MWAMISI: Africans move from pawn to player by prioritising own interests

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for President William Ruto in Beijing, China, on April 24 /XINHUA

For the better part of modern history, Africa has been treated as an afterthought in globaldiplomacy, a supplier of raw materials and a passive consumer of foreign ideas, policyframeworks and capital.

Its vast natural wealth, youthful population and strategic geographicposition have rarely translated into tangible power at negotiating tables. Instead, the continenthas too often been manipulated, divided and used to further the ambitions of others. That eramust end.

Recent developments in Kenya offer a powerful lens through which to examine the emergingtensions between longstanding Western influence and a new assertiveness by African nations inpursuit of their own national interests.

President William Ruto’s announcement this week thatKenya had successfully negotiated with China to remove tariffs on key agricultural exports suchas tea, coffee and avocados marked more than a trade breakthrough.

It is a declaration thatKenya, and by extension Africa, is willing to break with historical dependency and pursuerelationships that are mutually beneficial, regardless of who is discomforted. Ruto visited Beijingin April when he restated their close ties and a new world order.

The West, especially the United States, has not taken this realignment lightly. Senator JamesRisch, chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, recently introducedan amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act seeking a review of Kenya’sdesignation as a major non-NATO ally.

Among his stated concerns were the deepeningdiplomatic ties between Nairobi and Beijing, as well as allegations of abductions of Kenyanactivists and links to controversial security outfits in the region. However, the timing andframing of the amendment reveal a deeper unease in Washington, not simply about human rights,but about Africa stepping outside the fold of traditional Western patronage.

 For decades, African states were nudged, cajoled or coerced into aligning with external powerblocs, often with devastating consequences. The Structural Adjustment Programmes of the 1980sand 1990s, pushed by the IMF and World Bank, gutted public services, dismantled localindustries and left economies more vulnerable than before. These policies were rarely designedwith Africa’s long-term resilience in mind. Instead, they served the financial and ideologicalinterests of Western capitals.

Today, a new world order is taking shape. China has emerged not merely as an alternative sourceof capital but as a trading partner, investor and infrastructure developer.

Its non-interferencepolicy, while controversial, has given African governments greater room to manoeuvre. But thatroom must be used wisely. Alignment with China, or any other power for that matter, must notbe romanticised. Africa’s strategic interests must guide it.

What this means is that African nations must negotiate from a position of clarity and confidence.

Trade agreements must go beyond access to foreign markets, they must protect local industries,ensure technology transfer and guarantee African producers do not remain at the bottom ofglobal value chains. Infrastructure projects must be assessed not only on their size and cost, butalso on their long-term viability, the transparency of contracts and the economic value theyunlock for citizens.

Equally important is the diversification of partnerships. No country, no matter how friendly orgenerous, should monopolise influence in African capitals. Strategic diversification is not justgood economics, but it is good politics. It protects sovereignty and creates competition amongpartners, driving up the quality of offers and reducing dependency.

Kenya’s pivot to China, therefore, should not be misread as a wholesale shift in allegiance.Rather, it is a recalibration, one that recognises Western markets have grown increasinglyprotectionist and aid conditionalities ever more complex. Kenyan exporters need access toreliable markets. Kenyan farmers deserve better prices. Kenyan youth require jobs that can onlybe sustained through productive investment and industrialisation.

If anything, President Ruto’s comments this week reflect a broader continental awakening.Africa cannot continue to trade its strategic value for vague promises, symbolic gestures orpartnerships that yield little. The continent is no longer an appendage of Western charity or aplaying field for geopolitical rivalry. It is an actor with its own agenda, and it must articulate thatagenda forcefully.

But for this to happen sustainably, strong institutions are required. Transparent governance,professional negotiation capacity and accountability mechanisms are essential. Governmentsmust ensure that deals signed abroad are scrutinised at home. Parliament, civil society and themedia must all play their role in safeguarding the public interest. The pain of past exploitationsshould serve as a permanent reminder that the world does not give Africa what it deserves, but itgives what Africa demands.

The African Continental Free Trade Area, if implemented effectively, could give the continentthe scale it needs to negotiate better terms on everything from climate finance to intellectualproperty. But even this requires unity of purpose, political will and an ethos of collective self-respect.

Africa must stop apologising for pursuing what every other region does without hesitation, itsown interests. The era of blind loyalty, of externally imposed models and of partnerships thatexploit rather than uplift, must give way to a new doctrine. One where Africa walks into everyroom with its head held high speaks clearly about what it wants and walks away from any dealthat undermines its dignity.

From Nairobi to Accra, from Addis Ababa to Dakar, this is the moment for Africa to move frompawn to player. The world is watching. But more importantly, Africa’s future generations aredepending on it.

Several African nations have already begun making this shift. In Ghana, thegovernment is actively reviewing mining contracts to ensure greater national benefit. PresidentAkufo-Addo has also spoken firmly against the global financial system’s structural biases andcalled for reforms that reflect Africa’s true contributions and challenges.

Ethiopia has placed industrialisation at the centre of its national strategy. Through thedevelopment of industrial parks and a focus on value-added production, it is reducingdependency on traditional exports and pursuing diverse international partnerships guided by itsown priorities.

Senegal has taken steps to reclaim control over its natural resources byrenegotiating oil and gas contracts to secure more value for its people. In Rwanda, thegovernment is asserting control over its digital future by investing in local innovation andregulating external tech influence, demonstrating how even smaller nations can lead withpurpose.

These examples reflect a growing continental clarity. Africa is increasingly unwilling to acceptunequal partnerships or be dictated to by others. It is not about turning away from globalengagement, but entering it with greater confidence and self-interest.

The shift from pawn toplayer is no longer a distant ambition. It is a present necessity, driven by the understanding thatno one will secure Africa’s future but Africans themselves. The task now is to act with unity,courage and consistency.