Civil society in France invites to counter-summit for fair French-African relations
A broad coalition of French and African civil society organisations is demanding, among other things, an end to French military interference in Africa, an end to support for autocrats, neoliberal trade policies, abandonment of the neocolonial currency CFA, and the abolition of illegitimate debts. They are mobilising for an African-French counter-summit on 7, 8 and 9 October in Montpellier: on these days, the Africa-France Summit of States will take place in Montpellier, with the theme of culture, higher education, youth and sport, the "refoundation of relations between France and Africa". Their motive: despite President Emmanuel Macron's announcements, the neo-colonial spirit is still present. On the African continent, France still exercises monetary, economic, diplomatic and cultural domination, carries out military interventions and supports regimes that disregard human rights and prevent the emancipation of peoples. Support for the military coup in Chad in April 2021 is a sad example of this policy. The Mediterranean is a colonial border that has already killed more than 1200 of our sisters and brothers this year. This border persecutes those who manage to cross, those who have no papers, and deprives them of all rights.
From 7 to 9 October, an Africa-France Summit is to be held in Montpellier, which, under the banner of culture, higher education, youth and sport, announces the "refoundation of relations between France and Africa". However, despite President Emmanuel Macron's announcements, the neo-colonial spirit is still present. On the African continent, France still exercises monetary, economic, diplomatic and cultural domination, pursues military interventions, and supports regimes that flout human rights and prevent the emancipation of peoples. The support for the military coup in Chad in April 2021 is a sad example of this policy. The Mediterranean is a colonial border that has already killed more than 1200 of our sisters and brothers this year. This border pursues those who manage to cross, those who become undocumented, depriving them of all rights.
Thus, this summit is taking place in an extremely tense geopolitical context, where anti-French sentiment, which is above all anti-French Africa sentiment, i.e. a rejection of these policies, is growing in all the countries of French-speaking Africa. A strong and salutary rejection of French imperialism has set the populations ablaze in the streets of Dakar, Bamako, and elsewhere.
We demand
an end to France's military presence in Africa,
an end to the neo-liberal trade policy of France and the EU in Africa, (Economic Partnership Agreements - EPAs - and other free trade agreements) which primarily benefit multinationals.
an end to support for presidents who maintain their power in an undemocratic manner (constitutional changes, coups d'état, etc.)
an end to French interference in the internal affairs of African countries
the real end of the CFA Franc by reversing the unilateral decision taken in December 2019 by A. Ouattara and E. Macron, of the reform replacing the CFA franc by the ECO. This currency, which is too strong, dispossesses African countries of their monetary sovereignty, harms African exports and favours imports, ruining any industrial and agricultural policy in these countries.
the cancellation of the odious and illegitimate debts of African countries, the consequences of which are well known: reduced investment in education, health and public services, increased poverty and malnutrition, hindrance to all development, etc.
freedom of movement and settlement,
an end to expulsions from France.
In order to put forward these demands :
we will organise meetings, debates, alternative events during the 3 days of the summit,
We will propose, in September-October 2021, times of explanations and debates, times of popular education to collectively appropriate the stakes of the relations between France and the countries of Africa,
we will express in the media, before and during the summit, the solidarity of struggle between the peoples of Africa and France to put an end to the relationships of domination, exploitation and oppression.
As of today, we propose to all trade unions, undocumented migrants' collectives, associations, political organisations as well as to each and everyone, on an individual basis, to join the Africa-France Counter-Summit Collective in Montpellier.
First signatories : Amis du Monde Diplo 34 ; ATTAC 33 ; ATTAC34 ; ATTAC France ; CADTM France ; La Carmagnole de Montpellier ; CDTM Montpellier - Centre de Documentation Tiers Monde ; CNNR Hérault ; Collectif Ni Guerre Ni Etat de Guerre ; Comité Thomas Sankara de Montpellier (CTSM ) ; Fasti (Federation of Associations of Solidarity with All Immigrants); Third World Forum / World Forum of Alternatives; Engineers Without Borders France; Marche des Solidarités; Nouvelle Dynamique de la Société Civile en RDC (NDSCI); Réseau Rapport Alternatif sur l'Afrique (RASA); Ritimo; Survie; UJFP
Associations and collectives: Afrique Avenir ; Association des Familles des Prisonniers et des Disparus Sahraouis (AFAPREDESA) ; Association des Travailleurs Maghrébins de France (ATMF) ; ASTI de Chalon sur Saône ; ATTAC Gabon ; ATTAC Rennes ; Bureau de représentation du Somaliland en France ; Campagne BDS France Montpellier ; CEDETIM/IPAM ; Centre Dihiya, pour les droits de l'homme, la démocratie et le développement (Rabat, Morocco) ; CIBELE (Collectif Régional de Coordination Nord-Sud Île-de-France) ; CIE Noir Couleur ; Coalition internationale des Sans-Papiers et Migrants (CISPM) ; Collectif Chabatz Dentrar (Haute-Vienne 87) ; Collectif Diasporique camerounais ; Collectif Migrants 83 ; Collectif Sans-Papiers de Lyon (CSP69) ; CRID ; D'ailleurs nous ici 67 ; Droits Devant ; Droits Ici et Là-bas (DIEL) ; Dynamique unitaire panafricaine (DUP); Eau Bien Commun PACA ; EIC Corporation RDC ; États généraux des Migrations Montpellier ; Forum du Tiers Monde (Dakar, Senegal) ; Front Uni des immigrations et des Quartiers Populaires (FUIQP) ; FUIQP 34 ; Initiative in Gedenken an Oury Jalloh CISPM (International Coalition of Undocumented Migrants) Mannheim ; IRPAD/Africa ; L'âme immortelle de l'Afrique (The Immortal Soul of Africa) ; Le Guide du Bordeaux colonial (The Guide to Colonial Bordeaux) ; Ligue des Droits de l'Homme Montpellier ; Ligue Panafricaine UMOJA France ; Organisation des Jeunes Africains pour le Développement et l'Emergence section Sofia à Madagascar (ONG OJADE SECTION SOFIA) ; Organisation pour la Démocratie, la Transparence et le Patriotisme (Niger) ; Rete Dei Comunisti (Italy) ; Solidarité Asie-France ; Sortir du Colonialisme 33 ; Sortir du Franc CFA ; Toulouse Anti-CRA
Supporting unions and political parties: ANC de France; CGT Éduc'action 31; ENSEMBLE !-Mouvement pour une Alternative de Gauche Écologiste et Solidaire; Ensemble ! 34; Ensemble! 33; NPA; NPA 34; Parti Communiste des Ouvriers de France; Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire de France; Parti de Gauche; Parti de Gauche 34; Parti des Indigènes de la République (PIR); PEPS (Pour une Écologie Populaire et Sociale); Union Communiste Libertaire (UCL) Montpellier; Union Syndicale Solidaires; Union Syndicale Solidaires 34; Union Syndicale Solidaires 31; UPC MANIDEM (Cameroon)
Contact: contresommetfrancafrique@protonmail.com
To sign (associations, collectives...): https://framaforms.org/signature-du-texte-dappel-pour-le-contre-sommet-francafrique-1624981829
To support participants who wish to go to the counter-summit: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/association-survie/evenements/inscription-au-contre-sommet-afrique-france-2021
Call for an Africa-France counter-summit in Montpellier on 7, 8 and 9 October - Survie