This episode of Long story Short delves into the aftermath of colonization in Africa and how it has shaped the present state of many Francophone African countries. The episode explores the relationship between France and its African colonies before, during, and after World War II.
France, facing economic and political problems after the war, saw its African colonies as a potential solution. However, the relationship between France and its colonies was one of exploitation and oppression.
African soldiers who fought for France during the war were promised wages and compensation, but many were never paid. The Senegalese Tirailleurs, a group of African soldiers, staged a protest in 1944 demanding their wages, which resulted in a massacre. France treated its colonies as sources of resources and labor rather than equal partners.
The decolonization process in the 1950s was not smooth, with France initially reluctant to grant independence. France sought to maintain its influence and control over its former colonies, often supporting military coups and dictators sympathetic to French interests. In recent years, France has acknowledged its colonial legacy and called for a new partnership based on equality and mutual respect.