The Coup in Guinea Recalled: Russia is Returning to Africa
A military coup has recently taken place in Guinea. And about him, as well as about this very small African country, extremely rich in minerals, everyone immediately started talking.
Bouncy Colonel Mamadi Dumbuya ousted elderly President Alpha Conde. It would seem who cares? But it turned out that there are a lot of people. Africa is gradually becoming an interesting continent. And for us too. For a long time, it seemed they had forgotten about him. But now they remembered.
Context of Africa’s return to the spotlight is the transition from a unipolar world to a multipolar one. During the unipolar moment that followed the collapse of the USSR, it seemed that only the United States and its junior partners were responsible for all the main events in the world. But at some point, this model stopped working, and after the shameful flight of Americans from Afghanistan after 20 years of senseless and brutal occupation and a costly and outright lost war with the Taliban, the United States with their current globalist leadership and president in dementia looks just pathetic. New players are gaining momentum and are rapidly taking their place in global geopolitics.
This role is claimed primarily by Russia and China, the main poles of the multipolar world. But the forces of old Europe, first of all, England and France, which were previously pushed aside by the Americans, who took everything upon themselves, are trying to return to history. These two colonial powers with extensive experience have clearly begun to understand that NATO is bursting at the seams, American hegemony is rapidly degrading, and now it is necessary to pursue their own interests.
All of this affects Africa. Russia and China are trying to offer Africans new alliances and strategies. China is most often included in the financial area. Russia is strong in military technology, as well as cooperation in the field of energy and minerals. At the same time, neither China nor Russia is planning to impose any ideology or policy on Africans – unlike the West -. Therefore, multipolarity in this case is extremely beneficial for Africa: it makes it possible to finally overcome the difficult legacy of Western colonialism. And Russia and China are natural allies in this.
Turkey and a number of Islamic countries are actively trying to join this multipolar game.
Against this background, the phantom pains of French and British imperialism come to life. And if we remember that although the United States is leaving, it is still rather slow, then America is not averse to profit from something in Africa – albeit in new and unusual conditions of multipolar competition.
The coup in Guinea laid bare this whole picture. The ousted president, Alfa Conde, had close partnerships with Russia, primarily in the aluminum field. We had excellent contacts with both Ankara and Beijing. But with France, to the zone of colonial influence of which this country in West Africa traditionally belonged, Condé developed differently – with Sarkozy, Condé had good relations, and they probably did not work out with Macron. Therefore, the first reaction of many media outlets that reacted vividly to the coup of Colonel Dumbuy was the suspicion that it was France that had a hand in it.
In Guinea, two ethnic groups, Malinka and Fulbe (or Peul), traditionally compete. The ousted president of Condé is a Malinka. His political opponent Celu Daleina Diallo is a Fulbe. But this time ethnology does not explain what happened. The head of the military junta Dumbuya, as well as the ousted Alpha Conde, belong to the same ethnic group – both Malinka.
So is it France after all? No, not at all. One of the most popular African politicians, Kemi Seba, a prominent fighter against colonialism and especially against the Frank-Africa project, as well as a harsh critic of globalism and liberalism of Soros, after the coup, issued a statement supporting Colonel Dumbuy. He called the fallen Alpha Kond “dictator”, “lackey of France” and “agent of influence of Soros.” Soros’s friend is the enemy of humanity. This is understandable even for schoolchildren. So, not everything is so bad with Guinea.
Hence the cautious optimism of the multipolar forces. The Guinean “junta” (as it is called in foreign media) has promised to maintain all constructive ties and agreements with Russia and China. Moreover, it cannot be ruled out that the country, which is probably Alfa Condé, who was somehow too zealously clinging to power and really got tired of the order, will join the multipolar process even more actively.
Russia is becoming more and more interested in Africa. Our growing interest in the CAR and Mali, as well as Sudan and Somalia, is no secret to anyone. Not everything is going smoothly yet. But if we are a pole, then we should be everywhere. With peace, friendship, help, and readiness for beneficial cooperation for all. We have never been present in Africa as colonialists or slave traders. This distinguishes us favorably from the West – from France, for example. Why not make the total liberation of Africa our mission? Why not help her people and societies. We have traditionally had friendly ties. Maybe it is worth taking this direction more seriously?