On Monday, September 15, Brazilian parliamentarians met in São Paulo with leaders from nations in the Sahel, to chart paths of solidarity with the struggles for national liberation in the region. The meeting was promoted by the International Peoples’ Assembly (IPA) and the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST).

Federal deputies Orlando Silva (PCdoB-SP), Valmir Assunção (PT-BA), and João Daniel (PT-SE), and state deputy Rosa Amorim (PT-PE) participated in the meeting, which also brought together leaders of popular movements, representatives of foundations linked to Brazilian parties, and academics.

Among the international guests were Amina Hamani from Niger, leader of the Pan-African Women’s Revolutionary Movement (MORFEPAN); Ibrahima Kebe from Mali, coordinator of the Modibo Keïta School; Inoussa Ganbaaga, from Burkina Faso, member of the Thomas Sankara Memorial Committee (CIMTS); and Kounharè Dabire, also from Burkina Faso, Secretary-General of the National Coordination of Citizen Vigilance Associations (CNAVC).

“The Sahel needs solidarity from all the peoples of the world. All those who fight against imperialism must unite to defend the Sahel,” said Ibrahima Kebe of Mali.

Path to sovereignty in Brazil and Africa

The social, economic, political, and cultural transformations undergone by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, which resulted in the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), were shared during the meeting. Denunciations and criticisms of French and US imperialism were also raised, demonstrating that they are part of the same project of domination and exploitation of natural resources and peoples.

“We have different political challenges, but we have common problems in Brazil and in peripheral countries. The struggle for national sovereignty, the struggle against the hijacking of our wealth. We also face this in Brazil,” said Congresswoman Rosa Amorim.

According to the parliamentarian, the Sahel today “is an international concern” and it is necessary to build global solidarity for the struggles in the region. She highlighted the MST’s initiative to welcome leaders from these countries to the movement’s camps and settlements. “Building and strengthening our ties between the countries of Africa and Brazil is to rescue our own history. We have had a historical erasure of this relationship,” she said.

The meeting took place at Casa Carlito Maia, in downtown São Paulo. Luc Damiba, special advisor to the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, also attended. The leader of the Thomas Sankara Memorial highlighted the importance of the meeting with Brazilian parliamentarians, given that the reality of the Sahel at the international level is largely dominated by media outlets that spread the “imperialist Western voice.”

He highlighted the joint work of the Alliance of Sahel States, created two years ago, on September 16, 2023. “A higher goal is to get out of this security crisis. We have a federation with a single flag, a single anthem, and we are working towards a common currency,” he said.

“Terrorism is financed by Western countries. We don’t have weapons factories, but these weapons keep coming. Imperialism has weakened the state and facilitated the exploitation of minerals by foreign multinationals. In all African countries where there is war, mining companies do not close up shop. The crisis was created so that there would be no strong power to say no to this exploitation,” adds Damiba, highlighting the presence of jihadist groups in the Sahel.

Partnership between parliamentarians

Federal Deputy Orlando Silva proposed diplomacy and exchange between Brazilian parliamentarians and parliamentarians from Sahel countries. According to him, this partnership could have repercussions in other areas.

“Brazil has the largest African diaspora population in the world. I was born in Salvador, one of the Blackest cities in the world, and we have not been able, even with the efforts of President Lula, who sought to get closer to Africa, to project a diplomatic and political relationship at the level that Africa deserves,” he said.

Amina Hamani, from Niger, emphasized the support of the diaspora population and the massive popular support during the protests that culminated in the uprising that brought Abdourahamane Tchiani to power on July 26, 2023. “There were huge demonstrations in Niamey when the military came to power. These demonstrations started in the capital Niamey and took place in different regions of the country. There was great support from the diaspora, women, and young people, who carried anti-imperialist flags and slogans,” she said.

Another parliamentarian to speak was João Daniel. The federal deputy drew attention by saying that “Africa has never been a priority.” The parliamentarian made himself available to contribute to the ongoing movement of rupture in the Sahel. “This is the minimum obligation of a left-wing parliamentarian. To use parliament to contribute to this process of international coordination and support,” explained João Daniel.

Joint proposals

Valmir Assunção highlighted the way in which the French and “other imperialists” treat the countries of the Sahel. He drew a parallel with the situation in Brazil and the attacks by the administration of Republican Donald Trump, President of the United States. “It is an attack on natural resources. They want the rare earths, just as they [the French and Americans] want them there. It is a common struggle,” he analyzed.

The congressman also pointed out the creation of the Black caucus in the Brazilian parliament in 2023 “after 525 years” and the joint struggle to combat racism within the house. “Most parliamentarians are against it. Racism is very strong,” said Orlando.

João Pedro Stedile, from the national coordination of the MST, presented at the end of the meeting a set of recommendations discussed at the meeting, such as the establishment of direct flights from Brazil to Africa and the creation of a parliamentary commission in solidarity with the Sahel, which includes the possibility of a trip by parliamentarians to the three AES countries.

The MST leadership also emphasized that the movement plans to send technicians and activists to assist in the production of agroecological foods, contributing to the guarantee of food sovereignty in a region with a peasant majority. In Burkina Faso alone, 90% of the population lives in rural areas.

Stedile also highlighted another area in which Brazil can contribute to the struggles for sovereignty in the Sahel. “We have a state-owned pharmaceutical research and production facility, Fiocruz, which produces vaccines and medicines that are widely available.”

Another topic discussed was the possibility of Brazil collaborating with the Sahel countries in their struggle to free themselves from the dominance of the CFA franc and impose a sovereign path in their monetary policy. “The Sahel countries will need a new currency, and Brazil is one of eight countries in the world that has a paper money factory,” said the economist.

This article was translated from an article originally published in Portuguese on Brasil de Fato.

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