the video is that it didn’t really mention ANY negatives, which makes it less documentary and more propaganda. For example, Mali hasn’t gotten rid of European influence; it just has DIFFERENT European influence, as they’re now partnered with Russia instead of France for military aid in fighting Islamic terrorism. Is that really better? I would have been willing to listen to an attempt to answer that question, but it was never asked.
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This isn’t to say that we should dismiss this video’s claims out of hand; only that I question its objectivity. At more than one point in the video, a person-on-the-street who is speaking is cut off mid-sentence once they’ve delivered the soundbite the video’s editor wants. I’m sure that many of the points made in the video are correct and valid, and I’m sure that the AES had and has legitimate grievances against France and the USA that shouldn’t be downplayed, but the video clearly avoids any discussion that might provoke any response other than uncritical support of the AES. I would certainly like to see more discussion of the pro-AES position, as I feel there’s a lot more to learn, but I would prefer a discussion that is confident enough in the strength of its position to address its failings too.
Solidarity with the AES!
