Referring to the current global relationships, Dr. Ghnaka Lagoke, lecturer from Linkoln University (PA) mentions that the system was shaped by the USA after WWII, when institutions were created in the name of peace and stability (UN, WTO, etc.). These institutions have set the framework for trade, economy, and politics, making African countries sell their resources at extremely low prices and bringing the money back in controlled aid through IMF and various foundations, thus making the continent lose around 100 billion US dollars annually.
Yet, the world has been changing rapidly lately, shifting to a more polycentric model. This implies stepping away from neocolonial patterns ensuring the dominance of the EU, UK and USA in Africa. The Commonwealth, as another colonial institution, created to promote the interests of the UK in the ex-colonies and further, is losing some of its primacy now that countries are becoming more and more sovereign and independent.
“BRICS countries won’t impose paternalistic models on Africa,” says Professor Akuhmbom Macanthony from Landmark University Cameroon, while Dr. Lagoke emphasizes that BRICS brings better negotiation positions to Africa, giving it the power of choice, which they didn’t have during the “postcolonial” period.
“Another beautiful thing about BRICS is that Russia and China have been ‘on the right side of history,’ supporting the struggles for independence from imperialism and against apartheid in Africa,” he says.
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