Niger’s military leaders have renamed streets and monuments with French names, the latest move to cut ties with the former colonial power.
Avenue Charles de Gaulle in the capital, Niamey, is now Avenue Djibo Bakary in honor of the Niger politician who played a major role in the freedom struggle of the West African country.
“Most of our roads, streets and roads… have names that are just reminders of the suffering and exploitation our people endured during the colonial period,” said junta spokesman Maj Col Abdramane Amadou.
Niger’s relations with France and other Western countries have deteriorated after the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum last year.
Like its military-led neighbours, Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger has appealed to Russia for military support as jihadist violence threatens the region – and the three countries have come together to form what they call the Alliance of Sahel States.
Under Bazoum, France had more than 1,500 troops stationed in Niger to help fight jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. They all resigned at the end of last year.
On Tuesday there was a ceremony in Niamey to celebrate various name changes, including a street once named after a French general, and a war memorial built to commemorate those who died in World War I and World War II.
Now it pays “respect to all the victims of the colonists and the colonial army until today”.
Charles de Gaulle was a soldier and politician who formed the French government in exile during the Second World War when Nazi Germany conquered France. He became the leader of the Free French Forces.
Many Africans in French colonies volunteered to fight for the Free French Forces, although many were also conscripted into service.
About 400,000 came from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, and more than 70,000 from Senegal and other sub-Saharan colonies. They took part in the Allies landing in southern France in August 1944, which was crucial in driving the Nazis out of the area.
In fact as part of its colonial re-examination, France began renaming some of its streets and squares after the heroes of the Second World War in Africa four years ago.
Another must-see in Niamey is the monument to French colonialist and explorer Parfait-Louis Monteil. He had traveled from Senegal in 1890 across West Africa, writing a book about his two-year journey.
His portrait has now been replaced by a plaque featuring Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara, a charismatic pan-Africanist who was assassinated in 1987.
During his reign, he adopted an anti-imperialist foreign policy that challenged the dominance of France, which retained great influence in many former African countries.
Another significant name change is the Niamey area of ​​La Francophonie, named after a group of French-speaking provinces.
Instead it will be known as the Place de l’Alliance des Etats du Sahel, after the country’s new alliance with Burkina Faso and Mali.
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