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*France Must Pay Reparations To Its Former Colonies - EFF*

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has bemoaned the continued presence of former colonisers of Africa in some countries amid reports that some are being made to pay taxes to their former colonosers. In a statement, seen by Pindula News, EFF demanded that France pays reparations to its former colonies. The statement was issued to mark Africa Day. Reads the statement:

*ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS MEMORANDUM TO THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE*

*Wednesday, 25 May 2022*

> The Economic Freedom Fighters condemns all manifestations of colonialism and neo-colonialism in the entire African continent. We as a generation of Freedom Fighters reject and condemn the fact that decades after the declaration of the so-called independence of formerly colonized territories, Colonisers continue to maintain colonial and neo-colonial relationships with African countries which are supposed to be free from colonial control.

> The British colonisers, the Portuguese colonisers, the Belgian colonisers, the Spanish Colonisers and all the French colonisers continue to brutally exploit, oppress, and micromanage all the countries they colonised many decades ago. French colonialism in the African continent continues to be the most brutal, cruel, and devilish form of colonialism in the African continent.

> When countries that were under French colonial rule declared political independence, the government of France destroyed and damaged all the infrastructure and systems that were developed through African resources and labour power because they wanted to retain total control of all the former colonies. The French colonial governments destroyed everything they were unable to loot back to their country after independence. The French colonialists burned food, killed cows, and destroyed buildings and books.

> The former colonies of the French regime such as Gabon, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Congo-Brazzaville, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and Guinea-Bissau continue to use the Franc currency and their monetary policies are dictated by the French Central Bank. France continues to maintain strong and intimidating military bases in almost all African countries they had colonial control over.

> African countries that were under French colonial rule are forced to pay colonial taxes and currently pay more than US$500 BILLION to the French treasury every year and that is separate from the many natural resources French companies continue to loot from the African continent. The colonial pact that France forced all its former colonies to enter into include the following:

1. Paying for the infrastructure France built during colonisation. 
2. Keeping 50 per cent of their foreign reserves in the French Treasury. 14 African countries have been doin: this for ears. Interestingly, these countries can only access 15 per cent of their reserves each year. If they need more, they have to borrow it. 
3. France has the first right to purchase any natural resources discovered. 
4. French companies have the first right to choose on all government procurement bids. 
5. Senior military officers are trained in France. 
6. France has the right to deploy its military in the African countries
 7. Countries have to make French the official language and the education language. 
8. Using the French colonial currency. 
9. Former colonies have to send a reserve report to France. 
10. Ex-colonies cannot enter into military alliances with other countries without approval from France. 
11. Ex-colonies are required to join forces with France during war or global crisis.

> The French Government and regime have played a direct role in the coup de tats and illegal and unlawful overthrow of many governments in the African continents. France is also responsible for the assassination of many prominent leaders in the African continent. Additionally, France continues to support and anchor nonsensical governments that have no respect for African people. These include the following:

1. Burkina Faso, which led to the assassination of Thomas Sankara. 
2. Guinea 
3. Central African Republic. 
4. Chad, 
5. Mali’s instability has always been sponsored by France. 
6. Ivory Coast’s illegal arrests of leaders and instability is sponsored by France. 
7. The continued rulership of Paul Biya in Cameroon is financed and maintained by France. 
8. The permanent and perpetual destabilisation of the Democratic Republic of Congo is aided by the French government.

> We commend and appreciate the work of revolutionary anti-colonial forces that are beginning to undermine French colonialism, particularly in Mali and call on all neo-colonised people under the so-called Francophone to reject France’s colonial rulership and control. We commend the many anti-colonial and Pan Africanist forces in all the African countries and reiterate our call for the unity of the African continent.

> Despite the micromanagement of the former colonies, the French government continuously uses its resources to corruptly influence the internal process of electoral outcomes of Africa’s continental organisations such as the African Union and the Pan African Parliament. France continues to identify puppets in different African countries are field them as candidates for important and strategic positions in different continental multilateral organisations.

*DEMANDS.*

> The Economic Freedom Fighters therefore stands here, in front of THE embassy of slave traders, colonialists, warmongers, and imperialists, to make the following demands:

1. France must grant full independence to all African countries and allow them to determine their own currencies, monetary policies and economic direction. 
2. France must stop all colonial taxes because it is the wealth of the African continent, the blood and sweat of Africans that built all the infrastructure which African countries are forced to pay for many decades after the so-called independence. 
3. France must immediately remove all of its military bases which is currently stationed in Africa. This includes but is not limited to, military bases, French soldiers, French aid through arms and any presence of French influence in the armies or militia groups in Africa. 
4. France must desist from interfering in the economic affairs of African countries, through monetary policy and the usage of their currency in West Africa must gradually decrease towards establishing currency systems determined by Africans themselves. 
5. France must return all mineral or fiscal reserves held by the French Treasury to African nations and any of their former colonies. 
6. France must pay reparations to all of its former colonies, particularly the architects of the greatest slave rebellion known to humanity, Haiti. Haiti has had its development stunted by a racist global world order, which feared African Independence and the first black-led state.
7. The removal of French as an official language in Africa, in favour of a continental reconstruction of African identity, away from the imposition of white civilisations standards and norms as a measure of humanity. 
8. France must stop its sponsorship of divisions that occur in Africa’s continental multilateral institutions particularly the Pan African Parliament and the African Union.

> These demands are made to the government of France and sent to all colonial and neo-colonial forces in the African continent including the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, and the United States of America. All forms and manifestations of colonialism in the African continent must be dismantled and it is our obligation as a generation to work fearlessly to dismantle colonial and neo-colonial rule.

> The EFF will do everything in its power to destabilise all forms of colonialism in the African continent and will play an unapologetic and leading role in the dismantling of all remnants of colonialism and colonial rule in the African continent.

*WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GREAT ANTI-COLONIAL PAN AFRICANISTS SUCH AS KWAME NKRUMAH, SEKOU TOURE, EMPEROR HAILE SELASIE, BEN BELLA, THOMAS SANKARA, GAMAL ABDEL-NASSER, JULIUS NYERERE, PATRICE LUMUMBA, KENNETH KAUNDA, ROBERT MUGABE, ROBERT SOBUKWE AND MANY PAN AFRICANISTS WHO GENUINELY RESISTED COLONIALISM AND STOOD FOR THE UNITY OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.*

> The EFF expects a response to all of these demands within 14-working days. If there is no believable and practical response within the 14 days, we will as the leadership of the EFF outline a clear and practical programme on how we will undermine and counter French’s continued colonisation of the African continent.

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