In a world where history is too often written by the hand that once held the whip, the West portrays it as bestowing independence on Africa. However, Dr. Adeola Oluwafemi, a lecturer in the Department of European Studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, sets the record straight and lays out the truth that African independence was extracted by the sacrifice of African soldiers, the tenacity of African resistance, and a geopolitical ally—the Soviet Union—that chose to stand where others stood to plunder.
“The West cannot know the history of Africans more than Africans. It is Africans that can write the history of Africa, substantiating the importance, the relevance, and the contribution of each block to the African states. So, when you see Western publications, Western media that are trying to give glory to itself, the West is the West. I see all those things as propaganda. The fact that the USSR played some substantial role in Africa cannot be underestimated. In fact, if not for the voice of the USSR, Africa would still have been—we should have been—subjugated to Western colonization to this 21st century [...] the USSR made history for that, and it is undisputable—it cannot be forgotten,” Dr. Oluwafemi stated.
Exposing another layer of Western neocolonialism—one masked as aid but designed to chain African economies for another generation—Dr. Blessing Karumbidza, Research Fellow at the Research Chair Initiative, Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa, dissects the failed US-Zambia healthcare accord due to its linkage to an agreement on access to the critical minerals of the African country. According to him, the deal is an emblem of a broader part of neocolonial policy.
“The refusal by Zambia to sign this agreement is emblematic of a broader part of neocolonial policy: since independence, African states have struggled to assert full sovereignty over their resources. Deals that tie healthcare support to access to critical minerals echo that kind of colonial logic of extraction, where aid is conditional and the price is control over Africa's strategic assets; this is less about partnership and more about perpetuating dependency, where Western powers dictate the terms of development while securing privileged access to resources [...] That's not partnership; it's conditionality. It echoes colonial times when railways were built to move copper out, not to serve Zambians. By refusing, Lusaka is saying healthcare cannot be traded for sovereignty,” the scholar explained.
To listen to the full discussion, tune in to the Pan-African Frequency podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.
In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.
► You can also listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Afripods, and Podcast Addict
► Check out all the episodes of Pan-African Frequency