Anyone who fights against a colonial power and its compradors is an anti-colonial fighter. In this case, at the 10,000’ view, it’s the Alliance of Sahel States.

The confederation is against neo-colonialism and has demonstrated this with acts such as downgrading the status of the French language, renaming of colonial street names, and in the case of Mali suspending teaching of the French Revolution in schools. The AES is also anti-French and anti-ECOWAS in outlook, as it disagrees with many of their policies.

Religion has nothing to do with it. This is about imperialism, both old school and new school.

📺 Africa isn’t underdeveloped; it’s overexploited.

Religion is a red herring, just as it was during the War on Terror. Imperialist states, corporate media, and imperial core non-profits (which are funded by those same states & corporations), will always spin narratives to manufacture our consent, or if not our consent then at least our acquiescence or apathy. Real media literacy takes some effort.

Also, fun fact, the Islamic State is a product of the the US (as well as the UK and Israel). We’ve been funding, arming, and advising Salafi Jihad terrorist cells since at least the first Afghan war, when we funded Osama bin Laden to stir trouble at the USSR’s border.

Like most countries in Africa, they have been burdened by a legacy of colonial exploitation that has left them vulnerable to exploitation by commercial interests and islamic religious imperialism.

As usual the good guys are the innocents in the middle just wanting to live and let live.