François-Xavier Verschave
Encyclopedia
François-Xavier Verschave (October 28, 1945, Lille
, France
— June 29, 2005, Villeurbanne
, France) was primarily known as one of the founders of the French NGO Survie
("Survival"), over which he presided since 1995, and as coiner of the term Françafrique
, an expression designating the specific form of neocolonialism
which has been endured by the former French Colonies
.
Verschave also researched the concept of global public good
s and the economic theories of famous historian Fernand Braudel
. Survie was created in 1983 by the Manifeste des 54
prix Nobel
("Manifesto of 54 Nobel Prizes") as an NGO advocating against under-development.
by training, François-Xavier Verschave was responsible from 1983 for economic policy and employment policy at Saint-Fons
municipality, located in the suburbs of Lyon
. President of Survie since 1995, he was also editor of its monthly newsletter Billets d'Afrique et d'ailleurs.
, former president of Côte d'Ivoire
(1960–1993), to boast the good relations between the imperial power and the newly independent countries .
Verschave's famous books La Françafrique (1999) and Noir silence (2000) have become standard works for anyone interested in the Rwandan genocide
specifically, and generally the dissimulated policies followed by the French Republic in former colonies, in particular by opponents - who haven't always been political adversaries - French president Jacques Chirac
and right-wing MP Charles Pasqua
, involved in the Angolagate
.
After the publication of Noir silence, which also criticized Jacques Chirac's role in the Françafrique, Verschave was targeted by Denis Sassou-Nguesso, head of the Republic of the Congo
, Idriss Déby
, president of Chad
, and Omar Bongo
, president of Gabon
since 1967 and Africa's longest serving ruler who is still in office. Represented by a controversial lawyer Jacques Vergès
, they all accused him of "offense toward a foreign state leader", on the basis of the 1881 law on the Freedom of the Press), a crime which is reminiscent of lese majesty, as the attorney general observed . However, Verschave was acquitted; the crime of "offense toward a foreign state leader" was judged contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights
(ECHR) . The author of Noir silence accused Omar Bongo of crimes against humanity, Idriss Déby of corruption and of being an "assassin", and Sassou Nguesso of corruption. Because of the alleged charges, the trial was only based on Verschave's "good faith", and not on the truthfulness of his allegations. Thereafter, he was not allowed to prove his allegations, which was judged contrary to the ECHR. However, the trial did permit various opponents of the Françafrique to testify: Ngarlejy Yorongar
, opponent of Hissène Habré
and then Idriss Déby, who spoke of the "eleven times" he was arrested and "tortured" during Déby's eight-years long rule. MP Charles Pasqua
also sued Verschave for "libel", which resulted in the author paying symbolic damages of one franc.
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
— June 29, 2005, Villeurbanne
Villeurbanne
Villeurbanne is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris. Villeurbanne is the second-largest city in the department.-History:The current location of...
, France) was primarily known as one of the founders of the French NGO Survie
Survie NGO
Survie is a non-governmental organization founded in 1984 to fight hunger and corruption in the Third World. It has since became a federation of departmental associations, composed of 1,600 paying members, about a 100 activists and six employees...
("Survival"), over which he presided since 1995, and as coiner of the term Françafrique
Françafrique
Françafrique is a term that refers to France's relationship with Africa. The term was first used in a positive sense by President Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire, but it is now generally understood to denounce the neocolonial relationship France has with its African backyard...
, an expression designating the specific form of neocolonialism
Neocolonialism
Neocolonialism is the practice of using capitalism, globalization, and cultural forces to control a country in lieu of direct military or political control...
which has been endured by the former French Colonies
French colonial empires
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
.
Verschave also researched the concept of global public good
Global public good
A global public good is a good that has the three following properties :* It is non-rivalrous. Consumption of this good by anyone does not reduce the quantity available to other agents.* It is non-excludable...
s and the economic theories of famous historian Fernand Braudel
Fernand Braudel
Fernand Braudel was a French historian and a leader of the Annales School. His scholarship focused on three main projects, each representing several decades of intense study: The Mediterranean , Civilization and Capitalism , and the unfinished Identity of France...
. Survie was created in 1983 by the Manifeste des 54
54
Year 54 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Marcellus...
prix Nobel
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
("Manifesto of 54 Nobel Prizes") as an NGO advocating against under-development.
Biography
An economistEconomist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
by training, François-Xavier Verschave was responsible from 1983 for economic policy and employment policy at Saint-Fons
Saint-Fons
Saint-Fons is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-References:*...
municipality, located in the suburbs of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. President of Survie since 1995, he was also editor of its monthly newsletter Billets d'Afrique et d'ailleurs.
La Françafrique
François-Xavier Verschave forged the term Françafrique as a parody of the term "France-Afrique" used by Félix Houphouët-BoignyFélix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny , affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was the first President of Côte d'Ivoire. Originally a village chief, he worked as a doctor, an administrator of a plantation, and a union leader, before being elected to the French Parliament and serving in a number of...
, former president of Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
(1960–1993), to boast the good relations between the imperial power and the newly independent countries .
Verschave's famous books La Françafrique (1999) and Noir silence (2000) have become standard works for anyone interested in the Rwandan genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
specifically, and generally the dissimulated policies followed by the French Republic in former colonies, in particular by opponents - who haven't always been political adversaries - French president Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
and right-wing MP Charles Pasqua
Charles Pasqua
Charles Pasqua is a French businessman and Gaullist politician. He was Interior Minister from 1986 to 1988, under Jacques Chirac's cohabitation government, and also from 1993 to 1995, under the government of Edouard Balladur...
, involved in the Angolagate
Angolagate
Angolagate, also known as the Mitterrand-Pasqua affair, is an international political scandal over the secret sale and shipment of arms from Central Europe to the government of Angola by the Government of France in the 1990s...
.
After the publication of Noir silence, which also criticized Jacques Chirac's role in the Françafrique, Verschave was targeted by Denis Sassou-Nguesso, head of the Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
, Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby
General Idriss Déby Itno is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. Déby is of the Bidyat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. He added "Itno" to his surname in January 2006.-Rise to power:...
, president of Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, and Omar Bongo
Omar Bongo
El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba , born as Albert-Bernard Bongo, was a Gabonese politician who was President of Gabon for 42 years from 1967 until his death in office in 2009....
, president of Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
since 1967 and Africa's longest serving ruler who is still in office. Represented by a controversial lawyer Jacques Vergès
Jacques Vergès
Jacques Vergès, born 5 March 1925 in Ubon Ratchathani, Siam , is a French-Vietnamese lawyer who has earned fame continually since the 1950s, first as an anticolonialist communist figure and then for defending a long string of well-known clients from anticolonialist Algerian militant Djamila...
, they all accused him of "offense toward a foreign state leader", on the basis of the 1881 law on the Freedom of the Press), a crime which is reminiscent of lese majesty, as the attorney general observed . However, Verschave was acquitted; the crime of "offense toward a foreign state leader" was judged contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
(ECHR) . The author of Noir silence accused Omar Bongo of crimes against humanity, Idriss Déby of corruption and of being an "assassin", and Sassou Nguesso of corruption. Because of the alleged charges, the trial was only based on Verschave's "good faith", and not on the truthfulness of his allegations. Thereafter, he was not allowed to prove his allegations, which was judged contrary to the ECHR. However, the trial did permit various opponents of the Françafrique to testify: Ngarlejy Yorongar
Ngarlejy Yorongar
Ngarlejy Koji Yorongar le Moinban is a Chadian politician. He is the Executive Federal Coordinator of the Federation, Action for the Republic , a radical opposition party, as well as a Deputy in the National Assembly of Chad and President of the Federation Parliamentary Group.-Early career:Before...
, opponent of Hissène Habré
Hissène Habré
Hissène Habré , also spelled Hissen Habré, was the leader of Chad from 1982 until he was deposed in 1990.-Early life:...
and then Idriss Déby, who spoke of the "eleven times" he was arrested and "tortured" during Déby's eight-years long rule. MP Charles Pasqua
Charles Pasqua
Charles Pasqua is a French businessman and Gaullist politician. He was Interior Minister from 1986 to 1988, under Jacques Chirac's cohabitation government, and also from 1993 to 1995, under the government of Edouard Balladur...
also sued Verschave for "libel", which resulted in the author paying symbolic damages of one franc.
See also
- ATTAC NGO
- Boubacar Boris DiopBoubacar Boris DiopBoubacar Boris Diop is a Senegalese novelist, journalist and screenwriter. His best known work, Murambi, le livre des ossements , is the fictional account of a notorious massacre during the Rwandan genocide of 1994...
- FrancophobiaFrancophobiaFrancophobia or Gallophobia are terms that refer to a dislike or hatred toward France, the People of France, the Government of France, or the Francophonie...
- Gladio "stay-behind" NATO paramilitary organizations
- Global Public GoodGlobal public goodA global public good is a good that has the three following properties :* It is non-rivalrous. Consumption of this good by anyone does not reduce the quantity available to other agents.* It is non-excludable...
- NeocolonialismNeocolonialismNeocolonialism is the practice of using capitalism, globalization, and cultural forces to control a country in lieu of direct military or political control...
- Rwandan genocideRwandan GenocideThe Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
- Tiken Jah FakolyTiken Jah FakolyTiken Jah Fakoly is a reggae singer from Côte d'Ivoire.Tiken Jah was born into a family of griots and christened Doumbia Moussa Fakoly on June 23, 1968 in Odienné, north-western Côte d'Ivoire. He discovered reggae at an early age, assembling his first group, Djelys, in 1987...
's 2002 album, titled Françafrique
External links
- "Oil and War: Elf and 'Françafrique' in the Gulf of Guinea" abstract by Jean-François Medard of the Institut d'Etudes PolitiquesInstitut d'études politiquesInstituts d'études politiques , or IEPs, are nine publicly owned institutions of higher learning in France. They are located in Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Paris, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse , and their vocation is the study and research of contemporary political science...
of Bordeaux (see also :fr:CATDM) - "More on the TOTAL-Elf fiasco"
- "Buying peace or fuelling war: the role of corruption in armed conflicts"
- Survie 's official website
- on the film La France à fric
- Africa wants to be free - music in support of Survie NGO (go to "En écoute" to listen extracts)
- Parliamentary report on the role of oil companies in international politics and its social and environmental consequences, with an audition of François Xavier-Verschave