Great powers and the fierce competition in Africa

Parallel to the decline of US imperialism and the weakening of its hegemonic capacity, the competition between great powers in the world is intensifying both across a very wide geography and in different fields. From Africa to Central Asia, and from electric cars to artificial intelligence, a fierce competition is taking place, especially between the US and China.

We know from history; wherever there is competition between great powers, there is no peace. There is no stability there. Wars, internal conflicts, coups, and the resulting mass migrations are constant. Great powers do not want participatory democracy, human rights, the rule of law, or class consciousness to develop there either. They support dictatorships, authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, and oppressive administrations. The scarcity of water resources, drought, and hunger in Africa are not the concerns of imperialist powers. They focus on exploiting, plundering, looting the resources of the countries they descend upon, and seizing their domestic markets. 

Africa is particularly important in this context. Because it draws attention with its vastness, its population, and its underground resources. In the competition on this old and poor continent, the US and China are in the lead. Although not as much as these two, Russia is also making certain moves. The race between the US and China is fierce, especially regarding the extraction, processing, and delivery of underground resources to world markets. 

Africa; with its rich underground resources, its population reaching 1.5 billion, and its importance in terms of trade routes, whets the appetite of capitalist, developed, industrialized, imperialist states as a large, crowded, and developing market. It also holds a position that cannot be neglected from a geopolitical perspective. Africa's wealth is known in terms of rare earth elements; precious minerals such as diamonds and gold; and minerals that are of great importance for products containing advanced technology, such as copper, cobalt, and lithium.

AFRICA HAS NO WEIGHT IN WORLD POLITICS

Africa, unlike other continents such as Europe, Asia, or America, does not have a country that stands out in world politics or the economy. There is no such alliance, international organization, or union in Africa. There is a great power on the American continent: the US. There are great powers on the Asian continent: Russia and China. India is also rising. There are major, important powers on the European continent: the UK, France, and Germany. But there are no such states on the African continent. In Africa, there is competition between non-African great powers. The 55-member African Union, which is the organization of African countries, is far from being effective even on the African continent, let alone in world politics. 

Significant changes have taken place in Africa over the last 15–20 years. Armed conflicts, civil wars, and violence have become very widespread. Armed conflicts in many countries from Ethiopia to Somalia, and from Libya to Sudan, have caused the deaths of many people, the destabilization of administrations, and migrations. Terrorist organizations have turned this situation into an opportunity for themselves. Great powers have also used these terrorist organizations. 

States that were colonialists in the 19th and 20th centuries in Africa, such as the UK and France, are dreaming of the old days. They are trying to do something, but it is not working. Germany, as the leading economic, industrial, and technological power of Europe, is closely interested in Africa. However, despite its interest in the continent, its knowledge and experience regarding the continent remain weak compared to the British and the French. Italy is trying to do something, but it lacks the power. The Netherlands and Belgium, which were once influential in Africa, are very far from their old days. Spain and Portugal have no claims in world politics. All these countries are, in the words of Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, in a state of "vague longing for the past." 

China knows the importance of Africa. It is investing heavily in the continent. It is Africa's largest trading partner. It ranks first in the continent's exports. It is also ahead of Western institutions in terms of loans, credits, and grants given to African countries. Its investment and foreign aid capacity, economic power, and commercial relations naturally consolidate China's political and diplomatic influence in Africa. It increases its visibility and reputation. China also supports large-scale infrastructure investments and communication and transportation projects within the scope of the Belt and Road Initiative. 

THE SEVERITY AND DIMENSIONS OF THE COMPETITION 

It is, of course, not possible for Russia to make large economic investments, carry out aid activities, or conduct trade in Africa like China. Therefore, it tries to stand out by ensuring the security of leaders, companies, and the wealthy on the continent, especially through private military companies (let us recall the activities of Wagner). Russia had sent mercenaries to Mali and the Central African Republic. 

The US is trying to prevent China's increasing influence, economic activities, visibility, and public diplomacy steps in Africa on the one hand, and is striving to strengthen its economic and political ties with African countries on the other. Let us recall that the US, which intervened in Libya through NATO in 2011, directly struck ISIS targets in Somalia. We know the extent of the US's relations with Egypt. 

The US, China, and Russia also stand out in arms sales to African countries. As the great power competition on the continent intensifies, the spectrum of issues being competed over also expands. Cultural competition is being added to the economic, political, and military dimensions. Since every great power that wants to expand its sphere of influence and reach wants to block the path of rival powers, Africa is both the stage for and a witness to this fierce competition. Some experts explain this competition with a new type of colonialism, while others explain it with the nature, complexity, and diversity of the competition between imperialist centers.