France v. Ambassador Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao

It is not a secret that neocolonialism is real and Western countries like France and the United Kingdom still view their former colonies as extensions of themselves. This is why it was not shocking that AU executive secretary Moussa Faki Mahamat, the former Chadian prime minister decided to fire AU’s ambassador to the United States, Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao on October 7, 2019.

In the months leading to the firing of Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, she gave several speeches challenging France. Under this neocolonial system Africa puts annually $500 billion into the French treasury, which France has used to invest and infuse the French economy with trillions of dollars. Even France’s longest serving president, Francois Mitterand said in 1957, “Without Africa, France will slide down into the rank of a third (world) power.” In addition, the C.F.A. franc is used by 14 nations in Western and Central Africa and France uses this currency to exploit former colonies.

Of the roughly 68 coups, that have happened in Africa, 61 percent have taken place in so-called Francophone countries. In other words, any African leader wanting to take his country out from under the economic control of France was subject to be overthrown by a French-engineered coup.

Throughout her tenure Dr. Chihombori-Quao has advocated for Africans and Diaspora Africans including people of African descent in the United States, Caribbean, South America, Europe and elsewhere– to break this neocolonial domination by pooling their financial, economic and intellectual capital.

Moussa Faki Mahamat

Moussa Faki Mahamat (Arabic: موسى فكي محمد‎ Mūsā Fakī Muḥammad, born 21 June 1960) is a Chadian politician and diplomat who has been Chairperson of the African Union Commission since 14 March 2017. His election to the AU Commission pleased both Europe and the United States of America, who support Chad in the fight against Boko Haram and other jihadist groups. Chad is also the headquarters of the French counterterrorism operation in the Sahel, Operation Barkhane which explains why his loyalty is to France and not the African people. He is a close friend of Chadian dictator, President Deby.