Behind anti-colonial slogans, the Sahel is the front line of a new Cold War – and Africans bear the cost.

Behind the slogans of anti-colonial liberation, the Sahel has become the front line of a new Cold War – with Africans bearing the cost.

  • tal@olio.cafeEnglish
    92·
    22 hours ago

    Mali’s leadership tried to sell the French exit as an anti-colonial victory, but it was anything but. As one empire left, another quickly moved in. Russian mercenaries replaced French soldiers, announcing to the world Mali’s intention to move into Russia’s orbit.

    Americans watched with worry, and eventually started to use the “counterterrorism” angle to try and befriend a regime they loudly condemned and sanctioned just a few years ago.

    For the Malian people, the country’s transfer to team Russia brought no real positives. Sure, the humiliation of France at the heart of Francophone Africa was rejoiced over by some, but the Russians brought with them nothing but more aggression, corruption and chaos.

    As the Russians enjoy their newfound influence, Americans appear to be looking for a way back in. They are now courting the regime under the guise of addressing “terror” but clearly with the sole intent of weakening the Russian hand.

    Europe and America’s support for many “friendly” dictators across Africa, such as Uganda’s Museveni, and Washington’s ongoing attempts to befriend Mali’s junta despite its insults to democracy, clearly show Africans have no true ally in this proxy war being waged on their lands.

    Well, dude, if Africans are going to permit themselves to be led by dictators, I doubt that you’re going to find that there’s going to be an absolute wall built against dealing with them. The US most-likely isn’t going to come in, forcibly eject your leadership, and impose elections, and I suspect that there are people in Mali who wouldn’t like it if they did.

    You’ll probably get more support for a democratic government, but there’s going to be a limit as to how much by way of national interest that will be sacrificed for that, true enough.

    As to wanting agency — Africans have agency. If the population of Mali collectively told the leadership of Mali that they weren’t going to be running Mali, said leadership wouldn’t be running Mali.