“Assessing the Role of Russia and China in Africa’s Economic Development: Perspectives on Alternative Partnerships”

Insights into the spectrum of Africa’s weaknesses, strengths and challenges
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

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In this illuminating interview, Professor Emeritus Timothy Uzodinma Nwala, Chairman of the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) Congress, a Nigeria-based Pan Igbo socio-cultural and political organization, explains that African leaders have woken up to the unique manifestations of one bleak past, but much still depends on the background and character of those in control of their national political affairs in the emerging multipolar world. Ultimately, all African countries will awaken to a common understanding of the true meaning of their colonial past for the present and for future existence. And in fact, leaders and elites must play their role as autonomous actors on the stage of world history, rather than as pawns in global politics. Here are the interview excerpts:

Question: How would you begin by characterizing the feelings and attitudes of African leaders towards the contemporary geopolitical situation? How specifically different is the case in Nigeria?
Prof. Timothy Uzodinma Nwala: The feelings and attitudes of African leaders towards the contemporary geopolitical situation in the world reflect the diversity that characterizes a people who seem to have lived in different geopolitical spaces and historical eras. There are similarities depending on who was colonized by whom and which region experienced which character of colonial influences.

Depending on the background of the leaders themselves, there may be differences. However, there are some big explosive new insights about the past – about different forms and wreckages of colonialism as they manifest themselves in different parts of the world. It is not that humanity was unaware of the horrors of colonialism. When I think about these horrors from humanity’s past, I immediately think of the fact that Charles Darwin’s term “State of Nature” truly reflects humanity’s past. Even today, civil government and the global system have only moderated this bleak past of human history.

Those among humanity who in some cases and circumstances actually manifest what should be the ideal state of affairs are the God-men, but they are certainly in the minority. African leaders who have woken up to the unique manifestations of this bleak past in the image of colonialism do so depending on their history and the prevailing political and social dynamics of their countries and societies. Much also depends on the background and character of those in control of their political affairs.

Question: What is the dynamic in the emerging multipolar order that ensures the unity of Africa as enshrined by the African Union? Is Africa disintegrating due to the sharp existing political divides on the continent?
TUN: The dynamics in the prevailing multipolar state of affairs reflect the background of the leaders and also the way in which the current regional and global struggles affect their different countries. The South African experience is not exactly the same as the West African experience. That past influences current sentiments and alliances. Southern Africa’s experience under apartheid thus critically influences the stance of their patriotic leaders in the current global political dynamics.

There will certainly be glitches in the dynamics of today’s African Union, but the obvious trend is that eventually all African countries will awaken to a common understanding of the true meaning of their colonial past for present and future existence. The younger generation of African leaders will undoubtedly return to the heyday of the Pan-African dream of united and free peoples playing their role as autonomous actors on the stage of world history rather than as pawns in global politics.

Question: How would you propose that Africa positions itself within the context of these geopolitical complexities and contradictions? Should Africa also strengthen its agency and state institutions into more effective instruments for promoting sustainable development?
TUN: Pan-Africanism is more likely to increase than decrease under the current dynamics. The current realignments are aimed at freedom and equality and not at exchanging one master for another. The songs of freedom will undoubtedly echo throughout the continent. The spirit of the Pan-Africanists of the Nkrumah, Nyerere, Jomoh Kenyatta, Azikiwe and their generation will undoubtedly be the guiding spirit of the new Africa on the horizon. The emerging new wave of Pan-Africanism will undoubtedly generate new dynamics for broader autonomy and freedom.

Q: Nigeria and a few other African countries are feverishly looking for a voice on the international stage. Do you think that membership of the BRICS association (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) could be the savior and mechanism for African countries to increase the level of development?
TUN: Yes indeed. The current challenge for Nigeria is that it currently has a leadership that many Nigerians believe is imposed by the dictates and dynamics of imperialist manipulation. The regime lacks self-confidence and will continue to depend on its masters for its illegitimacy. Only who knows how far Nigerians will carry this current burden before it can free itself. The only hope is the possibility that the raging songs of freedom now heard everywhere in the various nationalities will sustain themselves and reform themselves to overcome the present forces of illegality and fraud. The BRICS countries will undoubtedly exert a lot of influence in light of this desire for freedom.

But the BRICS will take a stand if African leaders make it their duty to learn from the lessons of classical colonial and neo-colonial rule. However, I do hope that the impact of the wave of radical freedom and Pan-Africanism now sweeping Africa today will grow into a dynamic wave of liberation and freedom of the new Africa.

Q: But there are also a number of internal obstacles, for example poor development policies, bureaucracy and opacity, and an even worse lack of good governance. What is your view here, especially if you follow democracy and governance across Africa?
TUN: The immediate post-colonial era in several countries in Africa (especially the late 1950s and 1960s) reflected enormous hope for a new era of ‘love and happiness’. The messianic attitude of the leaders played into the hands of the imperialists, who preferred puppet leaders to truly patriotic leaders of the people.

Poor political strategy made matters worse, as the patriot leaders overestimated their political strength and grossly underestimated the power of the imperialists. This was the downfall of patriotic leaders such as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Patrice Lumumba of Congo and Colonel Gaddafi of Libya. They had the opportunity to make a radical transformation before the imperialists struck.

However, there were some leaders who engaged in personal aggrandizements and many cases engaged in dictatorial and ethnic policies and for whom the state resembled the case of Louis IV, equated with their personality – Letat est moi! There is no doubt that this was the case in Nigeria; the leadership was largely dictatorial and corrupt.

Question: Are military coups the surest way to deal with the old system of governance that is riddled with deep-rooted corruption, as it seems, especially in West Africa? Is growing neocolonialism the problem in these French-speaking countries?
TUN: Three forces played a role in provoking military coups in several post-colonial states in Africa, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. These include poor governance and the arrogance of the new leaders, the thrust of neo-colonialism and the ambition of other citizens. Often the latter two were in alliance – that is, the neocolonial forces entered into an alliance with high ambitions, especially those in the military, to overthrow those in power. This image was visible in all post-European colonial states.

Question: What would be the future relations of African states that oppose the hegemony of the United States and the exploitative attitude of Europe? Do you also think that Russia, compared to China, offers an alternative to Africa’s development and achieving Africa’s economic sovereignty?
TUN: Ultimately, two factors explain the appeal of Russia and China to the new African leaders.
The first was Russia’s positive role in the fight against Apartheid. Many have pointed out that President Vladimir Putin himself, Russia’s current leader, was a young KGB officer who worked with the ANC and helped train their anti-apartheid forces.
And then there is no doubt that Russia and China represent a more acceptable leadership than the Western and European countries. As to which of the two offers a more positive alternative, one can only say that the future will tell!