LIKE RUSSIA, LIKE RWANDA

A renewed scramble for Africa is on, argues Victor C. Ariole

President Trump seems genuinely interested in brokering peace between Congo DR and Rwanda, as well as Ukraine and Russia; but Kagame and Putin are seeing it the way Hitler took it when negotiating peace with Stalin in WWII. Hitler had plans to exterminate over 36 million people in Poland so as to restore Aryan presence there as well as use it as base to successfully invade and occupy, if not all part of Russia, the whole Russia. Stalin was forced to be supplying daily oil, grain and metals to Germany so as to be spared of invasion. It was known as Molotov – Ribben peace pact of August 1939. Notwithstanding, Hitler still went on to invade Russia in 1941 under “Operation Barbarossi.” It was an operation to destroy what Hitler saw as Jewish Bolshevist regime of Stalin. Since February 2022, Russia seems to be repeating in reverse order the same act – invading Ukraine toward aiming at Poland for Germany stretch, in the name of countering growing NeoNazi tendency for the elimination of Russians in that stretch. Donbas Region in Ukraine was besieged by Russia in what Putin termed military exercise after its 2014 attempt to occupy it eased off. A mineral rich resources area; and an area, according to him, harbouring great number of Russians. Hence, a military exercise to protect the Russians from NeoNazi regime of Zelensky as if Zelensky is not of Jewish origin, victims of Nazi. In eastern part of Congo DR, the same scenario is set. Goma is occupied by forces or invaders loyal to Kagame of Rwanda, somehow called M23. M23 claim they are interested in protecting Tutsi communities in Congo DR as well seeking to carve a nation for them which if care is not taken could run into seizing part of Burundi. Kagame has ruled Rwanda since 1994 as a Tutsi rebel leader, and in 2000 as elected President in the midst of Hutu dominated Rwanda. He has earned the trust of his people and that of Rwandese of Hutu and other tribes beside the Tutsi. Furthermore, European exploiters of mineral resources have found in him a trusted leader to deal with in their quest to keep Congo Democratic Republic in a plunderable state with its rich mineral resources, hence the endless M23 incursions and the rewarding of Kagame as a vassal for over 30 years now.

The riches of Rwanda are just the losses of Congo DR. Like Kagame like Putin who has ruled Russian Federation since 1999 as either President or Prime Minister – remaining a strong man in the likes of Stalin and Brezhnev. For sure, his invasion plan has no end till former Soviet Union of Stalin and Brezhnev is restored. Hence, whatever peace pact Putin signs, his eyes are on restoring Soviet Union and it also means inventing his own “Operation Barbarossa” which the European Union knows very well – aka Putin cannot be trusted. How president Trump sides these two leaders, in their quests to claim territories and their plundering of resources of the invaded countries, is what the rest of the world should be pondering. As a progenitor of Bavaria Region in Germany – though there are insinuations that he preferred identifying as a Swedish in times when Germany was besieged by NATO until of recent he started withdrawing NATO from Germany – he ought to be concerned that Russia is capable of invading Germany in its quest to recover its Soviet Union space by intimidating Germany to stay off. Russia is gathering allies like Hitler gathered in the persons of Francisco Franco of Spain, Benito Mussolini of Italy, and Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Russia’s plausible allies – China, North Korea, and economically India are working hard to make BRICS a reality to create threats for USA and Europe, and President Trump seems unchallenged by such clandestine moves beyond his interest in creating trade barriers for them – the tariff war.

He is also friendly with Kagame and Museveni, long ruling Heads of State in Africa and neighbours with Congo DR. Of course, with Museveni stance against homosexuality aligning with President Trump’s stance, former frosted relationship with USA turns nul. And if there is any one Kagame must avoid confronting among his neighbours, it is Museveni, a warrior like him. So, it is as if President Trump finds good allies in the two, and unmindful of other African countries just like it is stated in his revealed foreign policy – aka Security Strategy. According to Sharma Palki, “Russia lauds new USA security strategy”. In it, Africa does not matter. NATO is about to be discarded. Europe, especially European Union, is to be weakened. In twenty years Europe will be irrelevant. According to the document, exploitation of African natural resources including liquefied natural gas will be intensified and it is by working with selected countries in Africa. So, the world in its struggle for a benevolent leader as seen in its 80 years with Russia challenging USA for a bi-polar world, the new order could be that of the order of Russia and its plausible allies; and in Africa it could be that of Rwanda as lead vassal. So, whither African Union and United Nations Organisation in all this?

Ariole is Professor of French and Francophone Studies, University of Lagos