As the 16th BRICS summit kicks off in Kazan, Russia, the expanding bloc is poised to reshape the global landscape. Dr. Alex Rusero, head of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at Africa University, Zimbabwe, believes BRICS' growth signals a shift towards a multipolar world, offering new opportunities for the Global South.
"BRICS is coming in at a time when there is a need to revitalize the identity of the global South," Dr. Rusero told Sputnik Africa. "The sentiments that we uttered by President Vladimir Putin, they are a reflection of the Global South consensus."
The academician noted a shift away from traditional power politics, characterized by military might, towards economic dominance. “Gone are the days of hard power politics,” he declared, “right now we are talking about issues of GDP.”
He attributed Western resistance to BRICS' rise to a deep-seated sense of white supremacy. He highlighted the diverse membership of BRICS, which includes nations such as Russia, China, South Africa, and India, among others, as a direct challenge to this ideology.
"There is one thing that unites Western hegemony: it’s white supremacism," Dr. Rusero asserted. "They really believe in white supremacy to the extent that blacks are still being perceived as subhumans."
Looking towards Africa, the expert sees immense potential for cooperation between BRICS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). “I think BRICS will likely breathe life into the Africa free trade,” he said, noting the AfCFTA’s ability to unlock vast opportunities for the continent.
"Only BRICS is good to the potential to remember the broken limits of Africa's political, economic, social and technological advancement, which has been hampered for the past two 650 years," he concluded.