The northern wars and Africa

The ruling party Swapo has been telling us before and after independence that it stands with Palestinians and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). It is not only Swapo that is sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Much of the Third World does. In the wake of the attacks, pro-Palestinians in several Middle East countries and in some European cities took to the street to show solidarity with the Palestinians.

One would mistake the street processions for welcoming the killing of the Israelis. This is not necessarily the case. The Palestinians' cause has been going on for several years and is now received and perceived as a quest for justice, freedom, and equality. What is going on in Palestine is correctly defined as apartheid, just as it was practiced in South Africa and Namibia and thereafter condemned by the United Nations. Israel is also supported by imperialist nations such as the United States and several European countries under its control. Beyond the genuine support for the Palestinian cause, imperialist support for Israel causes unity of purpose – ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’.

Israel is known for having one of the strongest armies in the world.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) is ranked among the top 20 strongest armies globally. It is for this reason that the scale and impact of the attack on Israel from Palestine came as a surprise to many.

Commentators inside Israel describe it as an intelligence failure that has not been experienced before. It must be stated that Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, ranks among the top 10 intelligence agencies in the world. The second reason that the attacks on Israel are significant is because they are not being undertaken by the Palestinian regime but by a militant group called the Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, or the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). In fact, the Israelis have declared war against Hamas.

It is also worth noting that, interestingly, warfare has changed. The Hamas militants have entered Israeli soil and are battling the Israeli security forces from inside Israel. In the mix is also another Islamic group called Hezbollah fighting from Lebanon. It is worth noting that in Egypt, a police officer shot and killed two Israeli tourists. In response, Israel advised its citizens to consider shortening their stay in that country.

The Americans are in contact with the Israelis to offer military assistance. The same is true between Iran and Hamas. It is thus clear that this conflict has an international dimension beyond Israel and Palestine.

The war in Ukraine, which has been equally internationalised, is also ongoing. What has already become clear is that the hegemony of the United States’ has effectively diminished.

They have lost both moral and military ground. Countries are seeking alternative alliances both militarily, economically, and otherwise beyond the Euro-American normative framework and approach to international politics. It is clear that these wars will persist for several years to come.

It basically means that countries in the north will be in some form of conflict and instability for at least 10 years, either through the continuation of current conflicts or the emergence of new ones.

The question that concerns us today is what the mother continent is going to do given these developments, beyond sending solidarity messages and condemning this and that. The opinions of African leaders are insignificant. Without the conflict between Russia and Europe, it is doubtful if Europeans would have been interested in green hydrogen the same way they are. How do Africa and Namibia position themselves in light of these wars that will surely not end anytime soon? These questions require sober minds to think about.

*Muthoni waKongola is a native of Kongola in the Zambezi Region primarily concerned with analysing society and offering ideas for a better Namibia. She is reachable at [email protected] or @wakongola on Twitter.