Niger’s military government has announced the nationalisation of the country’s sole industrial gold mine, accusing its Australian operator of “serious breaches” as the junta seeks greater control of natural resources.
The military junta has ruled the West African nation since seizing power in a 2023 coup, promising to crack down on Niger’s myriad security issues.
Juntas in Niger, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali have ramped up pressure on foreign mining companies in recent years, with Niger nationalising the local branch of French uranium giant Orano in June.
I was thinking the same. It would be nice if the profits end up benefiting the people but it might end up benefiting just the select few elites. Local elites but still.
The privatized system already only benefited the Australian elites and compradors in Niger. Nationalization directly keeps the wealth in Niger, and not flowing out to Australia. This is anti-imperialism in action, and you’re finger-wagging them for it.
Uhm, that’s what i was saying. Before it was foreign elite few who benefited from it, now it might unfortunately still be elite few, but local.
I’m just saying i wish the money will end up benefiting the people at large, not a select few. If it’s some military junta who will use it to buy gold plated Rolls-Royces while the people live in poverty then of course I’m going to finger wag at that lol
Maybe give it more than five minutes before deciding they’re doing it wrong.
I mean the whole point was that I’m hoping they aren’t
Your immediate insinuation that kicking out foreign plunder, therefore freeing up resources for domestic development of their own industry, somehow is the exact same and that this must be the case, is an extremely western-centric viewpoint and is chauvanistic.
Nope. I’m apprehensive because it’s a military junta behind it.
Niger is in the Alliance of Sahel States, a progressive coalition of anti-imperialist countries in Africa turning their backs on France, Austrailia, and other imperialists. You’re accepting the imperialist framing of a popularly supported government that couped the old, French comprador government that did the exact thing you accuse the new government of doing.
No investigation, no right to speak. You’re acting like a parrot for French propaganda.
The text in the OP and the article it links to is talking about a military junta…
Correct, you are parroting the tone of the article without doing any further research. The government is broadly supported by its people, it was the result of a coup in 2023 against a deeply unpopular comprador, but at the same time it’s clearly a progressive and anti-imperialist government supported by the people. Finger-wagging without doing any research on your part means you are exceptionally prone to propaganda.
Not sure why being apprehensive about military juntas of all things upsets you so.