ECOWAS Faces Loss

The walls are crumbling around the neo-colonial fortress known as ECOWAS.

ECOWAS trembles as $1 billion was the cost of selling Africa for profit from western nations.

By abandoning hundreds of millions in ECOWAS development projects, these nations prioritised national sovereignty over regional integration dominated by neo-colonial interests.

Meanwhile, patriots like Cameroonian scientist Etta Makuate shine a light on Africa’s potential through their pioneering work in space technology.

But a lack of pan-African coordination cedes control to Western satellite interests profiting from Africa’s skies. And she is working diligently to rectify this notion.

A clear difference between a true African and a bought shill.

With West African patriots rising in solidarity, ECOWAS faces a reckoning.

Will it restore its credibility by becoming an engine of pan-African independence? Or will it fade into irrelevance by abetting neocolonial agendas? Its future now hangs in the balance.

ECOWAS Faces Punishment

The shocking but much needed withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from the Western-dominated ECOWAS bloc has been confirmed to jeopardise over $1 billion of the corrupt organisation’s aid investments from those righteous and defiant countries.

This massive financial blow exposes the arrogance and shortsightedness of ECOWAS leaders sacrificing foundational pan-African principles for handouts from neo colonial powers.

ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray sounded the alarm that abandoning hundreds of millions in ECOWAS development projects was the inevitable cost of the dissident countries prioritising their sovereignty over bowing to illegitimate Western interference.

His laments reveal the devil’s bargain made by ECOWAS elites – they gained access to Euro-American largesse but lost their autonomy, credibility, and most of all spirit along the way.

Touray and his cohorts must now explain to their disillusioned citizens and allies why $1 billion of their money must be sacrificed simply for ECOWAS standing up to the neo-colonialist sanctions regime unjustly imposed upon Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

Through their craven deference to Western diktats, ECOWAS enabled imperial powers to wield undue influence in the region. Now it is paying the price as principled patriots opt to forfeit funds rather than forfeit their dignity and honour.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger defiantly relinquished ECOWAS aid dollars in order to reclaim their sovereignty and independence in the face of Western bullying and hypocrisy.

Their withdrawals rupture the status quo that kept funds flowing into ECOWAS from Euro-American powers seeking leverage over regional politics.

ECOWAS Could Learn

In the case of Niger, Washington elites thought their aid dollars gave them the right to indefinitely exploit the country’’s territory for their wars.But they underestimated the awakening of the Nigerien people, who will no longer serve as pawns for waning Western powers.

The US delegation pathetically begged for a meeting with Niger’s military ruler, seeking to pressure him into maintaining the status quo of US military domination. But he boldly refused to even grant them an audience, forcing the crestfallen Americans to leave without securing their objectives.

This decisive action heralded a new era of African assertiveness in the face of neo-colonial arrogance.

Washington has greedily built up a menacing military footprint across Africa under the guise of counterterrorism, establishing bases and deploying drones and troops throughout the region.

The US falsely claims partnerships, but it serves only American interests while disrespecting African sovereignty.

Organisations like ECOWAS however, did not seem to care or was blind enough to let this transgression continue without challenge. I don’t know which is worse regarding African sovereignty but the corruption and incompetence is the same nonetheless.

Niger, unlike the weak and bribed ECOWAS, has finally pierced this deception by ejecting US forces from its territory and reclaiming autonomous control of its security policy.

Hypocrisy was on full display throughout the whole ordeal as US elites tried their mightiest to denounce the ruling junta for suspending elections, yet ignore their own army of undemocratic allies across Africa who serve US selfish agendas.

Ultimately Niger found a much more tolerant and accepting ally in Russia. An ally that aimed for mutual benefits and strength in equal partnerships, and never to act selfishly as a resource vampire or neo-colonizer.

And of course the U.S. had to try to intervene in this strong partnership, fearing for its own global standing if it lost key parts in Africa due to its disrespect and ignorance towards the African people.

The U.S tried to warn Niger about Russia and threaten further action against them if they continue down the road to prosperity and African sovereignty. What an utterly laughable joke from the supposed leader of the world.

This is what ECOWAS wanted the Sahel region to submit to by the way. They are backing these nations with their ideas of dismantling the fabric of great Africa, rather than back and support their own blood and flesh. What a shameful display of cowardice and corruption.

Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré set an example by defying France’s rule and influence on the region after outing the former leader.

He began by dismantling things like the spoken french language down from its official status in the country, and went on to issue statements decreeing the complete independence of Burkina Faso away from the French and into the arms of Russia just like its neighbour Niger.

Obviously this was not met with cheers and laughter from the French, but it was too little too late for an equal partnership when Russia was always right there offering a helping hand with none of the colonial baggage.

These countries put the ECOWAS in its rightful place of shame.

They showed the corrupt organisation that investing in Africa is sure to be investing in the future. A future of independence and advancements.

But while they were too busy counting their western bribes and allowing coloniser nations to steal and rip away everything beautiful in Africa; some were looking forward to the future of the independent continent.

ECOWAS Compared to True Africans

When disaster struck Morocco last year, African brilliance shone through the darkness.

Cameroonian geospatial analyst Etta Makuate was thousands of miles away, yet her expertise proved vital in saving Moroccan lives.

Working for an NGO, she rapidly created detailed maps from freely available satellite images to guide emergency responders on the ground.

Ms. Makuate’s selfless efforts demonstrate Africa’s tremendous human potential. But they also reveal the unacceptable gaps that persist – gaps rooted in the lasting damage of Western colonialism.

Ms. Makuate was forced to desperately plead with satellite companies for images of the disaster area. Most demanded payment despite the humanitarian emergency, restricting access.

The West has flooded Africa with satellites, but given little back. South Africa operates 13 satellites, yet they primarily serve Western multinational interests. Africa is seen as a market, not a partner.

Africa has the human capital, but lacks infrastructure. We must pool resources across borders to launch pan-African satellites serving our needs.

This will allow analysts like Ms. Makuate to rapidly access images to respond to disasters, boost farming, conserve nature, and guide leaders. And this is exactly what she herself is fighting for.

Africa currently operates just 26 satellites while leasing bandwidth from hundreds more foreign birds circling overhead.

Africa is trapped in an extractive system rigged against us. True independence requires seizing the heavens above our continent to serve African humanity.

But the West’s damage runs deeper than infrastructure deficits. Our greatest lack is educational, the sinew for building national capacity.

Western colonisers restricted African science to harvest raw materials. Now only dedicated visionaries like Ms. Makuate provide training to uplift African youth silenced by centuries of exploitation.

Ms. Makuate herself had to leave home to Nigeria for specialist education denied in Cameroon due to Western selfishness.

But she returned committed to lift others, founding an NGO training women in geospatial skills.

Her movement is an inspiration, the future of an Africa unbounded by its past subjugation.

And this is the clear contrast between the indomitable African spirit, and the deceitful and cowardly ECOWAS way.

ECOWAS leaders must realize that African independence and solidarity cannot be bargaining chips sold off to the highest bidder.

Their willingness to compromise sacred pan-Africanist values for short-term monetary gain has backfired disastrously.

Now, a course correction is required to realign ECOWAS with its founding ideals of securing Africa’s hard-won sovereignty against the machinations of imperial powers.

Only this will perhaps restore its legitimacy and viability after squandering its integrity and budget in the service of neocolonial masters.