Almost every country in Africa was colonized by Europe. Today, while nominally sovereign many of these countries are in the clutches of the big international banks.  The old colonial masters Britain and France still have a foothold in Africa but the U.S. has been pushing them aside, moving in to capture resources and markets. Washington has established an Africa Command, deployed troops, and built a string of bases. But France won’t let go of its grip on its former colonies. The coup in Niger, a former French colony, is not your run-of-the-mill coup. It must be understood in the context of widespread discontent with ruling elites and their collaboration with imperialism. Genuine independence is still far off for Niger and other countries in the Sahel region of West and Central Africa.