Trends In Global Geopolitics and Their Impact on African States

Abstract

There are, in the 21^st Century, two happenings that forced change in the way people and countries relate to each other; they forced geopolitical realignment. These were first the terrorist attacks on the symbols of American power in New York and Washington DC on September 11, 2001. The second happening is the global outbreak of Coronavirus, COVID-19, early in 2020 at Wuhan, China, which quickly spread to the rest of the world and seemed to target countries and people of means. The United States was at the centre of the two happenings and its decisions affected the rest of the world. African countries were at the decision-making periphery, but not the impact periphery. The two happenings exposed American weakness in terms of public policy readiness, devastated the economy, and increased the amount of self-doubt among the Americans. Other countries lost trust in the United States and its claim to global leadership. As the United States lost credibility, China claimed that position in numerous ways. With time, China became the centre of geopolitical realignment at regional and global levels. Although the United States is playing catch-up to China, both powers are realigning, the impact on African states is immense, both positive and negative.