- Araweelo News Network — Associated Online AgenciesJeffrey Sachs: Western Powers Worked Against African Unity Through “Divide and Conquer” Strategy
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HARARE (ANN)— Economist and scholar Jeffrey Sachs has argued that Africa’s longstanding struggle to achieve greater political and economic unity has been influenced not only by internal divisions but also by pressure and intervention from powerful external actors.
Speaking with economist and scholar Professor Hippolyte Fofack, Sachs described “divide and conquer” as a key element of imperialist strategy, arguing that the United States, United Kingdom and France historically acted in ways that undermined efforts toward greater Pan-African unity.
According to Sachs, African leaders who promoted stronger continental cooperation faced significant external pressure, while interventions during the colonial and post-colonial periods contributed to political divisions whose effects remain visible today.
“African unity has to be created consciously against the divisions within the continent but also against the pressures from outside,” Sachs said.
The economist argued that Africa’s ability to strengthen its collective position depends on confronting both internal fragmentation and external geopolitical pressures.
His comments come amid renewed discussions about Pan-Africanism, African economic integration and the continent’s role in an increasingly multipolar international system.
African countries have made efforts to deepen continental cooperation through institutions such as the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area, but differences over national interests, security, economic policy and foreign partnerships continue to present challenges to deeper integration.
Sachs’s remarks have therefore reopened a longstanding debate over whether Africa can achieve greater strategic independence without overcoming the historical and contemporary forces that have contributed to divisions among African states.
The broader question remains whether African unity can evolve from a political aspiration into a stronger collective strategy capable of increasing the continent’s influence in global affairs.Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Araweelo News Network — Associated Online Agencies
