United States of America President, Donald Trump recently threatened to cut aid to countries that voted in favor of a motion condemning the American decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Trump is reported to have said, “They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care.”
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley had earlier on sent a message to UN member countries urging them to vote against the resolution and even took the fight to Twitter where she declared, “The US will be taking names.”
Over 120 countries voted for the resolution condemning the US action in Israel. It was open defiance to the “giant gold goliath”. Ironically, one of the biggest recipients of US aid, Egypt, led the push to censure the US in the General Assembly. Other top recipients from Africa which voted for the motion are Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
A Pan-African Resistance to anti-African Pressure
For many African countries, former Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe’s call for Trump to blow his trumpet towards values of unity and peace are most poignant right now. Trump is bullying the whole world and Africa is not excluded. With very few leaders to bring the USA to account, who will stand up for small African countries? It is at such low points of global politics that Sankara’s famous quote rings true: He who feeds you controls you. Africa should cease being the West’s puppets, dancing to tugs of strings pulled by leaders like Trump. Thankfully, the threats were ignored and African countries stood by principle. The spirit of bold Pan-Africanists like Sankara and Mugabe should live on especially now that bullies of the West unashamedly announce their intentions.