Latest news with #imperialism


Russia Today
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Imperialists trying to break up Sahel confederation
Burkina Faso's interim president, Captain Ibrahim Traore has accused foreign powers of attempting to sabotage the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) by pressuring member countries to betray the others. Speaking during a national flag-raising ceremony on Monday, the leader claimed the AES remains a 'source of concern' for imperialist actors, the Burkina Faso Information Agency reported. 'We are approached every day by imperialists who want to force one of the three states to betray the others,' Traore said. 'We've been dealing with this for a long time. Each time, it's a maneuver to convince a state to leave the Confederation. And this should make us think,' he added. The AES was formally established in September 2023 by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger as a mutual defense and cooperation pact following the expulsion of French troops from the respective members. The three military-led states have since withdrawn from the West African bloc ECOWAS, denouncing it as a tool for French neocolonial influence and a threat to their sovereignty. The AES has positioned itself as a counterweight to Western influence in the Sahel region, particularly France's post-colonial footprint. The group has also suspended military ties with former European partners, pivoting instead toward increased cooperation with Russia and other non-Western allies. In recent weeks, officials in Ouagadougou and Niamey have also accused France and Ukraine of sponsoring terrorism to weaken the Sahel military governments. Late last month, Niger's transitional leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, accused French operatives of collaborating with rebel factions along border regions in neighboring Benin and Nigeria as part of a coordinated plot to destabilize his country and the wider Sahel. Ukraine has also been implicated for allegedly doing the 'dirty work' of Western powers by training and supplying weapons to insurgents behind more than a decade of jihadist violence in Mali. On Monday, Burkinabe President Traore warned that the West's efforts to destabilize the region are driven by a hunger for the Sahel's vast and untapped natural wealth. 'We must be fully aware of this and continue to fight. We must not feel sorry for ourselves,' he said.


Washington Post
29-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Kenyan author and dissident who became a giant of modern literature, dies at 87
NEW YORK — Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, the revered Kenyan man of letters and voice of dissent who in dozens of fiction and nonfiction books traced his country's history from British imperialism to home-ruled tyranny and challenged not only the stories told but the language used to tell them, died Wednesday at 87.


Washington Post
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
In wartime Russia, schools prepare the next generation of fighters
BELGOROD, Russia — Since Russia invaded Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin and his government have been waging a parallel struggle to capture the minds of Russia's next generation and raise loyal fighters for the future wars that he believes he needs to restore Russia's imperial greatness. For 14-year-old Yegor, that struggle has already been won.