A Modern Mistake in Africa’s Long History of Exploitation

Burkina Faso’s decision to award Russia a permit to mine gold on its soil is not just a business transaction. It is a dangerous step backward to a history of exploitation, a strategic mistake that risks entangling the country—and by extension, the African continent—into another cycle of foreign domination, under the illusion of partnership.

At a time when Africa is awakening to its true power and potential, awarding vital resource permits to external powers like Russia is not only shortsighted; it is self-sabotaging. Instead of building intra-African partnerships to foster sustainable wealth, Burkina Faso has handed over a key piece of its future to a nation that has historically seen Africa not as an equal, but as a territory to be exploited for its own elevation.

Not Friendship, but Expansion

The Kremlin today frames itself as an “anti-colonial” partner to Africa. But this narrative is a carefully curated myth. Historically, Russia tried and failed to become a colonial power on the continent. Lieutenant Grigorii Chertkov’s instructions during a Russian expedition to Ethiopia in 1897—"Remember, you are white, a man of the superior race"—lay bare the imperial, racist ideology Russia carried with it into Africa.

Just like the European empires it now denounces, Russia wore the pith helmet of racial superiority and conquest. It sought to bring Ethiopia under its influence, not to uplift Africa, but to extend its own imperial footprint. Today, Russia's motives have not changed; only the strategy has. Unable to match the West in economic might or technological innovation, Russia is using resource deals, private military contractors, and "security partnerships" to burrow into African nations' political and economic structures. The gold permit in Burkina Faso is just the beginning.

Golden Rule

Resources First, Bases Next

Burkina Faso may believe it is just selling gold mining rights. In reality, it is opening the door to long-term Russian entrenchment. History provides a warning: the United States’ establishment of AFRICOM under the guise of “security cooperation” led to the proliferation of U.S. military bases and influence across the continent.

Russia, eager to counterbalance Western presence, is following the same script:

• First, secure economic deals (gold, uranium, oil, etc.).

• Second, offer “security assistance” through mercenaries like Wagner Group.

• Third, establish military bases under the pretense of protecting investments.

• Finally, wield indirect political control over national leaders and critical industries.

In a few years, Burkina Faso could find itself hosting Russian troops, with its most valuable mines operated by foreign companies, its economy tied to Moscow, and its sovereignty compromised.

Africa Doesn’t Need Russia. Africa Needs Africa.

The tragedy is that Burkina Faso—and Africa more broadly—does not need Russia. It does not need Europe. It does not need America. The world needs Africa.

Africa holds 30% of the world's mineral resources, 60% of its arable land, and a young, dynamic population that could drive the next century of global innovation. Instead of giving away the keys to its treasure vault, Africa should be working toward:

• Pan-African economic cooperation: granting resource permits to African companies, not foreign ones.

• Continental investment in mining technology and infrastructure, making Africa the master of its own resources.

• Regional security alliances that reduce dependency on foreign militaries.

• A cultural renaissance that rejects old colonial myths, whether they come wrapped in Western or Russian flags.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a shining opportunity. African nations can and must trade and invest with each other, creating wealth that stays on the continent, circulates among African people, and builds African industries.

African Continental Free Trade

Russian "Anti-Colonialism" is a Smokescreen

The Kremlin would have Africans believe that it is a brother-in-arms against Western imperialism. But history and present actions tell a different story. Russia is not offering a partnership of equals; it is offering an old imperialist bargain in a new disguise.

Colonel Nikolay Leontiev, celebrated in Russia’s relations with Ethiopia, was not a liberator—he was an imperial agent. The Russians who marched into Addis Ababa were indistinguishable from any colonial force. Today’s Russian envoys, dressed in suits rather than pith helmets, still carry the same goal: exploitation masked as friendship.

Africa Must Learn from Its Past to Secure Its Future

Burkina Faso's gold deal with Russia is not just bad business—it is a dangerous betrayal of Africa’s future. Africa must realize that true liberation comes from unity, self-reliance, and a clear-eyed view of history.

It’s time to stop trading one colonizer for another. Africa must rise—not with Russia, not with America—but with itself!