Recent reports indicate that a few streets in Niger’s capital, Niamey, with colonial-era names, have been substituted with names of national heroes.
Colonel Boubacar Suman Garanke, the head of the Niamey administration, made this information known during his address to reporters at the Sunday renaming ceremony.
“In accordance with the instructions of the president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), the Head of State Abdourahamane Tiani, today we’ve named four avenues and a square,” Colonel Boubacar stated.
“The following places changed their names: Avenue François Mitterrand, former president of France, was renamed Avenue Boubou Hama. Avenue Jules Brevier, former Minister of Colonial Affairs, became Avenue Dan Koulodo.
The intersection of the streets of the Libyan and French embassies became Zancen Kassa Square, and the Avenue of President Karl Casten became Avenue Morou Karma,” as seen on Sputnik.
The event on Sunday was hardly the first of its kind as Niger’s authorities in the capital Niamey changed many historical landmarks with French-sounding names in October, 2024, amid a growing anti-French campaign throughout the former colonies.
France and Niger
According to Britannica, The French conquest of Niger began in 1899, facing fierce resistance from the native populace.
The French did not succeed in establishing a permanent civilian government until 1922, after a string of major events.
Today is a far cry from this history, as Niger has opted to control its own destiny.
Following the Niger coup of July 2023, the West African country began an aggressive campaign of ridding itself of any French authority.
It began by pushing away all French military presence from its borders to ensure the closing of the French embassy in its country.
