Niger's Foreign Policy With France under General Seyni Kountché (1974-1987)

REFERENCES

1. African Contemporary Record, Vol. 6, 1974, P. 726

2. African Contemporary Record, 1974 - 1975, P. 1717

3. For example in 1961 the budget had its biggest deficit expenditure. Revenue was only $7million while the expenditure was $9.5 million. France covered most of this deficit.

4. Europa Yearbook, 1988 (London: Europa Publications, 1988). P. 2003.

5. Le Sahel, March 17^th, 1982; Jean Pierre Cot, A L'Epreuve du pouvoir; le tiers mondisme pour quoi faire? (Paris: Edition du Seuil, 1984); Jean Pierre Cot, «what's change? Africa reports 28:3 (May - June 1983). PP. 13 - 14.

6. Jean Touscoz, « Le Parti Socialiste Français et la Coopération avec le Tiers Monde», «Politique Etrangère» 46:4 (Dec. 1981), P. 879, and Cot «what's change?» P.13.

7. Stephen Baier, «Economic History and Development; Drought and the Sahelian Economy», African Economic History 1 (1976), P. 5, based on the work of Paul Lovejoy.

8. Rodney, W. How Europe underdeveloped Africa, Washington D. C. Howard University Press, (1974, P. 21)

9. Offiong, D. A, imperialism and Dependency, Enugu Fourth Dimension Publishers, (1980, P. 15)

10. Rodney, W. How Europe underdeveloped Africa, Washington D.C. Haward University Press, (1974, P. 21).

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

Underdevelopment and dependency theorists, as well as enlightened political analysts had persistently argued in their published books, seminar presentations and newspaper articles on the Niger's foreign policy to France (1974 - 1987). In reviewing this work, one is able to depict the negative and positive impacts of Niger's foreign policy to France under General Seyni Kountché (1974 - 1987); thereby giving the general populace of developing countries on awareness growth and development, especially in Niger.

Walter Rodney, clearly pointed this out, in his book «How Europe underdeveloped Africa» in it, he made us understand that underdevelopment is not the absence of development, because every people have developed in one way or another and to a greater or lesser extent. He went further to give the following explanation:

«Underdevelopment is very much tied to the fact that human social development has been uneven and a strictly economic view-point some human groups have advanced further by producing more and becoming more wealthy¹.

These excepts explain better French's development ahead of the rest of Europe in the 18^th century which Michel Roger to look into the causes behind the «Wealth of Nations».

In the contemporary International economic system, the major pre-occupation is on the differences in wealth between on the one hand, Europe and North America and on the other hand, Africa, Asia and Latin America and even in politics, military and diplomatic, there are some differences.

In comparison, as earlier stated, the second group, which has formerly, and until present being characterized as dependent on most secondary production of Eastern capitalist countries, as underdeveloped.

Rodney in the bid to sort out the paradox which underdevelopment possesses centered his analysis by considering the fact that;

«Many parts of the world that are naturally rich are actually poor and parts that are not so well of in wealth of soil and sub-soil are enjoying the highest standard to living»².

This statement could be further explained, considering the fact that the western countries are in possession of military, economic, political and diplomatic power knows how. In this regard, this world, western countries or western capitalist countries are controlling countries that are endowed with abundant resources. As a result of the uneven feature of developing and developed countries, therefore, one of the ideas behind underdevelopment is a comparative one. More so, it is also attributed to the fact that it expresses a particular relation of exploitation: hence underdevelopment today is a product of capitalist, imperialist and colonial exploitation³.

Walter Rodney's conclusion, on the presence of metropolitan powers in the sort of Africa answered the question as to who and what is responsible for African (Niger) underdevelopment. Its answer was given at two (2) levels: firstly, the operation of the imperialist system bears major responsibility for Africa's (Niger's) economic retardation by draining African wealth and by making it impossible to develop more rapidly the resources of the continent. Secondly, deals with those who manipulate the system and those who are whether agents of French or unwitting accomplices of the said system⁴.

The concept of «Dependency» coined by Brazilian sociologist, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, helps to link those who are beneficiaries of development with those who make the decision. Dependency simply states that crucial economic decisions are made not by countries that are being «developed» but by foreigners whose interests are carefully safeguarded. Foreigners use their economic, military, political powers to buy political power in the countries that they penetrate. This could mean political pressure by the imperialist metropolis or even military intervention. This collusion between alien economic and political power distorts both the economy and the policy of the dependent countries⁵.

Daniel Offiong in his book «Imperialism and Dependency» also throws some lights on the dependence nature of African states. This regard, he defined dependency as «the situation that the history colonial imperialism has left and that modern imperialism creates in undeveloped countries»⁶.

In order to develop his argument, he started by quitting the suggestion of Stratchery: «the backward region assumed a dependency status the last step before outright control in relation to the metropolitan power chiefly because the former were in debt to the latter. What was significant about the shift from consumer goods in world trade was that the colony-to-be neared long-term credit or leans to pay for the capital goods, and that finally, the relationship between the backward country and the metropolitan country is one of the debtor and creditor. And from this, it was but a small step to dependence domination»⁷.

Offiong, after examining the dependent nature of African socio-economic and political system he also went further to explain that the false decolonization which has resulted in the phenomenon of neo-colonialism have never been able to solve this problem of underdevelopment. «False colonialism» could be further explained by the role of the United States towards colonization in the post second (2^nd) world war era⁸.

Joseph Wayas quoted the words: «that the problem were not and have not been that Africa was brought into the world market and political system but rather, the manner it was introduced to it; having an economic and political relationship with Europe were not in itself a bad idea, what was bad the manner of the relationship. The fight which African countries are waging today is therefore a fight not to eliminate the relationship but to change it so that Africans can move away from their present situation of economic, military, political, diplomatic dependence and subordination».

He concluded by agreeing with some of the postulations of Walter Rodney. He put it that the relationship has resulted in a great imbalance or disequilibrium, which has remained a fundamental problem in African underdevelopment. As a result of this, it is deemed necessary to proffer easy of liberation from economic, political, military dependence.

Dr. Ali Bouzou contributed extensively in these analyses of foreign policy of Niger with France. His argument was drawn from the proposition of renowned dependency theorist as it relates to the role of France in its relations with Niger. He was of the view that, «the global maximization of accumulation by French» «profit hyenas» is typically ached through the domination of the key sectors of its colony as in the case of uranium and out sector.

In his comment on the impact of Niger's relationship with France on national development, he reflected that:

«The collective impact of the French interests in Niger is the generation and perpetuation of the underdevelopment nature of French companies caused and their exploitative profit motive constitute the heart of this problem»⁹

It is the gap which this concept of dependency has created n Nigerien socio-economic and political system that this work intend to fill the dependent nature of he Nigerien state has created room for the direct relations with France especially in economic, political, diplomatic and military domains during Seyni Kountché's regime. The presence of France in Niger reflects its role towards those relations. On the other hand, due to the dependent nature of the Nigerien state, most of these developmental projects are not positively realized.

In view of these reasons, this work intend to highlight extensively on the situation that, the economic, political, diplomatic and military relationship which is existing between Niger and France during Seyni Kountché's era, has not been the problem; the problem remains in the manner of the relationship. Our pre-occupation centers on not he eliminating of the relationship but, to change it so that, the Nigerien state amidst the presence of France can move from present situation of economic, political, diplomatic and military dependence and subordination.