Competition for Africa’s raw minerals threatens global stability – Nandi-Ndaitwah

Deputy prime minister and international relations and cooperation minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says the current competition among major world powers for access and control of Africa’s critical raw minerals has recreated a scenario last experienced during the World War II.

Nandi-Ndaitwah was speaking during the 9th session of the heads of mission conference in Windhoek yesterday.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is also the 2024 Swapo presidential candidate, said Africa finds itself roped into a global power struggle, mainly due to the continent’s bountiful reserves of raw materials that are critical for today’s technological advancements.

She said the shift from cooperative diplomacy to cutthroat competition among major powers has given rise to the shift from trade liberalism to trade protectionism.

“We are seeing major powers pursuing unilateral policies aimed at maximising their powers at the expense of others and the international system that has preserved peace since the end of World War II,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

“As a result, Africa has since found herself caught up in this messy geopolitical competition because our continent is endowed with those critical raw materials, which we must safeguard for the good of our people,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

Due to the competition among major global powers, there is also a growing shift away from multilateralism towards unilateralism, she said.

“The question is, how do we as a developing country navigate this world characterised by rising unilateralism?”
Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia’s commitment to the belief that multilateralism is the sole effective means to ensure peaceful coexistence in a world fraught with uncertainties is of utmost importance.

“It is only through multilateralism that the concerns and the interests of the Global South can be taken into consideration by the Global North,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

She highlighted the significance of connecting these two geopolitical shifts – competition and unilateralism – to the surge in global conflicts as major powers vie to strengthen and extend their influence worldwide.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said the world is currently witnessing a disturbing increase in conflict outbreaks, with notable examples in regions such as central and west Africa on the African continent.

“There are security challenges threatening our peace and goals to achieve continental integration and economic emancipation,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

She noted that history has provided numerous global lessons, pointing to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as an example of how reliance on food imports can jeopardise national food security.

Prominent global powers in the past few months have forged exclusive agreements with several African nations to secure access to vital raw materials.

Last week, the European Union (EU) committed a substantial N$20 billion investment in Namibia’s burgeoning green hydrogen and raw materials sector.

During the announcement of this partnership, president Hage Geingob recognised Namibia’s remarkable renewable energy assets as the cornerstone for building a sustainable and influential green industrial sector.

During his recent Brussels visit, Geingob reiterated Namibia’s stance that it will no longer export much sought after critical raw materials.

Also speaking at the 9th session of the heads of mission conference yesterday, Geingob said Namibia is committed to fostering friendships with all countries to promote global peace.

Geingob said he coined the phrase, ‘Namibia is a friend to all and an enemy to none’, to symbolise Namibia’s stance when it comes to global politics, but clarified that this doesn’t mean passive engagement in geopolitics.

“When we see something that goes against our principles of unity, liberty and justice, we must and we will speak out, not out of malice, but out of sincere concern. We are proud to be respected members of the international community but our respect must not come out of blind obedience but from respect for principles and international solidarity,” Geingob said.

He said at the same time, Namibia recognised the importance of avoiding entanglement in conflicts not of its making and upholds the constitutional principle of resolving international disputes through peaceful means.

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