By Joseph Oduha, Nairobi, Kenya
Thursday, June 11, 2020 (PW) — “International relations or international affairs —commonly also referred to as international studies, global studies, or global affairs —is the study in interconnectedness of politics, economics and law on a global level,” according to the Wikipedia.
Time immemorial up to date, Africa continues to be a puppet vulnerable to manipulation in the era of the “globalization of world politics” and even unborn future is already endangered and destined to the same vulnerability.
What is happening in this 21st century is not something new but rooted back to colonial time or Africa dark ages period of human slavery.
The colonial masters such as the British, France, Portuguese or Belgium or generally Europeans have committed a horrific sin in Africa during colonial time.
After giving Africa independence between 50th and 60th respectively, there was high hope that Africa revolutionaries of the time would accomplished a strong Africa with viable economic and political stability with the huge natural resources bestowed by God to Africa continent but little has been done so far and the gap to development and continent’s security is still very wide.
Throughout the decades, the colonial masters continue to bless us with coups, a very strategic and dangerous form of neocolonialism at this modern time. They do this so that they can come in to extract whatever type of resources we have and it is happening now.
They come in the form of aid or humanitarian or even diplomatic ties.Our colonizers choose for us the type of the governments they want in Africa rather than leaving us to decide by ourselves as African people. The live examples one could attest to are the like of Muamar Gaddafi of Libya, Patrice Lumumba of DR Congo, Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso and many other Pan Africanists whose lives were taken by colonial masters.
Back to the topic, African leaders are too insensitive in showcasing Africa in international level even within Africa itself. The worst scenario is the continent fall in love with loans from China and the west more than it can extract the natural resources present in the continent and generate money to develop the continent.
The dangerous repercussions resulting from these loans are too hurting. Take for instance, evaporation of China imperialism in Zambia in southern Africa over the huge burden of unpaid debt.
Vocal Europe news agency reported on 11/9/ 2018 that “China is smart and deliberate about its policy on Africa. It understands the development deficit of the continent and is strategically using it to keep Africa’s economic future under its arms.”
All this is happening because African leaders have failed to smartly think outside the box and this is too dangerous for Africa future generations.
However, there are underlying problems that are holding Africa as a continent backward under international level. The key problems include: bad governance, dictatorship, and militarization of politics.
The continent is failing in her international relations simply because almost all the leaders ruling are dictators who used the gun to rule African countries.
This violent spirit in the heart of African leaders embolden the new form of colonialism known as “neocolonialism” and the exploiters like China and the west feel motivated.
For instance, the 2019 October Russia-Africa Summit, was merely nothing but a scam to supply sophisticated weapons to Africa. On the last day of the summit, almost all African leaders sealed military deals with Russian President Putin instead of innovative deals in the field of technology meant for development.
South Sudan President Salva Kiir was one of the African leaders present at the summit and potentially struck a weapons- deal with Russia yet millions of South Sudanese people are refugees in neighboring countries.
What a shame!
Finally Africa needs leaders with brain and positive thinking and these people are the young people. African international relations is too shallow and fragile. We must rethink and reshape Africa foreign policy at global level.
The author Mr. Joseph Oduha is a South Sudanese journalist. He can be reach by abunuabet@gmail.com