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This Happened

This Happened — May 12: Sichuan Earthquake

On this day in 2008, an earthquake hit the Sichuan province of China, in Wenchuan county. It was one of the deadliest recorded earthquakes ever to hit China.

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What was the magnitude of the Sichuan earthquake?

The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale.

How many people were killed in the Sichuan earthquake?

The earthquake caused significant damage and resulted in the deaths of at least 69,000 people. Tens of thousands of people were injured, and millions were left homeless. The earthquake also caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and dams.

What caused the Sichuan earthquake?

Sichuan province is located in an area where the Indian Plate is colliding with the Eurasian Plate, which creates intense geological activity and pressure.

What was the international response to the earthquake?

The international community responded quickly and generously to the disaster, with aid coming from countries all around the world. Several organizations and relief agencies also provided assistance to the affected areas, including the Red Cross and UNICEF.

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Geopolitics

First Niger, Now Gabon: What's Triggering The Coups d'État In Francophone Africa?

Is it a Russian conspiracy or anti-Paris bias? Or a sign that democracy has never really taken root in post-colonial realities?

People demonstrating.

People demonstrate in Niger's capital Niamey to show their support for the coup plotters, 03 August 2023.

Djibo Issifou/dpa via ZUMA
Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — It's a spectacular phenomenon, and not easily explained. Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and yesterday, Gabon: five African countries which have all seen military coups in the last two years. This raises many questions.

A simplistic explanations might label this a wave of coups, a Russian conspiracy or a rejection of France — and without a doubt these factors may be at play here, to some extent. But we need to dig deeper.

Something else these countries have in common is the failure of post-colonial states, which have been shaped under strong French influence. They have experienced two phases: one authoritarian, the other democratic – or, to be more accurate, pseudo-democratic.

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