By Ali Dan Ismael – The Independentist
July 13, 2025
In the shadowy world of Francafrique, democracy often exists only in name. For over six decades, France has perfected a subtle but sinister strategy: substitution and tyranny. The goal is not to promote people’s power, but to preserve Paris’s interests. Elections are held, constitutions are revised, and handshakes are televised—but the real decisions are made elsewhere.
This strategy thrives on rotating power among loyal proxies, not to serve the people, but to ensure that French influence remains uninterrupted—whether the face is civilian, military, or dynastic. And across Francophone Africa, the pattern is disturbingly clear.
Case Studies: A Pattern of French Substitution
Burkina Faso – The Elimination of Sankara
Thomas Sankara challenged the neocolonial order. He rejected IMF loans, nationalized land, and called out French exploitation. His reward? Assassination in 1987 by Blaise Compaoré—his former comrade and a man with French diplomatic cover. Burkina Faso was swiftly brought back into the “acceptable” orbit.
Chad – From Idriss Déby to Mahamat Déby
Idriss Déby, a long-time ally of Paris, was eliminated in 2021 under suspicious circumstances in a war zone he was supposedly securing. Without an election, France threw its support behind his son, General Mahamat Déby, in what they called a “necessary” military transition. A republic became a monarchy overnight—with Paris applauding.
Gabon – The Bongo Dynasty
Omar Bongo ruled for four decades as a faithful French client. When he died, France ensured his son Ali Bongo succeeded him through a disputed election. When Ali’s health collapsed in 2018, French-trained generals began preparing alternatives. His 2023 removal by the military marked the end of a dynasty France helped install—and tried to protect for years.
Côte d’Ivoire – The Gbagbo-Ouattara Transition
In 2011, when Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat in a contested election, France launched a military intervention, arrested him, and installed Alassane Ouattara—a former IMF technocrat with strong Western ties. Ouattara remains in power today, having controversially extended his mandate beyond constitutional limits.
Niger – A French-Backed Chain Broken
In 2021, France supported a hand-picked successor, Mohamed Bazoum, after Mahamadou Issoufou stepped down. When the 2023 coup ousted Bazoum, the people celebrated—not because they loved the generals, but because they rejected French uranium deals and military control. The new leadership told Paris: your time is up.
Mali – When Puppets Were Rejected
France backed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta until mass protests forced his ouster. Paris tried to preserve control via a puppet transition government, but Colonel Goïta removed it and eventually expelled French troops. The message was clear: Africans are waking up.
Cameroon 2025: Biya is the Mask. Frank is the Face.
Now, the same script is unfolding in La République du Cameroun.
Paul Biya—aged, frail, and barely functional—is still presented as the CPDM’s presidential candidate. But diplomatic sources confirm that this is pure theatre. The real plan, rehearsed behind closed doors, is simple:
First, Biya is declared winner of the 2025 elections.
Second, within months, a medical or political resignation is orchestrated—echoing how Ahmadou Ahidjo handed over to Biya in 1982 under French pressure.
Third, Frank Biya, the president’s son, is promoted as the “natural successor” to ensure continuity.
It is not democratic succession—it is dynastic substitution. And just like in Chad, Gabon, and Côte d’Ivoire, the invisible hand of France is present, stabilizing nothing but its own interests.
A Word to Ambazonians: This Is Not Our Election
Ambazonians must resist the temptation to be drawn into this electoral circus. This is not our election, not our country, and not our destiny. It is a foreign-engineered succession plan, designed to further entrench French-backed tyranny in our homeland.
By participating, we legitimize:
A genocidal regime
A fake democracy
A colonial project aimed at extinguishing Ambazonian identity
We must stay vigilant. For as long as France controls Yaoundé, no amount of peace talks or elections will lead to justice. Their objective is not unity. It is permanent control—by rotating proxies under the pretense of democratic order.
A Final Warning: Don’t Trade One Empire for Another
Yes, France’s grip is loosening—but that does not mean other empires will not try to take its place. Russia, China, Turkey, and others are entering the African arena. Ambazonians must remain alert and principled, refusing to become pawns in any geopolitical power game.
Conclusion: Substitution Is Not Sovereignty
From Ouagadougou to N’Djamena, from Libreville to Yaoundé, the French formula has become predictable: substitute the failing puppet, keep the power structure intact.
But Ambazonia is not a French concession. We are not for sale, not for substitution, and not part of LRC’s dying empire.
Reject the 2025 Elections.
Refuse the Biya Dynasty.
Resist the Substitution Game.
Rise for an Independent Ambazonia.
Ali Dan Ismael
