RIGHT OF REPLY: “Burkina Faso didn’t call for a rescue”, African calls out US Gen Langley, AFRICOM
*Says, "We sought respect not interference"
By KEMI KASUMU
According to Simo, addressing his challenge to Langley, “You claim you came to help, but who actually invited you? Burkina Faso didn’t ask for a rescue. They sought respect, not interference.”
Amidst controversies that continue to trail comment of US Africa Command commander, General Michael Langley’s comments that he was moving to Burkina Faso on rescue mission, it has been revealed that the the Ibrahim Traore-led Sahel country never had any need to seek external rescue and so did not request for one from America.
The DEFENDER reports that General Langley made the assertion in his recent remarks during an interview in Kenya, where he said, “We came to rescue Burkina Faso, not to invade it…”
Mathew Simo, a passionate African commentator stepping up to challenge the authenticity of U.S. motives in Africa, said what Burkina Faso sought was r espect from the West not interference in its internal affairs.
According to Simo, addressing his challenge to Langley, “You claim you came to help, but who actually invited you? Burkina Faso didn’t ask for a rescue. They sought respect, not interference.”
In his pointed response, Mathew Simo accused AFRICOM of hypocrisy, suggesting that the United States only champions democracy when it suits its own strategic interests:
“Let’s be real: democracy isn’t true democracy when it’s dictated from a Pentagon boardroom. It’s only democracy when the people—rather than Washington—decide their own future.”
He reminded Langley that while the US professes to advocate for freedom, history paints a different picture—one of allegedly supporting autocrats, meddling in the affairs of sovereign nations, and ignoring human rights violations by allied governments.
“Where was this so-called ‘respect for sovereignty’ when the U.S. was allegedly funding dictators in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East? Your selective outrage feels more like geopolitical theater than genuine concern,” he said.
Simo urged AFRICOM to listen instead of lecture, emphasizing that true respect for sovereignty means allowing nations to stand on their own when they choose independence over outside influence.
“Sovereignty without self-determination is just a feel-good phrase. Burkina Faso desires dignity, not drones,” he said.
As African nations like Burkina Faso strive to reclaim their autonomy and push back against neo-colonial pressures, voices like Simo’s are gaining momentum—reminding foreign powers that Africa isn’t a chessboard, and its people aren’t mere pawns.
“Support, don’t suppress. Stay out unless invited.m,” it was said in the clear message from Africa, a continent asserting its voice.
