Should the US be seen as a hegemonic power preying on Africa? Is it using Africa as a proxy for geopolitical battles with Russia and China? Or is the US merely interested in favourable economic diplomacy in Africa, as all countries should be across the world? How should the region view the US? What is the best strategic posture to adopt in international relations with the US?
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These were some of the questions posed by Eusebius McKaiser on his TimesLIVE podcast this week. He again hosted Koffi Kouakou, well-known futurist and senior research fellow at The Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg.
Kouakou critiqued the actions of the US on the continent, arguing that a combination of military might and economic dominance results in an uneven relationship between the US and Africa.
He pushed back against McKaiser, who was suggesting African countries have sufficient agency to determine the content of their bilateral relationships, suggesting this view does not take account of how power is unequally distributed within the international political system. Even realism in international relations theory, suggested Kouakou, is not fully able to explain American hegemony because it assumes countries have sufficient power to always act with self-interest, including in their responses to hegemonic powers.
Listen to the discussion between McKaiser and Kouakou, and decide for yourself whether the US should be viewed with suspicion or regarded as a friend of the region.
To listen to previous episodes, go here.
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