Fact-Checked: The Viral Claim About France and 22 African Assassinations
October 26, 2023 | By Global Affairs Desk
A striking claim has circulated for years across social media and online forums: that France has been “actively responsible” for the assassinations of 22 African presidents since 1963. Often presented as a definitive list, this allegation taps into deep-seated historical grievances about colonialism and foreign intervention. A closer investigation, however, reveals a narrative built on factual errors, historical inaccuracies, and oversimplification. While the specific figure is not supported by evidence, it points to a darker, verified truth about Western interference in post-colonial Africa.
Deconstructing the “List”: Errors and Exaggerations
The claim typically points to a single source: a webpage titled “22 African Presidents Have Been Assassinated By France Since 1963.” Fact-checkers and historians who have analyzed this list find it riddled with problems that undermine its core thesis.
· Geographic and Historical Inaccuracy: The list includes leaders from nations that were never French colonies. For instance, it names Muammar Gaddafi of Libya (historically influenced by Italy), Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (a nation never colonized), and Murtala Muhammed of Nigeria (a former British colony). Attributing these deaths to French action contradicts basic historical record.
· Misattributed Causes of Death: It conflates assassinations with deaths from unproven accidents or internal conflicts. The death of Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi in a 1994 plane crash—an incident also killing the President of Rwanda—remains officially unexplained and is included without evidence of French involvement. Samuel Doe of Liberia was captured, tortured, and executed by a rebel faction during a brutal civil war, a starkly internal conflict.
· Factual Slip-Ups: The list contains demonstrable errors, such as misidentifying the Ethiopian head of state in the 1970s. These mistakes call its overall credibility into question.
Independent tallies suggest the total number of sitting African presidents assassinated by any means since 1963 is significantly lower than 22, indicating the viral figure is inflated.
The Documented Truth: Verified Cases of Foreign Intervention
While the viral list falters, history confirms a pattern of Western powers, including France, playing direct roles in the overthrow and death of African leaders who challenged the status quo. These cases are central to academic discussions on neocolonialism—the practice of using economic, political, or other pressures to influence former colonies.
The following table summarizes four of the most prominent and well-documented cases:
Leader & Country Year Circumstances Documented Foreign Link & Motive
Patrice Lumumba (Congo) 1961 Kidnapped, tortured, and executed by secessionist forces. Belgian officers directly facilitated his transfer to his killers. The U.S. CIA had an active plan to assassinate him due to his Soviet leanings during the Cold War.
Sylvanus Olympio (Togo) 1963 Shot during a coup led by a French-trained army sergeant. Was establishing Togo’s own central bank to exit the France-backed CFA franc system, a direct threat to French monetary influence in Africa.
Thomas Sankara (Burkina Faso) 1987 Killed in a coup led by his deputy, Blaise Compaoré. Compaoré cited Sankara’s “annoying” anti-imperialist stance toward France. His family and researchers have long demanded a French parliamentary inquiry into state involvement.
Muammar Gaddafi (Libya) 2011 Captured and killed by rebels during a civil war. NATO, led by France, the UK, and the US, conducted airstrikes against his forces under a UN mandate. A cited motive was his plan for a gold-backed African currency to rival the CFA franc and dollar.
The “Françafrique” System and Recurring Motives
These interventions did not occur in a vacuum. They are often examined within the framework of “Françafrique,” a term describing the opaque network of political, economic, and military ties France maintained with its former colonies after independence. Leaders who threatened this system shared common motivations:
· Asserting Economic Independence: Nationalizing natural resources, creating sovereign central banks, or establishing independent currencies to break from the CFA franc.
· Pursuing Non-Aligned or Socialist Policies: During the Cold War, such stances often triggered covert action from Western powers fearing Soviet expansion.
· Challenging French Military Presence: Attempting to remove French military bases or security agreements seen as infringements on national sovereignty.
Conclusion: A Narrative Rooted in Painful Reality
The specific viral claim of “22 presidents assassinated by France” is a historical oversimplification that does not withstand scrutiny. However, it persists because it points to a verifiable and painful truth: multiple African leaders who sought true autonomy from former colonial powers were overthrown or killed with the direct involvement or backing of Western nations.
The narrative, while numerically inaccurate, reflects a legitimate historical memory of intervention and serves as a potent symbol of ongoing tensions in France-Africa relations. It underscores that the legacy of colonialism is not merely historical but is viewed through the lens of continuous political and economic influence.
For further research, credible sources include declassified CIA documents, reports from the Belgian parliamentary inquiry into Lumumba’s death (2001), and academic works on the Françafrique system.
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