When military transitions happen across Africa, Western media outlets rush to label them as a destabilizing “coup.” But what if the narrative is backwards? What if these events represent something the international community has overlooked: a continent finally reclaiming its sovereignty after decades of neocolonial control?
The latest episode of The Morning Vibe with Dr. Vibe, featuring Ryan Knight and Donovan Martin Senior of Daily Scrum News, explored this critical question on December 1st, 2025. Their conversation reveals why African decolonization movements are accelerating—and why the West is so alarmed.
Why the Word “Coup” Misses the Point
Western news organizations, particularly French media outlets and the BBC, consistently frame African political shifts as “coups”—language that implies chaos, illegitimacy, and democratic backsliding. This framing isn’t accidental. These media organizations have deep ties to former colonial powers with vested interests in maintaining the status quo.
For millions of Africans, however, these aren’t coups at all. They’re uprisings—a long-overdue shedding of colonial chains. The crucial context Western media conveniently omits tells a different story. In Guinea-Bissau, for example, the ousted president was manipulating term limits while the country operated as a major narco-trafficking hub. These details rarely make international headlines.
African decolonization isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s a response to decades of exploitation masquerading as partnership.
The Hidden Economics of Neocolonialism
The financial architecture of neocolonialism remains deeply entrenched across Africa, particularly in former French colonies. These nations are required to deposit substantial portions of their reserves into French banks and must request permission to access their own currency. This system has made Africa the largest subsidizer of the French economy—a fact that rarely appears in discussions about European prosperity.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank compound this exploitation through structural adjustment policies. When African nations borrow, they must do so in US dollars or euros, then repay in the same foreign currencies. As local currencies are deemed “worthless” by international standards, countries remain trapped in perpetual debt cycles.
Even Western “aid” serves as a trap. When the US provides $10 million in rice assistance, that rice must be purchased from American companies. This tied aid destroys local agricultural industries rather than building them. African decolonization demands breaking these economic shackles.
The Eastern Pivot: Different Terms, Better Deals?
Critics ask whether African decolonization is genuine or simply a shift from Western to Eastern influence. This question, while fair, misses a crucial distinction: the terms of engagement are fundamentally different.
Russia and China offer tangible infrastructure development in exchange for resource access. Russia has supplied grain, arms, and oil to African nations, maintaining strong relationships particularly after many African countries refused to condemn Russia over Ukraine.
Most significantly, BRICS nations negotiate loans and partnerships in local African currencies rather than demanding repayment in dollars or euros. This shift is revolutionary. When you’re forced to borrow in foreign currency, the debt can become 50% more expensive due to exchange rate fluctuations alone—a Canadian company borrowing in British pounds faces the same trap.
China’s approach addresses African infrastructure needs while securing resources for Chinese industry. It’s transactional, but it’s also transparent—and it leaves value on the African side of the equation.
Burkina Faso: The Blueprint for Economic Sovereignty
Burkina Faso has emerged as the laboratory for African decolonization. Following its 2022 uprising, the nation reclaimed control of its natural resources and mines, producing measurable economic growth and job creation.
Before reclamation, Burkina Faso received pennies for uranium that France would sell for hundreds of pounds on international markets. This wasn’t trade—it was extraction under different branding.
The Burkina Faso model emphasizes a critical principle: controlling the entire production chain. African decolonization means not just mining gold or uranium, but refining it domestically. This allows nations to sell finished products rather than watching foreign companies export raw materials and sell refined products back at ten times the markup.
This blueprint is spreading. Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have withdrawn from ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), viewing it as a Western-backed organization that threatens military action or imposes sanctions on countries pursuing genuine independence.
Youth, Technology, and the Future of African Sovereignty
Africa is the world’s youngest continent, yet its leadership has been among the oldest—the ten eldest leaders average 78 years old. This disconnect between demographic reality and political representation fueled discontent for decades.
The rise of young leaders, particularly in Burkina Faso, represents a psychological breakthrough. When young people see relatable leadership taking power, it transforms what seems possible. African decolonization isn’t just happening in government buildings—it’s happening on TikTok, X, and Facebook, where young Africans expose realities on the ground and organize anti-colonial movements.
Despite the African Union often condemning these “coups,” popular support remains overwhelming. This reveals the depth of frustration with corruption and economic stagnation under entrenched regimes.
What African Decolonization Means for Global Power
The acceleration of African decolonization challenges fundamental assumptions about global economics and geopolitics. For decades, Western prosperity has rested partially on exploitative relationships with African nations. As these countries reclaim sovereignty over resources, currencies, and economic policy, the global balance shifts.
This isn’t anti-Western sentiment—it’s pro-African economics. Nations are simply demanding the same right to economic self-determination that Western countries take for granted.
The Question Every Reader Should Ask
The Dr. Vibe Show concluded with advice that applies far beyond this conversation: Question the source. Always ask who benefits from the narrative being presented.
When you read about “instability” in Africa, ask who profits from that framing. When you hear about “coups,” ask what those governments were doing before being removed. When you see concerns about Chinese or Russian influence, ask how it differs from decades of Western influence.
African decolonization is the story of our time—not because it’s chaos, but because it’s long-overdue justice finally arriving.
Follow The Dr. Vibe Show for more epic conversations that challenge conventional narratives. For deeper analysis, visit Donovan Martin Senior at thedailyscrumnews.com.
