Why Western politicians must adopt a fresh approach to Africa

In recent months, concerns have continued to deepen across the African continent in the wake of reports that at least 18 assassination attempts have been made against Burkina Faso’s young and determined President, Ibrahim Traoré, since he took office on Friday, 21 October 2022. It is simply amazing that at just 37 years of age, Traoré has become globally recognised as the symbol of Africa's spirit of self-determination — a spirit that has been consistently targeted by foreign interests since the earliest days of colonialism. But if truth be told, his situation is not isolated. It rather speaks to a broader, unsettling pattern that has been practically in place in a long while. To wit, many concerned global citizens inside and outside of Africa still cannot understand how Africa's natural wealth, its potential for genuine self-rule, and its right to chart its own destiny can ever be a threat to entrenched powers outside its shores. And most people think that a fresh and sincere reappraisal of the West’s relationship with Africa has become not just advisable but imperative.

Africa’s incontestable position as the most hated and most exploited continent on earth is not a recent development. From the inhumane transatlantic slave trade era to the ruthless partitioning of the continent at the Berlin Conference of 1884–85, Africa has historically been treated as a treasure trove to be plundered rather than a partner to be courted. In the process, entire civilizations had been destabilized. Social, political and economic structures had been dismantled. Artificial boundaries had been created with callous disregard for ethnic and cultural realities and they had ignited conflicts that still hold sway in communities today.

Despite the formal abolition of colonialism in the middle of the 20th century, the nature of Africa's relationship with the West has basically remained neo-colonial. Western political and corporate interests have continued to see the continent primarily as a repository of resources that must be exploited for the comfort of their citizens at home. There is gold in South Africa, Ghana, Mali and Sudan. There is diamond in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Democratic Republic of Congo. There is platinum group metals in South Africa. There is copper in Zambia and DRC. There is cobalt mainly in DRC which supplies over half of the world's need. There is bauxite in Guinea and iron ore in South Africa, Liberia and Mauritania. There is manganese in South Africa, Gabon and Ghana and uranium in Namibia, Niger, and South Africa. There is oil and gas in Nigeria, Angola, Libya, and Algeria; phosphates in Morocco and huge deposits of tin, nickel, lithium, chromites and coltan in other parts of the continent.

Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump

Instead of inaugurating a business partnership that would be based on mutual respect and shared prosperity, the West has continued to regard Africa as a prize to be divided among its powerful nations. Western politicians would often cloak their interventions in Africa with the mantra of democracy, human rights, and social development. But behind this "noble" facade, in reality it is only greed that often drove their intentions. As African countries sought to assert control over their resources and their future, they met with destabilization campaigns, economic sanctions, political interference, and in some very tragic instances, the assassination or toppling of African leaders who dared to challenge or stand up to the West.

The killing of Patrice Lumumba of Congo, Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya are just a few examples of the extent the West would be willing to go, to bully Africa into submission. All three leaders, despite their negligible flaws, symbolized Africa's efforts to break free from foreign dominations. All three were terminated through Western-backed efforts. President Traoré’s multiple brushings with death follows the same script which suggests that the forces historically undermining Africa’s progress are still alive and kicking. The irony is that the very countries that are preaching democracy and the rule of law abroad are the same that often trample on these ideals in Africa, when it suits their economic interests.

Patrice Lumumba
At the heart of the West’s gluttonous engagement with Africa lies the human psychology called greediness — greediness for mineral wealth, greediness for energy resources, and greediness for geopolitical advantage. Unfortunately, this greediness is not limited to the foreign actors alone. Their African collaborators and the political elites who prioritize personal gain over national development are equally culpable. Their relentless pursuit of wealth by every conceivable means has continued to exacerbate corruption, impoverish millions of people, and stunt the growth of strong, democratic institutions. When they watch Africa rise to shine, Western powers would prefer to back up native puppet regimes that maintain their status by destabilizing their own. They would arm factions, control markets, and manipulate international bodies to prevent truly independent African voices from being heard.

The issue to consider, however, is that if Western politicians truly wish to embark on a productive, future-oriented relationship with Africa, they must fundamentally change their current mindset. They must appreciate that the dynamics of global values are shifting, and shifting fast. In a world where digital connectivity has continued to amplify awareness and mobilization, African people, especially their youths, are increasingly demanding respect, fairness, and autonomy from their associates. The message is clear: the old ways of bullying, manipulating, and exploiting Africa will no longer succeed in the coming years. That is for sure, and countries like France had better wake up to that reality.

The West must recognize that friendship, not domination, is the new pathway to enduring influence, not only in Africa but around the world. As Africa matures politically and economically, mutual respect and partnership must replace paternalism and exploitation. That is the right thing to do.

Col. Thomas Sankara
Today’s Africa is no longer the passive continent we used to know of old. Youthful, dynamic populations are asserting their voices through elections, activism, art, and entrepreneurship. Countries like Rwanda, Ghana, and Botswana show that African nations can achieve remarkable development with visionary leadership and relative autonomy.

In today’s interconnected world, friendship between nations has obviously become more valuable than ever. Technology, trade, migration, and climate change have linked countries in unprecedented ways. Clearly, the old model of extraction and domination will no longer be sustainable. From the way technology is working, commonsense informs that friendship with Africa, based on mutual interests and values, will pay far richer dividends to the West than exploitation ever did. Africans still remember the indignities of the past. They will continue to resent being treated as inferiors — a resentment that can only be compared with that felt by black South Africans under the apartheid regime. Continuing on the old path of master-servant relationship will only deepen distrust and alienation, and consequently create openings for other global superpowers like North Korea, China and Russia, and erode Western influence in Africa.

The fact remains that world values are changing, and Africa’s role in the development is becoming more and more significant. Its young workforce, its vast natural resources, and its growing technological innovation hubs are certain to position it as a major player in the global economy. Therefore, Western politicians must begin to see Africa not as a problem to be solved or managed, but as a genuine business-partner to be embraced with candour. Genuine friendship requires honesty, humility, and respect. A genuine partnership approach would mean respect for sovereignty on both sides. It would mean recognizing that African nations have the right to choose their paths without external imposition. It would mean fair trade practices: ensuring that trade agreements are equitable and that resource extraction benefits local communities as much as foreign allies.

Muammar Gaddafi
It would demand support for true democracy: backing leaders and movements that are seriously committed to transparency and national development — not just those who are ready to use Western interests to betray their kith and kin, in order to enrich themselves. It would call for investing in people, not in puppets and appreciating African efforts at educational, healthcare, and infrastructural initiatives that build capacity rather than dependency. It would even demand the West acknowledging historical wrongs and offering reparative measures for the devastating impacts of colonialism and slave trade.

President Ibrahim Traoré’s experience is a stark reminder that old habits die hard. But they must die anyway, if humanity is to progress into a future that is characterized by fairness, dignity, and mutual respect. Africa’s past was marred by exploitation, but its future will be bright if both African leaders and their international counterparts choose integrity over greed, friendship over domination, and mutual respect over exploitation.

In summary, now is the time for Western politicians to adopt a fresh approach to Africa — one that is rooted in genuine partnership, honest engagement, and shared prosperity. If they do, they will find that Africa is not a continent to be feared or subdued, but a vibrant, resilient friend that is always ready to join hands with other friendly nations to build a better world for all. That is the truth.