Statement on French Intervention in Mali

The Irish Anti-War Movement strongly opposes the military intervention by France and other countries in Mali. Neither France nor any of the other nations directly involved or supporting France (eg the UK) have any right whatsoever to intervene in this way. The fact that France is the former colonial power in Mali, as in much of north western Africa, and therefore doubtless has ‘connections’ and ‘interests’ in the area in no way justifies their action, on the contrary it is merely a further reason why they should cease interfering in the affairs of Mali and African people as a whole.
We reject completely the notion that former colonial powers have some special responsibility for the areas they once ruled (eg France for Cote D’Ivoire, Algeria etc., Britain for Zimbabwe, Kenya etc) except in the sense that the whole historical epoch of European imperialist conquest and exploitation of Africa is the root cause of that continents desperate poverty and plight to today.
The pretext for this latest intervention – the alleged threat of an ‘Al Qaeda terrorist state’ on the doorstep of Europe – would be laughable were it not underwritten by the general climate of Islamophobia cultivated by politicians and the media. Mali is in no sense on Europe’s doorstep and, given its location south of the Sahara and its extreme underdevelopment and poverty, is completely unable to pose any threat to Europe. This pretext has even less credibility than George Bush’s and Tony Blair’s infamous ‘weapons of mass destruction’ claim for Iraq.

The Irish Anti-War Movement strongly opposes the military intervention by France and other countries in Mali. Neither France nor any of the other nations directly involved or supporting France (eg the UK) have any right whatsoever to intervene in this way. The fact that France is the former colonial power in Mali, as in much of north western Africa, and therefore doubtless has ‘connections’ and ‘interests’ in the area in no way justifies their action, on the contrary it is merely a further reason why they should cease interfering in the affairs of Mali and African people as a whole.
We reject completely the notion that former colonial powers have some special responsibility for the areas they once ruled (eg France for Cote D’Ivoire, Algeria etc., Britain for Zimbabwe, Kenya etc) except in the sense that the whole historical epoch of European imperialist conquest and exploitation of Africa is the root cause of that continents desperate poverty and plight to today.
The pretext for this latest intervention – the alleged threat of an ‘Al Qaeda terrorist state’ on the doorstep of Europe – would be laughable were it not underwritten by the general climate of Islamophobia cultivated by politicians and the media. Mali is in no sense on Europe’s doorstep and, given its location south of the Sahara and its extreme underdevelopment and poverty, is completely unable to pose any threat to Europe. This pretext has even less credibility than George Bush’s and Tony Blair’s infamous ‘weapons of mass destruction’ claim for Iraq.
The current conflict in Mali has its roots in the fact that the country of Mali was a western imperialist (French) construct which artificially yoked together different peoples. The people of northern Mali are Tuareg who, as should be their right, have long wanted to form an independent nation of Azawad. It is the refusal of the military regime in Mali to grant that right and its suppression of the Azawad liberation struggle that has led to Islamist movements coming to the fore in northern Mali. Instead of French and other military intervention the people of Azawad should simply be granted their right of secession.
The extremely regrettable hostage taking and loss of life in Algeria is a direct consequence of the French military intervention and proves, yet again, that making war on Muslim countries fuels rather than eliminates terrorist tendencies and endangers rather than protects European citizens. The fact that the episode occurred at a BP gas facility in the desert of southern Algeria merely serves to highlight the true nature of Western involvement in this, and many other, regions of the world, namely the exploitation of their national resources.
In Ireland we would again call on our government and Eamon Gilmore in particular as Minister of Foreign Affairs, to make clear that it does not support in a way this and other military operations in Mali or Africa as a whole.
Irish Anti-War Movement
20.01.2013