New Assembly in Naples to Bring Sahel Voices to Forefront

On Saturday, July 12, Naples will host a new political and cultural assembly supported by members of the diaspora of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Beginning at 11 am, the city’s iconic Piazza Garibaldi will welcome artists from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, alongside diplomatic representatives from these countries and the local community.

“The political aim is to bring the voice of the Sahel to the forefront in its struggle for sovereignty, development, and security,” Bouyagui Konate of the Patriotic Movement of the AES Diaspora told Peoples Dispatch.

“But it’s also about pushing back against the shifting policies of imperialist and neocolonialist countries,” he added. “Expectations are high for this event because it symbolizes the resistance of the Sahel’s people, but not only theirs.”

Organizers insist that the event will go beyond raising awareness about the new political direction taken by AES governments. It will also serve as a platform to reflect on the necessity of building broader unity across the African continent.

A similar thing was true at last year’s gathering, where left media highlighted the many articulated denunciations of French and European colonialism that echoed through the square. At the time, Contropiano noted that the political mobilization of people from Sahelian states in Italy, long overlooked except by a few, including activists from the Naples social center ex-OPG Je so’ pazzo, would increasingly require attention and solidarity from progressive groups.

Since then, the Patriotic Movement of the AES Diaspora has continued to mobilize, especially in response to the portrayal of AES countries in European media. In April, Konate warned of the strong bias in media coverage of Sahel leaders Assimi Goïta, Ibrahim Traoré, and Abdourahamane Tchiani. “Media outlets keep spreading misinformation, such as AES states hiring mercenaries or working for Russian interests. That’s simply not the reality,” Konate told Peoples Dispatch at the time.

In the months that followed his statement, AES governments have continued taking concrete steps towards independence from West colonial powers. These have included reclaiming control of natural resources like gold and uranium and announcing the creation of the Sahelian Criminal and Human Rights Court to address longstanding impunity, particularly regarding abuses committed by terror groups that emerged following NATO’s attacks on Libya.

In this context, events like Saturday’s gathering in Naples play a key role in strengthening ties between left movements and Sahelian communities in Europe, building support for anti-colonial struggles in West Africa and beyond.

Courtesy: Peoples Dispatch