By Fikir Gilitsi, Political Analyst
Over 63 years elapsed since France declared its former colonies in West and Central Africa independent. Yet, the European country continues to wield considerable power and influence in countries’ overall administration, politically, economically, socially and culturally to this date. According to many African elites including Nathalie Yamb of Ivory Coast’s Freedom and Democracy Party who believes France goes as far as even determining contents of school text books. When France knew it’s time for the independence for African countries, they abolished parliamentarian administration and introduced presidential regime in many of its former colonies right before their independence so to be able to manipulate one person with all the power.
In the name of military protection against coups and fights against terrorism, France has strong military presence and scoops from Africa’s blessings of resources such as diamonds, ores, uranium, gas and oil. The country even retains the right of first refusal on all natural resources and privileged access to government contracts.
Although, the youth of Africa is becoming more and more vocal about claiming true independence and breaking up with this insane and unhealthy relationship with France so to serve the best interests of the African people, not of France, France’s policy towards Africa very consistent and patterns and paradigms haven’t changed. Their mindset is a colonial mindset and they believe in the colonial empire whereby African countries must support the development of France. They find excuses and means to maintain the empire.
It is this same France that continued to spit on the face of the world by trying to make a face of defense of human rights elsewhere. One clear example was that their Foreign Ministry called on Azerbaijan to respect the rights of Armenia population in Karabakh, following a peaceful demonstration by a group of civil society representatives alongside the Lachin-Khankendiroad against continued illegal exploitation of natural resources of Azerbaijan, which is causing environmental degradation. Although, the protests were not orchestrated by the government of Republic of Azerbaijan, it supports the call to end illegal mining on Azerbaijan’s territory and the misuse of Lachin-Khankendi road for illicit trafficking of those natural resources to Armenia and beyond.
Actually, this is not the first time Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis stated their concern regarding exploitation of resources by Armenia. The country has been drawing the attention of the international community to such wrongdoings of Armenia consistently for almost thirty years. Azerbaijan uncovered shocking evidence that Armenia depleted natural resources and destroyed biodiversity, causing sever harm to natural habitats and species, during the period of illegal occupation of Azerbaijan’s territory. As a result, important and often unique habitats and species in the Caucasus suffered widespread deforestation, unsustainable logging and pollution, through significant construction and mining in forest regions as well as on going contamination from irresponsibly managed industrial activities in Armenia that pollute trans-boundary rivers.
As it must have been for any sovereign country, this illegal exploitation of natural resources and its diverse impact of the environment is a serious concern for the Azerbaijan ever since these illegal activities in the years of occupation have already led to deforestation, illegal exploitation of gold reserves, and contamination of rivers in the area. Further continuation of such activities cannot be tolerated, and these civil society representatives have all the rights to peacefully protest.
The protestors boldly demanded that Azerbaijani ecologists be granted access to these mineral deposits to monitor their condition since illegal exploitation of the Demirli and Gizilbulagdeposits are causing sever ecological damage in Karabakh. Azerbaijanis have all the rights to protest on their own soil and are protected under international law. The new Lachin-Khankendi road was built by Azerbaijan and granted for the purpose of transportation for ethnic Armenians residing in Karabakh, as well as for the delivery of humanitarian cargo, not to be used for illegal activities such as export of Azerbaijan’s illegally exploited natural resources, transfer from Armenia of mines, weapons and military personnel to the territory of Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that since orchestrated by Armenia and its supporters propaganda about non-existing “blockade” since the middle of December more than 2500 huge truckshave and are continuing to deliver humanitarian supplies on a daily basis. Civilians have chosen to seek the assistance of the ICRC and Russian peacekeepers instead.
In light of this, France made baseless claims that there’s a blockade, while contradicting itself by recalling “the need to comply with the provision of the tripartite trilateral statement signed on 10 November 2020 by three leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. According to the tripartite statement, the 5km wide Lachin corridor, which provides a connection between Karabakh territory of Azerbaijan and Armenia, remains under the control of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation, while Azerbaijan guarantees the safety of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions. It says nothing about that road being extraterritorial. The statement hasn’t mentioned a word about unhindered. According to this statement, movement safety on the road is guaranteed by Azerbaijan, and not by the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation that also implies a prevention of misuse of the road. And instead, the statement mentions unimpeded and timeless access only for Azerbaijan’s main land with its Nakhchivan Autonomus Republic through the territory of Armenia, a commitment that Armenia dishonors to implement so far.
France is often accused of bringing up “human rights” in connection with its own interests. The fact that it allied with Armenia’s campaign of disinformation about humanitarian situations as the result of these legitimate protests shows their true color only consolidates the accuses. It is yet to be clear that what interests France, and Co including some international organizations and NGOs could have over exploitations and illegal activities on Lachin-Khankendi road by Armenia being also so much pushed by warlord like criminal element withname of Ruben Vardanyan, who has no affiliation by origin with the territory whatsoever showing scant interest in Karabakhbefore and been implanted there artificially to lead the de-facto the activities in a bid to obstruct ethnic Armenians future as a full-fledge and protected citizens of Azerbaijan. A Russian millionaire Vardanyan was (and perhaps still) president, chief executive officer and principal partner of Troika Dialog, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) published investigation on his criminal engagements including money-laundering amounted to billions of USD.
