Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, things have not been going as the West would want. On one hand, the war has put tremendous pressure on Western economies, leaving them gasping for gas and oil, causing major European economies to go into an economic downturn.
However, the real nightmare for the West began when it faced an unprecedented credibility crisis in the African continent, where they had successfully maintained their stranglehold for a long time without any major challenges. The burn is understandable, as the West needs Africa’s support for the Ukraine cause and to secure resources on the other hand. However, the unthinkable happened when growing anti-West sentiments swept Africa, and pro-Russian sentiments grew in the continent, despite the Western attempts to counter Russian influence.
Now, an outwitted West is trying to drive a wedge between Russia and China, two of its arch-enemies on the African continent.
Chinese mine attacked in Central African Republic
According to a report, gunmen stormed a Chinese-operated gold mine in the Central African Republic, killing nine Chinese nationals. Following the attack, the Chinese embassy called on Chinese nationals not to travel outside the capital Bangui.
The assault on the Chimbolo gold mine began around 5 a.m. local time when the gunmen overpowered the site’s guards and opened fire, according to the mayor of the nearby town of Bambari, Abel Matchipata.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) was suspected to be behind the attack. However, the CPC military spokesperson called the allegations “false”.
Plot to break Russia & China “friendship”
It is well known that the West faces considerable threats from China and Russia in the African continent. While the rise of Russia’s Wagner has meant doom for Western military interventions in the continent, China is giving the West a run for its money mostly on the economic front. The combined duo of Russia and China poses a significant threat to the West’s influence in the African continent. It has already been seen how many African countries have refused to support the West on the Ukraine cause in the UN. Moreover, African countries accounted for nearly half of all abstentions in the recently held UN vote on Ukraine.
Read More: China casts its net wider with a naval base in West Africa
Although the West has been trying various tricks to counter Russia and China in the continent, it has hardly succeeded in its efforts so far. Now, to its great displeasure, the two adversaries Russia and China seem to be joining hands in the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war as Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Putin in Moscow.
In a show of great bonhomie, Putin also praised his “good old friend” Jinping on the eve of the state visit by the Chinese President. This visit has immense geopolitical significance as it affirms the leaders’ strong ties and provides Moscow with an opportunity to emphasize yet again that it has not been isolated by the global community.
It is interesting that just on the eve of Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, an armed group raided the Chimbolo gold mine in the Central African Republic and killed nine Chinese nationals. It is not hard to smell a rat here. The last French troops deployed in the Central African Republic had to leave the country last year over its growing proximity to Russia. Since then, it has been an easy walk for Russia’s Wagner to further consolidate its influence not just in CAR but also in its neighboring regions.
Read More: ‘Who is to blame for extremism in Africa’- US and Russia Lock Horns
Thus, the timing of the attack on the Chinese nationals in CAR, a country with significant Russian presence, raises some questions. It looks like a typical Western attempt to create disharmony and tension between Russia-China relations just before the Chinese President’s visit to Russia. Obviously, if two of the West’s biggest rivals in Africa unite, it will pose an even bigger challenge to the West, whose credibility in Africa has already hit rock bottom.
Therefore, many have suspected, and not without reason, the possible role of the West in the attack on the Chinese mine. The “cold war” between France and Russia in the country is well known. Last year, the Central African Republic stated that an unidentified aircraft bombed its military camp. We covered in detail, how it could have been a game plan of the US, in which it might have used neighboring Chad, a US puppet, to threaten the Central African Republic to limit the growing influence of the Russian Wagner group.
Read More: North Africa to West: keep your sanctions, we’ll take our oil from Russia
However, it has to be noted here that the West, particularly the US, has failed so far to counter Russia, despite any tactic it might have resorted to. The great show of friendship between Putin and Xi Jinping might have just once again frightened the West. The West may fear and rightly so, that with Russia and China joining hands, things will get even worse for the West as far as its Ukraine cause is concerned, and it will also deliver a huge blow to the West’s Africa ambitions. The attack on the Chinese mine in the Central African Republic could just be the expression of the West’s frustration and exasperation over such a possibility.
