Eritrea’s leader pays homage to Russia’s

Not just French but Western leaders at large now agonise over how to respond to the coup in Niger which toppled their pet leader – their comprador – there. Needless to say, the West’s media speak with one voice to assure us that in the eyes of “the international community” …

The international community, as constantly invoked by Western corporate media …

… the world abhors that coup. Says In Defence of Marxism:

At the recent Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, which took place as the coup in Niger unfolded, [Putin] quoted Nelson Mandela and listed a number of famous figures from Africa’s struggle for liberation against imperialism, including the Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, who was murdered with the involvement of Belgium and the USA.

The western media has been quick to dismiss the summit due to the fact that fewer nations attended than the last one in 2019, but this deliberately obscures the fact that 19 African heads of state attended in defiance of heavy western pressure, making speeches that explicitly condemned the West and praised Russia.

In Defence of Marxism, August 3, 2023. Predictably, this piece speaks of “Russian imperialism” – a thesis I reject

For its part The Cradle notes that:

The 26 July coup in the West African nation of Niger, which threatens to undermine French and US military presence in the region, has shed light on the historical exploitation and continued practices of Francafrique – the term used to describe the persistent exploitation by the former French Empire in Africa.

France heavily relies on nuclear energy, with 68 percent of its power coming from nuclear plants. It obtains 19 percent of the uranium required to run these plants from Niger. Despite this significant contribution toward France’s energy needs, only 14.3 percent of Nigeriens have access to a power grid, and even that is often unreliable. This stark contrast highlights the disparities and ongoing exploitation by rapine foreign powers throughout the African continent … 

Paris cannot openly confess its greed, feign a “civilizing mission,” or admit to any responsibility due to its past crimes. This lack of purpose weakens French power on the continent, leading to violence and poverty in its wake.

West Africa’s drive for further independence has left Atlanticists concerned about the opening this leaves for Eurasian powers like Russia and China to increase their influence in Africa. The west’s reaction reflects a lack of respect for the sovereignty of African countries, viewing the continent merely as a theater to maintain global dominance.

Since the Ukraine war’s onset in early 2022, Atlanticists have expressed alarm over the unwillingness of Global South states to support the west’s anti-Russia policies, a trend further amplified by the shift to multipolarism everywhere. This weakening of western hegemony has opened a path for many nations to avidly explore their geopolitical options and diversify their economies.

The Cradle, August 8, 2023, France never stopped looting Africa. Now the tables are turning

Now hear one of those African leaders who “attended in defiance of heavy western pressure, making speeches that explicitly condemned the West and praised Russia.”  Here’s a three minute clip of Isaias Afwerki, president of Eritrea since it won its independence from Ethiopia in 1991, at the Russia-Africa Summit last week:

Thanks to my former Sheffield Hallam colleague, Peter Jones, for supplying this.

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