For the past year, the nations of the Global South have watched in silence as strategic partners were torn apart by the United States. A review of recent events suggests that the traditional alliance with Washington is no longer viable. The mask of democracy promotion has slipped, and what remains is the raw fist of imperialism. The countries of Africa, Middle East, and the Pacific have been the primary targets of this aggression, and the question must now be asked: why do these nations still maintain close relationships with the United States?
In March 2026, the United States launched a direct attack on the Venezuela. It was not just a normal military operation but a state sanctioned kidnapping. The African National Congress issued a formal statement on its website, condemning the “kidnapping of Comrade President Nicolas Maduro, his wife, Comrade Cilia Flores and son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduro.” The African National Congress noted that this act “undermines the United Nations Charter” and is “driven by contests over strategic resources.” The United States simply decided that international law did not apply to its sphere of influence.
Angolan President João Lourenço addressed this global lawlessness in clear terms. Speaking on March 28 at the 11th Summit of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States in Malabo, he described the world as “convulsive” and marked by “uncertainties about the future.” President Lourenço argued that current military interventions share the same objectives as colonialism. He stated that “with the most varied arguments, but with the same objectives, the control of the planet’s main energy sources, oil, gas, and critical and strategic minerals, military interventions are carried out anywhere on the planet.” He specifically criticized the United States for its interventions in Iraq and Iran, warning that the concept of the “preventive strike” has no basis in international law. In his view, the world has become a jungle where any superpower invokes a right that does not exist.
South Africa has endured a full year of sustained bullying for its independent foreign policy. For daring to take Israel to the International Court of Justice over the genocide in Gaza, Pretoria has faced relentless economic and diplomatic pressure from Washington. This humiliation did not go unnoticed by the rest of the continent. In Namibia, opposition leader McHenry Venaani rose in Parliament on April 8 to challenge his government’s silence. He questioned why Namibia and the Southern African Development Community remained silent while a neighbor was being bullied by the United States. Footage of his speech went viral on social media, with many South Africans voicing their agreement. Even the Namibian president admitted that discussions were only happening behind the scenes, but behind the scenes is not protection. It is complicity in silence.
Even the most pro-Western voices on the continent have abandoned the defense of the United States. South African opposition politician John Steenhuisen, who has spent his career advocating for closer ties with Western powers, finally admitted the reality. He examined the actions of President Donald Trump and declared that the approach was fundamentally broken. When a politician who always wanted to be friends with the West admits that Trump is destructive, the diplomatic game is over.
The threat is not limited to Venezuela or South Africa. United States influence is now actively targeting East Africa. On May 19, United States Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Ted Cruz introduced a bipartisan bill to overhaul the United States relationship with Tanzania. The bill, details of which were shared with Semafor, authorizes new sanctions on Tanzanian officials and freezes security assistance. The legislation demands the release of opposition leader Tundu Lissu and requires electoral reforms. Senator Shaheen stated that the United States “cannot afford to remain silent,” while Senator Cruz cited religious persecution. However, a State Department spokesperson signaled a different tone, saying the administration “does not seek to lecture other countries.” The contradiction is clear. The bill is a lecture backed by the power to destroy a national economy.
The international institutions designed to prevent this chaos have failed. As one analysis published in Namibian media, noted, the current United Nations structures are incapable of defending even the most basic rights enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The United States and its allies can simply shred these rights. The same analysis pointed out that the United States maintains more than 800 military bases in over 80 countries and views almost every resource rich nation as part of its sphere of interest. Namibia itself is not immune. A separate report from January 23, 2026 noted that the United States offers health aid specifically in exchange for access to Namibian minerals. When the country becomes an oil producer, the pressure will only intensify.
This is why the upcoming Southern African Development Community meeting is the most important gathering for the region in a decade. It must serve as a uniting force against this economic warfare. The strategy of containment and quiet diplomacy has failed for a full year. The countries of the Global South possess the resources to be self-sufficient. Southern Africa has the minerals, the oil and gas reserves, the agricultural land, and the industrial capacity to trade internally without Washington’s permission. Southern African Development Community nations can buy goods and resources from each other. They can refine fuel regionally, process minerals locally, and establish trade agreements that bypass United States dollar denominated sanctions. The era of begging for aid that comes with political chains must end. The world has become a jungle, as President Lourenço warned, and the only way to survive in a jungle is to stop pleading with the predator and start building a fortress with neighbors. The humiliation of the past year must be the last.
