US and the powerlessness of sovereignty | By Maroof Asudemade
Once again, the US has exhibited the duty of world police imposed on itself by attacking Venezuela and arresting its president. Much of the reactions across the world, especially from Africa, centres on the wrongness of US’s attacks on sovereign countries. However, there’s an aspect that has not been reacted on, and it is the reason sovereign countries are subjects of attacks from the US.
It’s of essence to make a digression to remind the world that aggressions towards sovereign countries transcend US’s political ideologies. Whether Democrats or Republicans, some countries of the world have tasted the bitter bile of unprovoked attacks from the successive and the incumbent administrations in the US. From Clinton, to George Bushes (snr/jnr), to Obama, and now Trump, countries such as Libya, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Venezuela, have suffered attacks from US presidents of both political ideologies.
Why then are sovereign countries, especially in Africa and the Middle East, preys for attacks by the US?
For all the countries mentioned above as being tasters of attacks from the US, one common denominator about them is that they are weaker countries. Their weaknesses in terms of military capacity, limited global allies, internal instability, strategic value, etc, make them easier targets for the self-appointed world’s IG. What constitutes sovereignty in practical sense is the adequacy of what makes these countries vulnerable.
One truth we will find unpleasant to hear is that the global system is not equal. Adequacies of military capacity, global allies, internal stability, and solid strategic worth are deciders of what’s globally legal, who should be punished and who can be ignored; indulged – like Nigeria!
The point to note in this observation is that having independence does not guarantee a country’s sovereignty, even if it’s said so in books of government and political theories. We have seen why powerful countries like Iran, China, Japan, South/North Korea, France, Germany and other lords of Europe have immunity against attacks from the US. It’s a message to countries in Africa and the Middle East axes to rethink their capacities and capabilities in relation to their sovereignty. As long as they continue to exude signs of weaknesses as countries, their sovereignty will continue to be at the whims and caprice of the US.
Nigeria must also not push her luck too far. We continue to enjoy our sovereignty because we can boast of a somewhat strong military capacity, a fairly vast global allies, a relative internal stability, and a worthwhile strategic value. Building on these advantages will only place our sovereignty more on a sounder footing. Otherwise, what befalls Venezuela may be lurking around Nigeria’s shore.
