Africa’s culture of political assertiveness or self- assertiveness is apparently on the rise these days. Under the old global arrangements from the Berlin Conference that ushered in the era of European colonialism to the decolonization period of the 1960, Africa’s destiny was decided not by Africans but by old colonial and neocolonial powers.
Africa was a kind of political sitting duck that absorbed everything that was thrown at it from the political capitals of Europe and the West in general. Africa had no decisive say in shaping or defining global issues even if that affected its future. Africa then was simply a passive continent where the powerful dictated their terms of engagements to the weak. As present trends testify, things are changing slowly but surely and Africa is accessing global diplomacy with its own style and substance.
Nowadays, the slogan “Africa Rising” is increasingly proving its real significance and impact. It is not an empty catchword devoid of a realistic chance of success as many Afro-pessimists wanted us to believe only a few years back. When South Africa freed itself from the shackles of Apartheid, which was another form of native neocolonialism, the same Afro-pessimists looked at the call for ‘African Renaissance’ as an idea borrowed from the European Renaissance that could not be repeated in Africa, which is for many of them a continent lacking the resources for self-assertion and renewal, which is simply the meaning of renaissance.
The last 20 or so years have proved critical in examining and evaluating both ‘Africa Rising’ and ‘African Renaissance’ in practice. Africa is no more on the receiving end of global initiatives as it was in the past. It is rather increasingly acting as a more confident and more resourceful partner in global bargains. There are tangible proofs that Africa is rising not only for itself and within itself but also on the global area as a force of self-assertion and change. The continent is increasingly making the headlines as a huge entity that is slowly but surely finding its rightful place and legitimate role in international, regional and global affairs.
“Solving African problems with African solutions” is becoming a buzzword that not only reflects the continent’s newfound self-confidence and assertiveness as it successfully addressed some of its nagging problems which are mainly leftovers of colonialism and neocolonialism. Africa is learning to take new initiatives itself and not wait for international institutions to give it the green light as it was traditionally the case.
In the not too distant past, Africa sought international intervention by the global powers every time its peace was disturbed or some conflict erupted across the length and breadth of the vast continent. It lacked the capacity to act on its own because it had not developed the culture of self-reliance, self-confidence if not the culture of political assertiveness. Africans are naturally optimistic and assertive people. But this culture was seriously undermined, eroded if not discouraged by foreign powers that used to treat Africa as if it was a child that needed the support of stronger adults to be able to walk on its own.
Nowadays, Africa is proving more than once, that it is slowly becoming a continent that can walk on its own without crutches or helping hands from foreigners. It is also starting to help others address their problems by contributing new ideas the fair settlement of international disputes ranging from border conflicts to climate issues. Africa has certainly become a voice in international affairs worth listening to. It is a continent that is increasingly reflecting its self-assertiveness and confidence on the global arena. This is why we can say that Africa is fighting to rediscover its lost culture of political assertiveness that had been undermined by neocolonialism for many centuries.
Africa no more needs foreign peace keepers to be deployed in the continent for protecting their neocolonial or regional strategic interests. Africa has more than once proved capable of keeping its peace by its own means whether in the Horn or elsewhere in the continent. What Africa lacks at present is not the consciousness, the awareness or the will to act on its own but the resources necessary to take the initiative, implement its policies and put its destiny in its own hands. It has already proved its politico-cultural maturity by engaging all the international actors in African initiatives that promote economic growth and its role in addressing global issues in a mature, impartial manner away from the culture of Western diktat and Western manipulations.
This approach is on display during the recent initiatives by African leaders to resolve the dispute between Russia and Ukraine in a just, fair and legal manner before the crisis may possibly degenerate into a nuclear confrontation. Under the old arrangements in global relations, Africa was forced to support this or that side, mainly pro-Western interests in a global conflict or face Western sanctions that were death sentences without appeal.
The fact that Africa is trying to navigate the troubled waters of international crises by avoiding old stereotypes and unquestioned behaviors demonstrate not only that times have indeed changed but also Africa has learned important lessons from its past humiliations and marginalization in global affairs. In the process, Africa is becoming a respected global diplomatic partner whose ideas are worth listening to and not the old pariah that no one listens to. If the old Afro-pessimists are still alive or watching events unfold from a good distance, they should realize that African diplomats are handling delicate global diplomatic challenges and proving in the process that they have grown from “babyhood” into mature adulthood, in the last couple of decades in particular.
African political culture is nowadays showing signs of maturity indeed. Currently, African diplomats and statesmen are not aligning with this or that bloc. They are increasingly looking at the world as composed of more than one or two blocs but as a conglomeration of interests within an increasingly globalizing world where everyone should have a fair share of interests to defend and objectives to work together for joint accomplishments.
The unipolar and bipolar world orders are vanishing slowly under our eyes. In their place is emerging a world of multi-polarity of interests that require delicate handling lest they could explode in the hands of lousy diplomats blinded by narrow self-interest. Ukraine is one case but not the only case that requires a multi-polar approach for resolving the crisis. The world should not allow the old rules of Cold War diplomacy to be played behind the scenes.
The rules of the game have indeed changed. Developed and developing countries have equal rights and equal interests to defend whether in the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere that require a multifaceted approach for resolving crises. The old one-size-fits-all stereotype that alienated many players and gave undue advantage to some is losing its appeal. Africa is of course playing a balancing act that takes all interests in a holistic and objective manner and not provides a textbook solution particularly when the textbook is written by the West or by the East as in the old days.
Africa’ s newly emerging political culture is no more shaped by short-term interests that tend to force the continent and its leaders to take this side or that and stifled its own independent and balanced stance. Foreign aid and financial largess were often used to lure or force Africans take this or that stand in international affairs. This is increasingly losing momentum and we in for many surprises in the years and decades to come as Africa will certainly grow as an equal partner in global affairs. This is not wishful thinking or idealistic daydreaming. We are seeing it take shape slowly but surely.
BY MULUGETA GUDETA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 5 AUGUST 2023
