Cooperation agreements stripped new states of sovereign control over key sectors.
Evidence
More than a cooperation agreement, it was a surrender of sovereignty. In spite of their formal political independence, the new states were obliged to entrust to the French state the management of their national sectors hitherto under the tutelage of the ‘Community’: foreign policy, defence, trade and exploitation of raw materials and strategic products, the economy, the currency, finance, higher education, merchant shipping, civil aviation, etc. France thus guaranteed the perpetuation of its ‘natural rights’ over the former colonies and their resources. … This is what we read in the ‘cooperation agreement’ concerning raw materials and strategic products that France signed with Gabon on the day of its independence, on 7 August 1960: ‘The Republic of Gabon commits to facilitating the storage of strategic materials and products to the benefit of the French armed forces. Should it become necessary for security reasons, it also pledges to limit or prohibit exports to other countries.’ — Fanny Pigeaud_ Ndongo Samba Sylla, Africa’s Last Colonial Currency, 86
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: The agreements legally limited the practical sovereignty of new states. — Fanny Pigeaud_ Ndongo Samba Sylla, Africa’s Last Colonial Currency, 90; States gain global influence only by surrendering some sovereignty — Anthony Giddens, The Consequences of Modernity, 183; Decolonization was conditioned on new states honoring contracts made without their consent. — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 92
Related
- The agreements legally limited the practical sovereignty of new states. (similarity 0.91)
- France granted African independence only as a conditional package tied to cooperation agreements. (similarity 0.81)
- Cooperation agreements transferred control of core national sectors back to France despite formal independence. (similarity 0.80)
- France granted sub-Saharan colonies conditional independence to keep control. (similarity 0.79)
- The cooperation agreement was renewed secretly, preserving French guarantees (similarity 0.79)
Broader Connections
- The agreements legally limited the practical sovereignty of new states.
#corroborates(0.90) — Fanny Pigeaud_ Ndongo Samba Sylla, Africa’s Last Colonial Currency, 90 - States gain global influence only by surrendering some sovereignty
#corroborates(0.75) — Anthony Giddens, The Consequences of Modernity, 183