Africa: The new looting

ARTICAL ON SOCIALNEWS.IT may 10, 2019

There was a real race to Africa, which saw among the main protagonists France, Belgium, Great Britain and Portugal. Even today, after the many wars that have bloodied the African continent, after apartheid and after the difficult processes of decolonization, Africa is once again the object of desire for many nations.

Those who have long turned their attention, and not only, on the black continent are Turkey, India, Brazil, Russia and, above all, China (BRICST). Today, as then, Africa is a mine of geological resources and its low position, economically and not, will allow it to have very strong growth rates. If at the time the only protagonists of the African continent were the Europeans, today we are in the presence of many actors who have led to the development and birth of a multipolar world complicating the geopolitical balances especially at the expense of the powers Medium.

Turkish President Erdogan has always paid special attention to Africa. It is 2008 when the African Union recognises the government in Ankara as a strategic partner. In addition, the first Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit was also held in the same year, during which regular consultations were held between the high-level representatives of the two countries. This and other meetings have further increased trade between the two areas, mainly to Turkey's advantage.

Imports of African products relate to valuable materials such as gold, minerals and some raw materials such as cotton, timber and leather. However, the decision to turn to the black continent also stems from a religious aspect. President Erdogan, in fact, decided to focus mainly on African countries with a strong Sunni presence, since he aspires to become the leader of this part of the Muslim world.   

Thanks to the rapid economic growth of recent years, India has made important choices especially in terms of foreign policy. Choices that have led her to invest in African territories as well. The Indian presence in Africa, in fact, is constantly growing, but nevertheless it is discreet, based mainly on the consolidation of positions and results obtained. Moreover, the Indian Government, thanks to agreements with African states, is trying to gain greater relevance in international relations.

As far as Brazil is concerned, however, it can be said that already during Lula's presidency the centre of gravity of Brazilian international relations had shifted to Africa. The president saw the black continent as a great recipient for his policy of diversifying exports and internationalizing businesses. Relations between the two continents continued even during Rousseff's presidency. It is in fact during the years of his mandate that Brazil cancels out 900 million dollars of debt to twelve African countries. Since we are not in the presence of pure philanthropy, the cancellation of the various debts has been followed by new and substantial investments in the African continent, especially in the infrastructure and oil industry.

Who certainly hasn't been to look in recent years is China. The Middle Empire, since 2009 to date, has invested 125 billion in the black continent. Unlike Western countries that invest heavily in cooperation and development, the Beijing government prefers tangible projects such as roads, railways, palaces. These works are all financed by Chinese loans and in the event of non-payment the country is forced to give up the infrastructure. This is the so-called 'debt trap', a vicious circle which, if handled in the wrong way, risks creating a real political crisis. In this regard, the case of Sri Lanka, which had to cede control of the port of Hambantota to Beijing due to non-payment of debt, is significant.

China's economy is booming, which is why it needs commodities. The Middle Empire has built a 700km-long pipeline in Ethiopia to the port of Djibouti where Beijing already has a military base. In addition, the Chinese government has decided to take over the national electricity company Zesco, in Zambia, as the country is unable to pay off the debt of 8billion dollars with the Middle Empire. Sino-African relations have had and are developing rapidly thanks to the strong Chinese demand for raw materials and also thanks to the need for infrastructure from African states. Chinese trade and investment in Africa focuses more on timber, agriculture, copper, cobalt, textiles, fishing, platinum, iron, military and energy.

However, Beijing's interest in the black continent is mainly geostrategic. Africa, in fact, represents for China the opening up to new markets and, consequently, a great opportunity to expand the Silk Road, not only land but also maritime. Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious plan is to connect China's southern ports to the port of Djibouti (The Horn of Africa), through which China would land in the Mediterranean through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

There is another reason for China's geopolitical interest in Africa. African states account for a third of the UN's members, and if Beijing succeeds in bringing them into its sphere of influence it would acquire enormous political power worldwide.

Who could not be excluded from this new conquest of the African continent is Putin's Russia which has focused on Central Africa, the Horn and North Africa. Moscow decided, after obliterated Soviet-era debts with African states, to provide arms and military support in order to obtain contracts to explore and exploit mineral-rich deposits. The Russian public company Rosatom (whose activities cover all nuclear fields) has long been exploiting uranium mines in Tanzania and Namibia. Moscow has also made its way into the exploitation of the platinum mine in Zimbabwe.

Moreover, Russia's growing interest in the African continent stems from its desire to play a leading role in the territories of North Africa and the Middle East, in order to increase its power and influence in the Mediterranean.  

In this multipolar landscape could not miss the rich Saudi Arabia, which, earlier this year, announced investments of 10 billion dollars, mainly in the hydrocarbon sector, in South Africa. Saudi Arabia's energy minister has said Saudi Arabia will build an oil refinery and petrochemical plant. In addition, the government in Riyadh is also interested in the country's main oil storage facilities and, as if that were not enough, wants to invest in the new renewable energy programme. Saudi Arabia also looks closely at the Horn of Africa. Having played a key role in the peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia, Riyadh, like other countries, seeks control of an area where one of the world's most important maritime routes is located. 

Mediterranean, resources, global power. These are the three key words around which the interests of the states that have invested and are investing in Africa are being developed and developed. The multiplicity of actors who have turned their attention to the black continent makes the geopolitical landscape extremely complex. The interests of states, accompanied by power games, corruption and exploitation risk annihilating Africa's future.

The shadow of what we can call a new form of colonialism looms more and more on the black continent, which through different agreements has bound and is tying its destiny to that of other states. Africa has become the promised land for all those countries that see this continent as the springboard for the title of world power. And even today as then we can say that the race to Africa is open again.

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