Donald Trump and Ibrahim Traore are two leaders who could be best described as “Strange Bedfellows”. Despite being similarly different, their common denominators are viewed through different lenses and prisms. Although both are trying to re-write the rule books, both share to make their respective territories great. Trump wants to “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” and Traore by extension wants to “MAKE AFRICA GREAT AGAIN”. So, what’s the problem? While Trump is taking an isolationist stance and shifting American from global dominance to global irrelevance, Traore is attempting to take his country and in effect Africa from global irrelevance to global recognition. Trump’s 100 days in power has been a far cry from that of the traditional “leader of the free world”.
Trump sees America’s allies and especially NATO as parasites, taking advantage of his country’s good will. He wants other nations of the alliances to pay their fair share of the bills. On the other hand, Traore breaks the parasitic relationship with France and seeks a fair share and value for his country’s resources. Trump raises trade tariffs and Traore breaks the parasitic political and economic relationship between his country and some foreign investors, especially France. He seeks to replace alliances and relationships with new rules of engagements that are based on symbiosis, equality and mutual respect. Like Trump, is he not trying to MAKE (Burkina Faso) AFRICA GREAT AGAIN? Trump’s desire to relinquish his leadership role contrasts with Traore’s unintended outcomes of pioneering the emancipation and de-scrambling of Africa. So, if Trump can “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN”, why can’t Africans “MAKE AFRICA GREAT AGAIN?
Is the rise of Far Right Quasi Governments a Wake call?
Trump and Traore came to power on different wavelengths. Trump via democratic means and Traore by a less conventional and “undesirable” route. The irony is that since coming to power, Trump has taken the chainsaw to the very democratic process that brought him to power. Meanwhile, Traore is promising to return his country to democratic settings, but only after taking the chainsaw to some serious restructuring. Using mass deportation as a cloak, Trump’s match towards autocratic hegemony has not only coincided with, but fuelled the rise of Right Wing Extremism. Despite differences in language, culture etc, IMMIGRATION, IMMIGRATION, IMMIGRATION has been used as the scapegoat to express economic insecurity, anti-elite sentiment, jingoistic yearning for national identity and sovereignty.
Is it surprising then, that an increasing number of Far Right political parties that used to be on the fringes, are fast becoming part of coalition governments across Europe as of late 2024 and 2025, and are now part of mainstream political discourse ? They include Finland (Finns Party), Italy (The Brothers of Italy), Hungary (Fidesz), Germany (Alternative For Germany-AFD), France (National Rally),Croatia (The Homeland Movement), Sweden (Sweden Democrats)Netherlands, and Slovakia, and Czech Republic. This resulting political alchemy is not only proof that traditional main political parties are losing the appeal to form single governments, but is also a clear testament of their dominance slipping away like sand through an hour glass. Is this a reflection of the soul of the people today? On the other hand, Traore is just prioritizing the needs of his people as leverage to break the shackles of imperialism.
With a world view of “AMERICA FIRST”, Trump described Africa as a shi…hole, and has since gutted many agencies including United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a principal agency “Officially” to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty and engaging in democratic reforms”. He has withheld funding for African infrastructure projects, but recent remarks about Traore by General Langley of the US army, possibly as part of “engaging in democratic reforms” has rightly generated anger, disgust, condemnation and trepidation across regional, national, continental and racial canvasses worldwide. Trump sees immigrants as parasites to America. Ibrahim Traore and Africa’s new breed of leaders like Abdourahamane Tchiani, Assimi Goita, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (NNN-Namibia), Bassirou Diomaye see countries and organisations like France, The IMF, USA, etc as parasites. Trump and others are complaining and suffering rightly so, from donor fatigue. Traore and others want to break that umbilical cord and detox themselves from beggars fatigue syndrome. They are renationalising their resources, shunning the yoke of the IMF, reducing their dependency on aid and making structural adjustments to redefine their countries. Ironically, the West is jittery that the recent reviewing and termination of mining contracts in other countries like Ghana, Malawi, Botswana, etc might become fashionable too contagious for their foreign interests. With Russia and china ready to offer alternative financial marriages, you can feel the anger coursing through some blue veins.
Africa has always been portrayed as synonym for wars, hunger, famine, diseases, poverty, and the wretched of the earth. The myth and notion that Africa is too poor to exist without western assistance or western adult supervision. The demoralisation into low self-esteem of the African was deliberate. The systematic clandestine elimination of African Black Heroes, Pan Africanists, and Freedom fighters like Patrice Lumumba, Sankara, Samora Michel, Steve Biko, Diallo Telli, Nkrumah etc were purposefully orchestrated. The brainwashing and propaganda to demonise these leaders as demons, despots, autocrats, and undemocratic to unsuspecting Africans were implemented with surgical precision. The attempt to do the same to people like Traore is currently failing…Why? With the increasing loss of confidence in mainstream media, with social media providing alternative and real time news outlets, the trajectory and control of the narrative has changed. The attempt to demonise people like Traore has not only put him firmly into focus (pardon the pun) but has also unintentionally energised the continent and beyond. This reawakening has not brought the concept of democracy into the big conversation. What is democracy? Is there an African democracy and a Western democracy?
The many shades of democracy in Africa.
Africa’s complex and diverse cultures, languages, geography, religions or demography are only threaded by its geo-political character which gives a semblance of uniformity across the continent. A government that is for the people, by the people and of the people qualifies as democracy; in its unadulterated form. Sadly, is the democracy that is preached, promoted, supported, propagated and exalted in Africa built on different strokes for different folks? Is democracy only democratic if it fits into a western style definition? Is democracy in Africa calibrated by the value of its resources? Does an African country’s democratic credentials depend on how much of its resources is traded with Western countries? If so, can Africa develop with western style democracy? If not, how could Africa’s longest serving leaders, with an average of 30 years in office qualify as democratic? RESOURCES, RESOURCES, RESOURCES. Is that what is called “western-style democracy”?
How can you criticise the “democratic” credentials of someone like Ibrahim Traore (31 months) but solemnise and glorify that of Y. Museveni (39 yrs.), D. S. Nguesso (39 yrs.), and T.O.N Mbasogo (45 yrs.) etc.? These longest serving political relics have burdened their countries with massive debts but enriched themselves personally by mortgaging their countries’ natural resources to foreign interests, in exchange for protection and support from their puppet masters. No one questions their “until death us do part” hold on to power, as long as they keep their hands in the cookie jar.
So, what does the rise of Right Wing nationalism mean for the African continent?
Since Trump returned to power, Black History is under threat. Diversity, equality and inclusivity (DEI) as a concept is slowly considered as criminal. Fascism is dressed as mass deportation. But in Africa and little Burkina Faso, Pan Africanism (Make Africa Great Again) is seen as corrupt and dangerous. Should Africans re-define democracy from an African viewpoint? Should democracy be defined by outsiders or the citizens of a country? Should the definition of democracy be determined by theoretical standards or practical results? Is African democracy defined and dependent on a country’s relationship with the West, or determined by the West’s views and yardsticks? Is this the beginning of the second Scramble for Africa? Unlike 1884, there are new players like, China, Russia, and The Arabs etc this time. Unlike 1884, Africans want a seat at the New “Berlin Conference”. Unlike 1884, Africans want the choice and control of the what, who, when, why, which, whose and how about their country and its resources.
Far from being an alarmist propaganda, this week marks a poignant reminder of the Second World War, but before Adolf Hitler launched it……
First they came for the socialist, and I did not speak out, because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.
Don’t forget to turn the lights out when you leave the room.
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