West African Gulf Region, The Last Piece And Most Fortified Stronghold Of Western Imperialism In Africa

West African Gulf Region, The Last Piece And Most Fortified Stronghold Of Western Imperialism In Africa   The "Scramble for Africa&...

West African Gulf Region, The Last Piece And Most Fortified Stronghold Of Western Imperialism In Africa

 

The "Scramble for Africa" 2.0 is fiercely ongoing. This time not within the Colonial West as obtained during the Berlin conference of the late 19th Century, rather between the West against the New, prevailing Eastern Pole whose significant drive force can be simply summarized as The "BRICS" nations or proponents. The former strives to preserve the existing global order which benefit, upholds and sustains its interest across the world, primarily in Africa. While the latter objects citing the imbalance, Injustices and hegemonic control obtained in the existing global order otherwise called Rules-based-order system, which exclusively benefits the West.

 

The dream and mechanisms to build a fairer, equitable world system had been born in the past decade, but not until last year 2022, following the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict and egregious sanctions which was rained on Russia by the collective West to force her economic, military and Political capitulation, that the jingle about the importance of new world order began to ricochet across the African continent.

 

Revolutionaries in various military formations in Africa precisely in the Sahel rose to the occasion to confront what is Popularly viewed as "Pseudo Democratic" system Instituted by the West to perpetuate their influence and exploit the natural and human resources in the continent. And after the BRICS summit hosted by the Republic of South Africa in August 2023, two more African nations namely Egypt in the North, Ethiopia in the East were strategically induced into the BRICS family.

 

Nigeria who had also applied from West Africa was not accepted into the forum. Presumably as a result of the socioeconomic decadence obtained in it, coupled with oppressive status it wields in, but not limited to Western Africa, which only serves the imperial purpose of the Colonial Western Powers in the Africa continent.

 

Hence, having discovered the waning of their interest on the African continent, following the colossal losses of former colonies to Russia and BRICS even in the Sahelian region of West Africa. The West has decided to concentrate their forces and synergy in the Gulf Region of West Africa. With the UK, EU and France all announcing series of military exercise, show-of-force as deterrence in the Gulf of Guinea. Recently, corroborated reports show the French Navy and its Nigerian counterpart holding military drills in the Gulf, and the European Union's So-called "Civil-Military" Counter terrorism operation is mostly expectedly underway as announced two months ago. The UK also announced that the HMS Trent Navy ship will be deployed to Gulf this summer.

 

Not only are they [West] militarily fortifying their position in the West African Gulf, they are also strengthening the regimes of their vassals to prevent any form of civil unrest in the region that could destabilize their interests. For Instance, the debacle surrounding the Coming to power of The Nigerian president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all the controversies thereof. The West has ensured that sustenance of stability of the Nigerian government at all cost, as a Nigeria marred with civil unrest would not be in their best interest. Hence, their unalloyed silence and support for the Tinubu's administration irrespective of the recent damning revelations about his ineligibility and unhealthy maneuvers to the seat of power, supports this hypothesis.

 

Moreover, the suppression by all means possible of the call for Biafra Self-determination through a referendum, which has been ongoing for over a decade now championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra, Movement also backs the above surmise.

 

Biafra was a nation which existed before the British forced amalgamation of 1914, but later on in 1967 opted out of the Nigerian union following the unleashing of Pogroms and bloodlettings against her citizens after series of military coups in 1966. The Conspiracy to silence Biafra has been an age-long policy of the West, giving the Human and mineral resources embedded within her sovereignty. The Conspiracy was so brazen that the British prime minister at the time, Harold Wilson openly voiced;

 

"The bodies of half a million Biafran children will not force the British to change her policies concerning the Nigerian Civil war, Biafra cannot be allowed to be, for we do not trust what they could become with their vast resources around the Russians and the French". Mr Wilson was referring to the Nigeria-Biafra war of 1967-70, which gulped the lives of over Five million people mostly children, who died as a result of starvation after a Air-Land-Sea blockade was imposed on the newly born, Biafra  by the league of countries who supported the Nigerian government, basically the British. This conspiracy continues to endure even till date, and have expanded drastically. As even France who limitedly supported Biafra during the war in the 20th century, has switched camp on the side of the UK, following its recent loss of colonies in the Sahel Region.

 

 While the UK orchestrates the hush-up over the Biafra Question on the global stage, France is reportedly perpetrating same at the African Union using certain loyal individuals like the African Union commission chairperson – Moussa Faki Mahamat, amongst others.

 

It is important to highlight that the West since colonial era, has capitalized on the ignorance and poverty in the Africa continent, to continue its merciless exploitations. However, the current African people have risen to consciousness and while recounting the memories of the unfortunate western encounter since transatlantic slave trade era, the animosity towards the West becomes unbearable. This, they alternatively turn towards Eastern pole, pioneered by BRICS as their one-way ticket out of oppression.

 

The West on the other hand who historically holds the believes of deploying and exerting their military contingents would force and intimidate their colonies into submission, perhaps that method had perfectly worked in past, but it is unlikely to work this time around. Hence, the west should consider reviewing its policies in Africa, jettison the colonial mentality and alternatively pursue mutual cooperation and win-win solutions as offered by the Eastern Pole.

 

As for Africans, they have resolved to rather die on their feet, than continue living on their knees. And no level of intimidation will change this self-determinant resolve to be free, and to control their own destinies themselves.

 

 

Written By Enenienwite Ikechukwu

 For Family Writers Press International