Supporters of Niger's junta were forced on Saturday to halt a census of people willing to volunteer for non-military roles in defence against a possible intervention by West African powers, saying they had been overwhelmed by the numbers who turned up.
Can someone explain to me why supporting a random military junta is a good idea? Idk about the Niger context and I bet a lot of us don’t have tha much info on the sources in the region other than French prominent influences on there. I’ve been suspicious on military junta due to my experience in Thailand and Myanmar coup, and I don’t think these two government should have any grounded support due to their reactionary tendencies.
So far the military governments have been openly anti-imperialist. Stopped uranium exports to France for example. And they’ve been echoing ideas of
as well.
I just wish it’s the same kind with Sankara that goes against imperialists while at the same time upheld socialist values genuinely. I’m just quietly observing their moves but my French is like shit so can’t get more local news without going through some liberals’ lens.
IMO it’s too early to tell if the new governments in the Sahel are any good or not. But they at least deserve critical support against ECOWAS and France
Now I’m not an expert on the topic, but Niger is one of the poorest countries on the African continent. The previous administration wasn’t exactly great and wasn’t able to improve the lives of the people. If your government isn’t able to provide access to basic goods/services and can’t keep you safe, the average citizen won’t really care what comes next as long as it is a change from the status quo.
While I’m too empathise on Nigerian living conditions due to neocolonial exploitation especially from France, I still wary of supporting a military junta that has yet seen to have revolutionary elements other than being anti-imperialist.
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Well, I’m not saying you need to offer them support. I’m merely pointing out that from the standpoint of the average person in the country, the situation is already pretty dire. Anyone who is able to improve the situation is going to be welcomed. I think it’s still a bit early to tell whether the Junta is a force for good, but the early signs are at least somewhat promising. I don’t necessarily need the Junta to be socialist/communist (even if it would be preferred). I’m mostly concerned about whether they can improve the material conditions of the population.
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Yep, I’m from ASEAN. It’s been rough lately since reactionary forces are growing but the grassroot socialist movement doesn’t get much momentum due to the lack of trade unions and class awareness.