Niger: Famine and Uranium
The earliest emblems of humanity’s existence in Niger can be found in cave paintings in the south near Tiquidt, Niger. These paints, tools and artifacts date back to around 280,000 BC. Around 10,000BC there is evidence of herding, farming and agricultural production. This is one the earliest beginnings of early human civilization.
The first slave state civilization in the region of Western Africa begins with the Empire of Ghana. Its capital was Koumbi Saleh. This African Empire lasted from 300 CE to 1100 CE. Though it lay to the west of modern-day Niger. It exerted a profound impact on the development of the region. It was a culture based on traditional African religion that lived side by side Muslim religion that entered the empire after the Muslim invasion of the region during the 7th century CE . This empire was developed from the trade of salt and gold of the Trans-Sahara trade. After the fall of the Ghanian Empire, one of the smaller states known as the Sasso Kingdom emerged as a regional power. This kingdom developed into an empire under the leadership of Sumanguru Kante. According to history and legend, as stated in the Epic of Sundiata, Sumanguru was very cruel using magic to subjugate his people. Whether magic or not Sumanguru was able, by his harsh rule, to unite the states of the Sosso Empire. Sundiata is born, and though an heir to the throne, is smuggled out of the kingdom to save his life from the treachery of the evil Sumanguru. Sundiata returns and defeats Sumanguru. This defeat lays the foundation for the establishment of the Empire of Mali. Mali rose to power after the Battle of Kirina in 1235.
The Mali Empire, a Mandinka empire, existed from 1235 CE to 1670 CE. At the height of its culture, it was ruled by Mansa Musa who is famous for his pilgrimage to Mecca, across the Sahara. During its prominence it maintained a high degree of art and culture. The most famous is the library and university of Timbuktu. During this age, because of the extensive trade with the Trans-Sahara and the far east. Trade in gold, salt, slaves, and other precious commodities, like cattle and cloth, laid a stronger ground in culture and power. The trading in gold was especially important. The gold was sent not only east but north where it was minted into Almoravid dinars. This was important since the Almoravids ruled Spain, at the time. Mali became not only one of the wealthiest Islamic states but one of its most renown.
The Songhai Empire (1464 CE -1591 CE) arose from the weakening Mali Empire.
Its capital was located at Gao. It was established by Sonni Ali in 1464 CE the empire expanded after conquering Timbuktu in 1468 and Djenne, in 1475 CE. The kingdom existed under Gao long before the establishment of the Songhai Empire. The kingdom gained its independence from Mali in 1430 CE. Gao people arose to prominence because of their skill in hunting crocodiles and hippopotamus. At its height the empire included the modern states of Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria, Guinea, Gambia, Algeria(south), Burkina-Faso and the Ivory Coast. It was ruled by two dynasties the Sonni and Askia. The Songhai Empire grew in power and influence because it controlled the Trans-Sahara trade. It also controlled extensive gold and salt mining. Songhai developed an extensive system of trade across the Sahara as well as maritime trade. The empire also established a system of weights and measures. The Songhay empire was not only known throughout Africa but maintained a considerable amount of influence throughout Asia and Europe.
Its decline came about as a tragedy brought on by imperialism and growing interference from Europe. Songhai was also weakened by a war of succession, but the blow came about because of the papal bull issued by the Roman Catholic pope granting to Portugal all the lands existing within the Eastern hemisphere. The Portuguese launched an invasion on Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. The sultan defeated the Portuguese but at a great cost financially to his kingdom. In fact, his kingdom’s financial suffering was so great he felt the necessity of launching an invasion on the weakened Songhai state. He sought the gold and riches of the Songhai empire. The cruel fact is that he never recovered from his war loses but he did conquer and severely damage the Songhay empire at the Battle of Tondibi. The battle was won primarily because of the use of firearms by the Moroccans who had learned the science of firearms from the Ottoman Turks who devised the way of transforming the entire army to firearm use. The Songhai had no firearms and through they attempted to use stampeding cattle and other tactics, it proved futile and as a result the warriors of Songhai were captured or killed.
As a result of the slave trade and colonialism the various Kingdoms and peoples of the area had less power to govern themselves. Several kingdoms did exist during this period. The Sultate of the Air; Kamen- Bornu and the Hausa states rose in prominence, but nothing could stop the economic and political onslaught of the European powers. In 1885 the Berlin Conference was held. The European powers cut up Africa. France would initially gain control of the upper valley of Niger. Through a succession of exploitive military missions, the Gentil Mission; the Foureau- Lamy Mission and Voulet-Chanoine; all dispatched by France for the purpose of linking the three colonial holdings of France. They involved rape, murder, and pillaging. In one, the village of Birni-N’Konni, they wiped out the entire town, killing everyone. It was one of the worse massacres in French history. The three armies combined for an attack on the forces of Rabih az Zubayr of the Kanem-Bornu Empire. His forces numbered 10,000 men armed with obsolete rifles. They would lose to the French who were armed with more modern rifles but who numbered only 1500. Rabih az Zubayr was killed in the ensuing rout. He was shot in the head and because of the bounty on him his head was severed and along with his hand so that the reward could be collected. The forces of Kanem Bornu would lose 1,000 to 1,500 dead and 3,000 wounded these include women and children that accompanied the troops. The French casualties were 28 dead and 75 wounded. As a result of the Battle of Kousseri the French gained control of the majority of West Africa and the borders between the English and French colonies were settled.
Niger though rich in history is one of the poorest nations in the world. The incomes in Niger are low. The GDP of Niger is 13.69 billion the per capita income for 2022 is $565 USD. The average salary in Niger is $414 USD. Forty percent of the GDP of Niger is derived from Agriculture. Niger, according to Wikipedia, “has consistently been ranked at the bottom of the Human Development Index, at 0.394 as of 2019 it ranks among the least developed and most heavily indebted nations in the world
According to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on Nigerien households, almost all of which have suffered from the economic slowdown,” notes Joelle Dehasse, World Bank Country Manager for Niger. “It is important for the government to be able to reallocate resources from general administration to social services and infrastructure in order to maximize growth opportunities and social welfare.”
However, despite the poor income Niger is one of the largest producers of uranium in the world. France began the mining of uranium in Niger in the 1970’s to take advantage of the rich deposits and the potential of enormous profits. Today it is the nation’s largest export. While the French owned uranium mining company has become rich and profitable. Niger has remained poor and unable to pay its debts. Why? The profits do not go to the people of Niger whose land is polluted, exploited, and destroyed. It does not go to the salaries of the workers who are used to mine the uranium. It does not go to the villages to insure a decent life. It does go to enrich the coffers of the French banking system. Niger is also an oil producing nation. In the Tintouma oil field in Madama ,oil was discovered during its independence era. Exxon and Texaco found oil in 1980 in the Agadem basin. Still the wealth remains in the hands of the wealthy monopolies with little or none reaching the impoverished fingers of the Niger populace. Food insecurity and unemployment remain a severe problem in Niger and this problem coupled with extreme poverty has been even more aggravated by security issues that have increased because of Al Qaida and other rebel and reactionary groups who have driven thousands of refugees from Nigeria other neighboring countries in the Sahel region.
This is a small problem compared to the growing problem of pollution and ecological damage that has been brought on by the uranium mining industry. According to Greenpeace, an environmental activist organization, the soil surrounding the mining area has not only become polluted with toxic chemicals but with radioactive materials. These radioactive materials threaten the life and health of the surrounding community. In the drinking water and the soil, the Greenpeace activists found levels of radon that far exceeding the recommended levels prescribed by the World Health Organization. Still water is distributed to the community even though the levels of dangerous radioactive materials have been known to cause birth defects and cancer. The hospitals run by the mining corporation claimed they have found no evidence of radiation. Greenpeace feels it is because they lack proper equipment for testing and screening cancer illness One worker who was retired because of an illness contracted in the mines feels the working people were treated like animals. They had no face masks or anything to cover their faces. See Left in the Dust https://media.greenpeace.org
Neocolonialism has left Niger with another problem she is at the mercy of the elements. The farming industry that consists of 40 % of the GDP has been beset with drought. Because of climate change and its negative effect on the environment, the farmers in the Niger must cope with increasing erratic rainfall. Many parts of the nation have not had a good rainfall for a decade. Temperatures are rising 1.5 times faster than the rest of the world. Eroding 14% of the land. This increase in temperature has caused a desertification of the land. Last year there was a 39% drop in cereal production. Food insecurity has brought starvation to the land. This food insecurity brought on by the monopolistic exploitation of the natural resources, this exploitation, has caused death to thousands of African people, most of them children. One story is of an infant whose parents could not save him from starvation. The journey to the hospital was too long and the food to scarce to save the child from death from malnutrition. A 20-month year old boy way taken out of the hospital his body stilled by death wrapped in a purple cloth. This added to the fact that thousands have been run because of Jihadist violence. Refuges from neighboring Mali and Nigeria have reached over 200,000. Over 18% of Niger’s population is already facing food insecurity. Approximately 4.4 million people are malnourished. France has responded by sending in troops to protect its military interest of uranium production, a way of ending dependency on Russian oil and gas and the building of nuclear weapons for that nation. The US and European nations owe their existence to the empires of Mali, Songhay, Kamen-Bornu and the kingdoms of Northern Africa. They were enriched by the minerals that brought on the industrial age of the 19th century. Is it wrong therefore to have Pan Africanism. Was Nkrumah wrong for calling for the collective security for Africa? Could not the effects of climate change have been alleviated by collective farm production and the ownership of production in the hands of the working class of African states united in peace and harmony. Africa cannot go back to colonialism, but must we die by the millions on the road to communism.
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