Africa is not helpless in terms of geopolitics; in fact, it is one area where we actually excel.

This
paper will discuss the truth or validity of the claim that Africa is not as helpless as might
occasionally seem in global geopolitics. It has come to my attention that the majority of the
world views Africa as a helpless continent in the sense of global geopolitics. We have been
called hopeless and laughed at. Geopolitics must first be understood in order for us to fully
explore this claim and assess its validity. Geopolitics examines the relationship between
geography and politics, focusing primarily on the politics that rules, unites, and affects various
regions. It is concerned with influence and power of a territory. Since we are discussing global
geopolitics, we are considering how this influence and power affects other regions, and since
Africa has historically been viewed as unnecessary, unwanted, and worst of all useless, it is
believed that we are powerless in geopolitics. However, in my opinion, Africa is not as
powerless as it initially appears to be in global geopolitics, as evidenced by the following.

Let's start by examining the connection between China and Africa. Asia accounts for 39%
of the world's GDP in nominal terms and for close to 47.5% in PPP terms, making it the largest
continental economy in the world. China, one of the Asian nations with a sizable economy who
could choose to go anywhere, has had diplomatic ties with Africa since the 1950s, but these ties
have grown exponentially over time, they are trustworthy lenders since they provide us with no-
strings-attached conceptional loans for Africa. Between 2000 and 2021, China spent a staggering
2 trillion dollars. The People's Bank of China, the China Development Bank, and the China-
Africa Development Fund often offer Chinese money in the form of loans and credits. Angola,
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Sudan were among the top recipients of
loans from Chinese banks and contractors and the Chinese government between 2000 and 2014,
making Africa the largest recipient of Chinese aid, the AU headquarters in Ethiopia, which is
still the largest structure there, was constructed by China. Between 2000 and 2019, the number of
Chinese immigrants entering Africa more than doubled. With 700 billion in trade, China has
overtaken the United States as our top trading partner and has significantly strengthened its
economic links with the continent as well. Africa is not the only region to benefit from this
relationship, though, Angola was China's third-largest oil supplier in 2016; other African nations
that supply oil to China include the Republic of Congo and South Sudan. As China's economy
has prospered, relations between China and the African continent have grown stronger. In 2009,
China overtook the United States as Africa's top trading partner, and according to the World
Bank, China now accounts for 14% of Africa's total trade, China exports both manufactured
goods and large machinery, demonstrating how the two nations interact and influence one
another. China also hosts an annual forum in Beijing to which they invite African leaders,
demonstrating the importance of Africa in global geopolitics.

The relationship between the United States and Africa is another one. If we look back on
African history, we can clearly see the geopolitics between Africa and the U.S. For instance, the
relationship between the U.S. and Morocco dates all the way back to the 18th century. On
December 20, 1777, the kingdom of Morocco became the first nation to recognize the United
States' independence, just one and a half years after the U.S. D. The United States and Africa
have had commercial and cultural ties since the 19th century. A tiny percentage of Egyptians
converted to Christianity under the sponsorship of large-scale missionary work by Presbyterian
and Protestant organizations in Egypt. The social and economic circumstances in Egypt became
a major topic of discussion in powerful American circles. The introduction of the education
system or methods that the local authorities and British had largely ignored had a significant
influence. Official modern relations were established in 1922 when the United States recognized
Egypt's independence from the status of a protectorate of the United Kingdom. After meeting in
Ethiopia between their emperor Menelik II and an emissary of the then-president of the United
States, president Theodore Roosevelt, relations between the United States and Ethiopia were
established in 1903. The first step was launched with treaties of arbitration and conciliation
signed in Addis Ababa on the 26th of January 1929. After signing a number of treaties with the
United States and receiving 282 million dollars in military assistance and 366 million dollars in
economic assistance, agricultural education, public health, and transportation, Ethiopia became a
minor player in the Cold War in the 1950s. Richard Nixon, the vice president, visited Ethiopia in
1957 and described it as "one of the United States' most steadfast and consistent allies." Last but
not least, Liberia. The United States' relationship with Liberia can be traced back to 1819, when
Congress appropriated $100,000 for the creation of Liberia. Under President Abraham Lincoln,
the settlers were free blacks, and the United States formally recognized Liberia in 1862. The
United States and Liberia had very tight diplomatic, economic, and military connections until the
1900s, 15 years after Liberia became a sovereign country. The United States had a very long
history of meddling in Liberia's internal affairs. They occasionally sent naval aid to aid Americo-
Liberians, who made up the ruling minority, and they also assisted in quelling insurrections by
native tribes in 1821, 1843, 1876, 1910, and 1915. Due to outstanding foreign loans and the
absorption of its borderland, Liberia was facing significant external threats to its sovereignty by
the year 1909. In exchange for a 1.7-million-dollar loan with a 40-year repayment period that the
United States arranged in 1912, Liberia agreed to let four western powers—the United States,
Britain, France, and Germany—to manage its government's revenue for the following 14 years,
or until 1926. The border with Sierra Leone was stabilized under American control of the border
police, and French attempts to seize more of Liberia's land were thwarted. The American navy
also erected a coaling facility in Liberia, further establishing its unmistakable presence. When
World War I broke out, Liberia declared war on Germany and expelled its resident German
traders, who actually constituted the nation's major investors and trading partners, demonstrating
the economic harm this caused to the continent's connection with Germany. In 1926, the Liberian
government granted a concession to the American rubber corporation "Firestone" so that it could
start the largest rubber plantation in the world at Habel in Liberia. This was the largest American
private investment in Africa. However, since 1955, America has not really had anything to do
with Africa. The Pentagon described Africa as having no strategic importance to the United
States and as being the heart of darkness, and in the 1930s, when Liberia was going through
bankruptcy, they agreed to an assistance plan from the League of Nations after some insisting
from America. Barack Obama, the former president of the United States of America and an
African, saw the African continent as unnecessary, and Donald Trump spoke with contempt
when he spoke about it. However, current Vice President Joe Biden is making an effort to win
back Africa, and the United States, like China, invites African leaders to the United States-Africa
forum for discussions, demonstrating the value of and respect for African perspectives as

In addition to these two nations, Africa also has ties with Russia, which annually
hosts an Africa-Russia summit in Moscow and invites African leaders to attend. Russia has also
established military ties with many African nations, including Djibouti, Mozambique, Somalia,
and Angola. Africa and Russia also engage in trade. Africa also has ties and relationships with
Israel, despite the fact that Israel had no relations with Africa for 50 years until the Israeli Prime
Minister visited in 2021, to demonstrate the might and influence of Africa, the Israeli Prime
Minister traveled to Africa to solicit our support for the UN's vote against Palestine. Last but not
least, India, like Russia, America, and China, has the India-Africa program in which they invite
African leaders for discussions. India has built or opened more than 20 embassies in Africa and
has signed bilateral agreements in the areas of security, trade, investment, and infrastructure.
Rajeef Djantii was the first Indian official to visit Africa in 1980, and no other Indian officials
have visited the continent until the Indian prime minister made an appearance.

Even without these connections, Africa is still not powerless in global geopolitics.
Resource wealth or resource abundance has always been a key factor in geopolitics, and nations
that have an abundance of natural resources like oil, gas, and priceless minerals have always
been the targets of foreign exploitation. According to the UN, the oil, gas, timber, diamonds,
gold, coltan, and bauxite found on our lovely continent Africa account for about 30% of the
world's fossil natural resources, 12% of its oil, and 8% of its natural gas. Africa has some of the
largest natural resource deposits in the world, and this point is trying to make the point that the
more resources or wealth you have, the higher your standing as a territory in geopolitics, and the
keener other territories will be to form bonds, like China and Africa and our trade relationship,
and Russia-African trade relationship, so the more resources one has, the more influential and the
higher power you have in geopolitics. Due to our resources, we have forged relationships with
China, Russia, and the United States. Our resources have also given our continent a voice, as
evidenced by the summits to which we are invited as a continent. If our voice hadn't been
influential, Israel would never have come to Africa to secure our support for the vote against
Palestine, and the fact that they did shows our influence. The main problem with the
aforementioned assertion is that we are exploited and our resources are taken for extremely little
money, which actually lessens our influence and power and explains why we are unable to
exercise full influence. The African continent also contributes significantly to peacekeeping
duties, not only because African soldiers are frequently selected for peacekeeping missions but
also because Africa is one of the world's most peaceful continents or territories. As a result, we
exclusively involve ourselves in wars and conflicts that occur elsewhere, with the exception of
minor ethnic disputes that we no longer even engage in very often- this demonstrates that Africa
is not lagging behind in diplomacy, which is important for understanding global geopolitics
because diplomats are sent on behalf of every African nation to participate in summits, sign
treaties, forge alliances, and maintain peace. Even during the Russia–Ukraine War, African
leaders were dispatched to mediate the diplomatic conflict between Putin and Zelensky. Again
the vast, fertile areas of Africa are ideal for agriculture. The continent is capable of increasing
food production and playing a significant role in ensuring global food security with the right
investments and modernization of farming practices also African nations are putting more of an
emphasis on regional collaboration and integration. African continental free trade area
(AfCFTA) initiatives are designed to increase intra-African commerce, encourage investment,
and advance economic growth. These partnerships may result in a continent-wide boost in
opportunities and better economies, finally in recent years, technology and innovation in Africa
have grown significantly. Mobile banking, digital entrepreneurship, and mobile phone usage
have all increased across the continent. Finance, healthcare, and education are just a few of the
industries being transformed by these innovations, which in turn has connected Africa to the
world and helped in production, giving us a secure and high place in global geopolitics.

In conclusion, although it is true that Africa does not exude as much influence and
power as other territories and continents do, all of the aforementioned factors—relationships
with other territories, resource wealth, diplomacy, and peacekeeping—show that while it is not at
an extremely high level as other continents, we as a continent do not fall behind when it comes to
global geopolitics. Therefore, considering the veracity of the statement that Africa is not as
helpless as it seems in global geopolitics.

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