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RAMBLE in the JUNGLE

FRANCE – KILLING AFRICA SOFTLY

By Wanaku Verdzekov · · Africa & the Gulf of Guinea

Date note: Undated Facebook post, estimated to about 2021. One section is dated 20 January 2019.

Tags: cfa-franc, france, migration

France's SECRET WEAPON in AFRICA is this: most French-speaking African countries have their CURRENCY "printed in France".

So if your currency is printed by someone, you respect that someone, or else you… start printing for yourself.

But since 1945, French African countries have yet to wean themselves off "colonial francs". It's a sorry situation, if you ask me. Even when the governments of these countries have a problem with France, they cannot say it out loud. I worked for one of these governments, so I know the drill.

It's KILLING AFRICA SOFTLY. And those who should know better are asleep at the wheel.

TM

20 January 2019: an Italian minister points this out to the international community. But is ANYONE LISTENING?

In his words: France prints money for 14 African (so-called) states, and that STIFLES their development, leading to Mediterranean crossings from Africa to Europe that have been DEADLY for a lot of young African men and women.

Translation: FRANCE is KILLING AFRICA SOFTLY (while the international community watches QUIETLY).

The SWISS do not belong to the EU, and they have their OWN MONEY: the Swiss franc. Question: how hard is it to be INDEPENDENT? It's NOT rocket science, if you ask me.

TM

Message to Camerouneses in Africa: as long as someone else is printing your money, you CANNOT be FREE.

TM

— Wanaku Verdzekov

Reading & grammar

Reading level: Gr 9–11

Understand

  1. What does the author call France's "secret weapon" in Africa?
  2. What did the Italian minister say in 2019?
  3. What does the Swiss example suggest?

Grammar focus: cause and effect chains. The minister's argument is a chain: France prints money → development is stifled → young people cross the Mediterranean. Arrows or connectors (so, leading to) show the chain.

Try it: Draw the chain as a diagram, then write it as one sentence with which leads to.

Discuss: Research the CFA franc reforms since 2019. Does the author's argument still hold? Argue your view.