Macron should not attend the Brics summit

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French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed great interest in attending the Brics summit, scheduled to be held in South Africa in August. This is despite the fact that it is an exclusive meeting of member-state countries from the global south, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

We are left to wonder what has motivated Macron to request an invitation to a “party” held by an organisation to which his country does not belong.

The only logical explanation for his persistence is that Western countries, including France, are worried about the prospects of a successful Brics, simply because, if Brics made any meaningful progress, it would spell the end of the world order as we know it.

It would be a real threat to the present Western-led global order, which has been in existence since time immemorial. Hence, the US, the UK, France and other countries in the Western bloc will do anything to infiltrate, frustrate and co-opt an organisation such as Brics in any way possible, to make sure that it does not fully attain its goals.

Thus, Macron should not be allowed to attend the summit at all, not even as an observer.

According to the French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, “The French president wishes to become the first Western leader to be invited to a Brics summit.” Nonetheless, the issue of trust and mutual respect between most Western countries and Brics member states is a major source of concern.

For example, the Kremlin has already voiced its opposition to the idea of having Macron attend the summit. Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said, “We sent a signal that, with due respect to the prerogatives of the host country, inviting certain guests should be based on the fact that Brics is an association of states that, in principle, reject unilateral sanctions as a method of solving foreign policy problems.” This clear response from Russia, demonstrates the lack of mutual respect between the West and some members of Brics.

Another critical element in the French’s desperation to be involved in this summit, speaks to what is currently taking place on the African continent. The fact is that the anti-French sentiment in west and central Africa has spelled humiliation and defeat for the Macron administration. There are historical reasons why many countries in Africa seem to be foregoing their relationship with France and moving towards Russia.

In South Africa, the ANC, the South Africa Communist Party and the Pan-African Congress had deep and serious ties to the Soviet Union and China during the apartheid era. Therefore, this is not a hard decision for them to make, in terms of who to side with on such issues.It was the Soviet Union, now Russia, that provided military training and support to many black freedom fighters. This was at a time when France and the Western bloc either supported the apartheid regime or chose to be silent in the face of injustice. Therefore, for the French president to be allowed anywhere near the Brics summit in South Africa would be a betrayal.

Unfortunately, although Macron might seem liberal in his worldview and political engagements, the continent of Africa has unforgivable historical disputes with his country, which explains why the military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso have expelled the French troops who had been there for many years, and replaced them with Russian troops.

In addition, countries like the Central African Republic have turned to Russia for security and stability.

Furthermore, while the French president is pushing his luck through diplomatic channels, seeking an invitation to the summit, the US has turned to India in an attempt to use that country to curb what it sees as China’s influence on the global stage. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, just two months before the much-talked-about summit in South Africa, is evidence of the Americans’ desperation to find a partner in the Brics association who can shake things up.

Interestingly, Modi, who is a Hindu nationalist, and who was once banned from entering the US for nearly a decade because of allegations of “severe violations of religious freedoms”, was given VIP treatment on this unusual state visit to the White House. Modi spoke to Congress — an honour reserved for close US allies — had a lavish dinner organised for him by President Joe Biden and led celebrations of the International Day of Yoga in New York.This visit was intended to further boost defence, trade and technology ties. 

There is a clear distinction between paying an official visit to Washington and being invited on a state visit. The latter is generally regarded as the highest expression of friendly bilateral relations between the US and another country. The US president and the invited guest (usually a leader of another state) participate in various official public ceremonies as a symbolic gesture of goodwill. Hence, it was a big deal for the prime minister of India to have been invited by the president of the US on such a state visit.

As we get near to the Brics summit on 22 to 24 August, there will be several manoeuvres by Western countries to influence it. The International Criminal Court warrant of arrest for President Vladimir Putin will certainly be a point of discussion, especially in the Western media. The imminent rise of China will continue to be a source of worry for the US before and after the Brics summit. Therefore, the participants should never render themselves vulnerable to the West. 

The success of Brics, and its plans, lies in the ability of the countries of the global south to do things for themselves, and by themselves, without fail.

Macron would do well to stay away from this summit in South Africa and give Brics members a chance to enjoy their implicit rights of association and privacy.

Aaron Ng’ambi is a geopolitical analyst, newspaper columnist, leadership instructor and a social entrepreneur.