AT THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, Western powers- led by the United States of America- had an upper hand in shaping the world order. That power was further crystallized by the fall of the Berlin Wall which also marked an end to the Cold War. For America, that was an opportune moment to define a global order that exhibited America’s own unique economic and political ideals.

For Russia, China and other countries who favored socialism and Communism over Western Capitalism, that moment was a moment of moral defeat. The ideals which they held dear were dealt a death blow, at least from a theoretical outlook at the time.

As the USSR waned and the beginning of the end of the Cold War started, Western leaders promised that NATO would not extend "even an inch” Eastward because to Russia, NATO poses an existential threat. But as usual, for the West, acting in good faith only applies where it helps advance their interests. Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has just but extended towards Russian borders further threatening Russia’s security and global peace. For a bit of context, USA has a law "The Hague Invasion Act” which gives it power to use "all means necessary and appropriate to bring about the release of any U.S. or allied personnel being detained or imprisoned by, on behalf of, or at the request of the International Criminal Court.”

It is acts of this nature and many others that have triggered global insecurity. Under pretexts of advancing democratic values, the USA, using NATO, has destroyed lives and property yet remains unaccountable for that. China and Russia, recognizing the danger to their growing powers by an aggressive USA with its NATO vassals, decided to slowly decouple their economies from fiat. Fiat is Latin for "let it be done.” A fiat based economy is a debt based economy, meaning that instead of currency being pegged to valuable resources like gold and silver, among other resources, the currency is backed by government decree.

For the last decade, Russia and China have tremendously increased their gold reserves. America-led sanctions on Russia after the commencement of Russia’s Special Military Operation in Ukraine (an act, in and by itself, necessitated by NATO’s Eastward expansion), Russia and China started using Russia’s "MIR” alternative to SWIFT- an interbank payments telecommunications system. Many nations have joined and others, including those in Africa, have started deliberating on joining the Russian SWIFT alternative. The objective here can only be thought of as being strategic positioning for when the West sanctions them and they’re pushed to not use the West’s SWIFT. Since nations have now noticed how (economically) fatal it is to rely only on the West's banking system, alternatives like MIR offer an opportunity to circumvent Western economic sanctions when they happen. This shift gives Russia more strength while weakening America and Europe some more.

With the growing wave of anti-NATO and anti-Western neocolonialism sentiments in South America and Africa, further Western bullying pushes nations to speed up their relations with Asian and Eurasian powers like China and Russia as a hedge against Western political and security threats, a move which weakens the Western hegemony even further.

For Africa, such shifts in global power offer freedom to pursue development and security partnerships with any global power without the threat of engaging others on similar interests. For many decades, African nations have given up their strategic interests in fear of political mayhem and security threats associated with pursuing own interests where they are in competition with interests of the West. Current global developments; therefore, present an opportunity for African states, when acting in unison, to advance their collective interests. Instead of seeking highly politicized and high interest World Bank/IMF loans for development spending, for instance, countries can look to China’s Belt and Road Initiative for funding and technical support. African countries are also presented with a chance to enter into partnerships with Russia for supply of cheap oil and gas products. On this, Africa could also leverage Russia’s desperation for trade and political partnerships to have Russia’s hand in building Africa’s energy extraction and transportation facilities. This way, while relying on Russia for supply of oil and gas products in the short term, Africa would be able to extract its own oil and gas and supply it within the continent and to foreign nations where there is demand in the long term. Africa can, as well, form a strong bargaining force on a global stage, as the declining West fights the rising East, by demanding immediate exist of Western military forces from every African country they have a base, West’s respect and adherence to the decisions of the African Union on matters concerning African nations and persons, the end to France’s monetary imperialism over its former West African colonies, restructuring of debts, review of security and trade partnerships between African and Western countries, restructuring of the UN to include all regions and nations of the World as key prerequisites for continued Africa-West cooperation in any spheres of interest.

With the threat to Western economies posed by an Asia-inclined-Africa coupled with diminishing Western influence in Latin America and China’s rapidly increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific, Western countries would start reconsidering their approach to relations with Africa which would open room for Africa to determine its development paths, partners and set terms for such partnerships contrary to how it stands at this moment. This; however, is only achievable if African countries stand strong together without fail.

The views expresed in this article are of the author.