Time Slip Reiwa Japan

123 - The French Colonial Empire's Upheaval - 6

The British suffered the most inconvenience from the independence movement that erupted in the French overseas territories (colonies) in Africa.

It all started with the scheming of Japan's former British colonists (the British-Japanese) to transform Britain's system—

Transitioning from a colonial imperial system that dominantly ruled overseas to one that advocated coexistence and mutual prosperity (a euphemism), Britain had stabilized as the Commonwealth of Britain, a unified nation formed by independent colonies. For Britain, those advocating for colonial independence were truly a nuisance.

It's not that they feared independence movements in each country within the Commonwealth. Residents of Britain's former colonies, under British supervision, were gradually reclaiming autonomy through democracy and the rule of law. They were nurturing a sense of being independent nations. There was a noticeable gap in awareness among diplomats at the Commonwealth liaison committee, with some expressing sentiments like, "Independence? Now?"

That's precisely why it was a nuisance.

For the Commonwealth member countries, which had begun to stabilize as independent nations and embark on economic development, any nearby turmoil likely to produce refugees was a huge inconvenience. Some idealistic people (cosmopolitan types) voiced the idealistic notion that they should help fellow Africans, but no one fell for their sweet talk.

That's only natural. With the British Ministry of the Commonwealth taking the lead, the International Development Institute (Japan) providing full support, and leaders of various countries aligning their steps towards improving living standards, efforts towards qualitative improvement in life are underway. There is no priority given to creating a society where children don't cry because they have nothing to eat, over a society where grandparents reduce their own food to share with others. While it's still difficult to claim significant achievements, the seeds of progress are beginning to show. In such a situation, it was inconceivable for national leaders or voters to choose the wasteful spending of national power just to feel good.

That's precisely why it was a nuisance.

With refugees from the turmoil in France's colonies (overseas territories) flowing into Commonwealth member countries by the thousands, it was anticipated that the still weakly established Commonwealth member countries would struggle to cope. The Commonwealth Member Countries Liaison Conference was seriously considering border closures. The British government was strongly demanding the French government for an early resolution of the situation.

. . .

Japan

The chaos in the French colonies was a massive inconvenience for Japan. Their companies were also involved in resource development and other industries in the area, making it Japan's responsibility to protect them. However, the situation didn't permit us to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces as while the security situation was deteriorating, it hadn't descended into complete warfare.

Moreover, reforms were being made in the French African colonies, incorporating the demands of local residents. These colonies were no longer just targets of exploitation under French law; they were treated as overseas territories akin to mainland France. *1 In other words, it was akin to demanding military deployment due to deteriorating security. France couldn't accept such a request, and it wasn't a viable option for Japan either, as it could lead to serious issues in Japan's relationship with France.

Initially, they sought protection from either local law enforcement agencies or the French military, but unfortunately, France didn't have the capacity for such assistance. Furthermore, most places where Japanese companies were operating in the French overseas territories were resource-rich areas—mines of precious and rare metals, among others. These were easy targets for economic activities (looting for operating funds) even for those involved in independence movements.