 Views & Opinions |
Views & Opinions |
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Russia sets its sights on Africa | The recent coup in Niger illuminates several issues in world politics, writes Foreign Policy Research Institute senior fellow Stephen Blank. The West African nation was one of the few regional democracies and a major U.S. anti-terrorism ally. But the country, a former French colony and by some measures the world's poorest nation, may now turn towards Russia. The army officers who led the coup, writes Blank, "are clearly connected to Russia through arms sales or ties to the Wagner military corporation." |
"It is probably no accident that one day after the coup in Niger, demonstrators appeared on the scene vocally chanting pro-Russian and anti-Western, particularly anti-French slogans." What's Russia's goal in Niger and the rest of Africa? First, says Blank, Russia aims to overthrow "democratic but beleaguered African governments and replace them with Russian proxies… to reduce Western influence and foster authoritarian rule there." Second, through the Wagner Group, Russia plans to obtain lucrative mining and other contracts, just as it has done in Sudan and elsewhere. The coup sheds light on why Russian President Vladimir Putin did not disband the Wagner Group after its June mutiny: It remains central to Russia's global strategy. Meanwhile, the West is struggling even to come up with a comprehensive strategy to address Russia's increasing influence in Africa. "While it is not too late to forge such a strategy, if we want to help African states prosper, improve their conditions and reduce the likelihood of new conflicts, the time to begin doing so is now." Read the op-ed at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Views & Opinions newsletter, it's Tuesday, Aug. 8. I'm Daniel Allott, bringing together a collection of key opinion pieces published from a wide range of voices. |
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Op-eds exploring key issues affecting the U.S. and world: |
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By John Kenneth White, professor of politics at The Catholic University |
If things don't change, the Republican Party is finished. Republicans are fighting against a political demography that is younger, more racially and culturally diverse and more highly educated. | | |
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By Keith Krach, former undersecretary of State |
The Chinese Communist Party, the draconian ruler of the world's second-largest economy, has accumulated immense wealth from American investments. This wealth manifests itself through dollar-denominated Chinese bonds and a myriad of Chinese companies publicly traded on U.S. exchanges, including their shrewdly named subsidiaries, intricately woven into the fabric of index funds. |
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By Juan Williams, Fox News political analyst |
Scott will likely be on the GOP presidential debate stage later this month. He should use his time to speak out against racism in his party. History will reward him, and perhaps the voters will too. |
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By Svante Myrick, president of People for the American Way |
Local governments — counties, cities and towns — are the ideal laboratories for innovative climate solutions. They can move faster and more nimbly than large national governments or agencies. They can engage the support of residents in a direct way. And their efforts can feel more meaningful to those who are frustrated by the slowness of action on the global scale or the smallness of our own personal actions, however important those are. |
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Opinions related to pivotal issues and figures in the news: |
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