The Sahel region is a «bridge» between the Sahara in the north and the fertile lands in the south of the African continent. It includes 12 states with a population of almost 300 million citizens. The region’s largest nations are Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. They have been French colonies for centuries. They only gained independence after WW2, albeit it de jure – de facto their economies, politics and even cultures were still dependent on Paris. The reason for French control was resources, uranium in particular.
And control is still in place, which is why the young military leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have started the so-called ‘Sahel revolution’, in an attempt to realize their goals and make their countries truly independent. Only time will tell if Africa will triumph in its resistance to Paris.
