Since 2022, the words in the mouth of US officials regarding Africa are that the US is not telling African nations to choose sides, but that it strives to be the continent’s “partner of choice”. Did you hear that? The US wants to be Africa’s choice of partner. That means it doesn’t want Africa to partner with China, Russia, or any other non-Western country. These words are also the same thing in the mouth of France who warned African countries not to partner with Russia. Can you imagine that? A country trying to influence the partners of another sovereign country. But that’s how it has been for decades between Africa and the West. The West wants Africa all to themselves and so they figure out ways to make it seem like the only choice of partner for Africa aside from its fellow African countries is them. Even between African countries, there has been some evidence that the West try to create disputes so that African unity would not be achieved. In essence, the West has been trying to isolate the continent from other non-Western countries through a variety of means including the use of its favorite weapon, sanctions. But, in recent times, things have begun to change and the West has come to the realization that Africa can no longer be caged and isolated. Can the West continue to isolate Africa and why do they want to do so in the first place? Find out in this video.

Since 1960, the year of Independence for Africa, the West has used its shared history of colonialism with Africa to determine its position as the traditional partner in Africa in terms of trade, defense, and economic agreement. And this has been the status quo for a long time because African countries were just newly formed and didn’t know that they had options. The relationship however between the West and Africa has not been that of an equal partnership. Building on the colonialist structure, the West has been unable to move away from its traditional neo-colonial and patronizing attitude toward Africa. The whole of Africa with its population and huge resources has been viewed as a tool that the West can use to advance its interests at the detriment of the continent. In addition, Africa is viewed by the West as children who do not know what they want and need to be helped. This is the reason for the countless interferences by Western countries such as France and the USA in Africa’s politics, economy and military.

Trade between the West and Africa for example, best highlights this unequal partnership. Before China, Europe was the biggest traditional trade partner in Africa. However, the trade agreement between Africa and Europe has a strong colonial undertone. In 2002, the Cotonou Agreement which is the European Union’s most comprehensive development cooperation partnership with any region in the world was signed between 79 countries from Africa, the Caribbeans and the Pacific. In theory, the agreement is based on the principle of equal partnership, but in reality, the relationship between the EU and developing countries continues to be deeply unequal with African countries being placed in a subordinate position. This inequality is visibly obvious in the negotiation process and implementation of the European Partnership Agreement which is part of the comprehensive Cotonou Agreement.

The European Partnership Agreement (EPA’s) permits African countries to export their products which are mainly primary products to Europe duty-free but at the same time allow European imports into their countries by reducing tariffs on imports. At the time, the EPA was first introduced, African countries were reluctant to sign because this agreement in truth, profits Europe more than Africa. The leaders were scared that signing the agreement would mean that European companies which are bigger and better in terms of quality of product would flood the African markets with their products which would of course be cheaper than those made locally and thus, local African industries would collapse because they would not be able to compete. Europe could afford to open its market to Africa because Africa only exported raw materials that they needed for their manufacturing industries but Africa could not afford to completely open its market to Europe because it would destroy the local industries.

In addition, African countries were also reluctant to sign the EPA because it would require them to reduce tariffs on imports which were a source of government revenue. So, cutting tariffs meant reducing government revenue which Africa needs to invest in areas including agriculture, health, and education. But did Europe care about their concerns? No. When African leaders brought their concerns to the table during a trade meeting with the European Union and seemed reluctant to sign the deal? Guess what the EU did? To speed up the process so that African countries could quickly sign the agreement, the European Union threatened to not only withdraw foreign aid which most African countries depended on as a source of revenue but also end access to the European market for existing export products from reluctant states. In simple terms, the EU threatened to close its market to African exports. Imagine that.

Yet, these are the people who brand themselves as a value-driven institution that promotes peace, security, democracy, and human rights around the world, when in reality they are nothing but bullies who would do anything to secure their interests even at the detriment of another country. Sacred to the threat from the EU, African countries later signed the agreements which as can be observed have stunted the growth of local African industries and reduced government-generated revenue making them more dependent on Western aid. And you know the more dependent Africa is on Western aid, the more the West has power over Africa because over and over again they can use the aid as a tool to make African leaders fall in line and we have seen this happen countless times.

The trade agreement is just one area that highlights the unequal partnership between the West and Africa. Defense agreement is another area where for example, France dictated what military equipment countries in Francophone Africa such as Burkina Faso could buy and who they should buy it from. So, if Burkina Faso wanted to get nuclear weapons from Russia for example, France would say no and Burkina Faso had no choice but to comply. The annoying thing about this relationship is that when an African leader decides to revolt and refuses to do what the West says that African leader and his country are in for it because first, he will be branded a dictator and abuser of human rights then the country will be slapped with so many sanctions. The West would control the media in such a way that nothing good would be said about that country and its leader until either the leader would be assassinated or completely isolated. That’s what happened to Libya and Muammar Gaddafi and that’s what is happening to Eritrea and its president Isaias Afwerki. It’s what is happening to Zimbabwe which has been under EU sanctions for the last 20 years. It’s also what is happening to Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.

However, history has proven that the oppressed can never remain oppressed forever. There will come a day when they will break free and this is what has been happening in recent times. The African continent is on a path of transformation even though it may not seem so obvious. The West knows this and that’s why they are scared. African leaders have woken up to the realization that the West doesn’t have so much power over them and they can live without the influence of these people. These changes across the African continent are as a result of three factors. One, which is actually the most important, is the rise of emerging economies such as China and Russia as major international players. The West are no longer the only ones in the game. China, Russia, India, Turkey, and Iran are there. These countries, especially China and Russia, are viewed by the West as threats to their global dominance and so they have found ways to stall their influence through several policies and sanctions.

However, these countries have found ways to beat the West at their own games, and despite the obstructions, they have emerged as the threat they are to Western powers. Not only has their voice become much stronger on global issues but they have also increased their economic footprint in Africa through trade and investment, threatening the long-standing position of European countries. For instance, in just two decades, China has become Africa’s largest trade partner and Africa-China trade has been growing at about 20 per cent per year since 2000, reaching $188 billion in 2015. This is more than triple that of India, Africa’s second-biggest trade partner. Russia is also not left out, steadily increasing its trade and diplomatic relations with the African continent. These countries have also come together to form BRICS, an economic organization that has now grown to be viewed as a threat to Western existing financial structures such as the World Bank and IMF.

Like Europe and the West, these non-Western countries are also interested in Africa but the difference is they are not trying to interfere in African politics or control the economics and military of African countries. Instead, their partnership with Africa is based on that of equality and mutual trust where each party’s interest will be secured. Although the West has tried to isolate the continent and keep Africa to itself, that is no longer working. Africa now knows its place and rights. No longer will the continent be bullied to do what it doesn’t want to do because now it has better options.

The second reason for the transformation that’s underway in Africa is the stronger desire to break away from Western dominance across Africa, especially among its youth. Young African leaders such as Ibrahim Traore and Julius Malema are firebrand leaders who have shown their resistance to the colonialist attitude of the West. The growing anti-French sentiments, kicking of French troops out of some African countries, and the continuous attacks against the International Criminal Court are just a few indicators of the changing attitude of the African population towards the perceived Western dominance and intrusion into African domestic affairs. Things are no longer as they used to be. There is now a growing awareness across Africa and nothing can kill it.

Lastly, Africa is transforming because there is now a stronger commitment towards regional integration is inciting African countries to focus inward for growth and poverty reduction. The liberalization policies entrenched in the structural adjustment program which were imposed by Western institutions such as the IMF and World Bank have failed woefully. There has been no development since the implementation of these policies instead the continent is worse off than it was before these policies were implemented. Now, Africa has chosen to move away from these policies to focus on the deepening of regional integration and the increase of intra-African trade. Recently, impediments to intra-African trade such as strict visa restrictions among African countries are gradually being eroded. Kenya and Rwanda are now visa-free for all Africans and most African countries are gradually moving towards this path. It can be expected that as African countries become economically stronger and more united, there will be more resistance to trade and cooperation agreements that are being perceived as detrimental to Africa’s integration efforts.

The West is aware that the game is changing in Africa and the position they have enjoyed for so long is currently being displaced. This is why they are scrambling not just to change their policy towards Africa but also to try and dissuade Africa from building relationships with non-Western countries. It’s why France issued a warning to African countries not to partner with Russia and why the US is visiting Africa and setting up summits to renegotiate with the continent. Regardless of what the West does, the fact is things can never go back to the way they used to be. Africa will continue to be more aware of its position in the global stage and this awareness will cause its leaders to negotiate for better deals for the continent. There is no going back. The West can no longer have Africa all to itself. Africa is for the African people.

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