In the shadowy arena of global politics, I’ve always argued that you need a solid grip on geopolitics to make sense of the chaos— otherwise, you’re just watching shadows on the wall. And crucially, don’t treat events like isolated fireworks; they’re all part of a grand, interconnected spectacle shaped by empires past and present: slavery,colonialism, racism, capitalism, imperialism, neocolonialism, neoliberalism, and that infamous 1884-85 Berlin Conference that carved up Africa like a holiday turkey.
Fast-forward to Christmas Day 2025, when the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) lit up northwest Nigeria with airstrikes. President Donald Trump, never one to mince words, claimed he greenlit the operation to smash “ISIS Terrorist Scum” in the region. “I’ve warned these Terrorists that if they didn’t halt the slaughter of Christians, there’d be consequences—and tonight, we delivered,” he boasted. But let’s peel back the layers: what’s the real story here? Trump’s administration has been hammering the narrative of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria for months. Back in October 2025, they slapped Nigeria with a “Country of Particular Concern” label under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing persecution by “violent Islamists.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio chimed in, pledging US readiness to “defend” Nigerian Christians. Sounds noble, right? But hold on—let’s trace this back.
First, ISIS itself? Trump once called Obama the “founder” and Clinton the “co-founder” in a 2016 chat. Hyperbole aside, he nailed one truth: the botched US exit from Iraq birthed the monster. Scholars agree—the 2003 invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, creating a vacuum that alienated Sunnis, fueled a Shiite-led government with US backing, and spawned chaos. Throw in US-run hellholes like Camp Bucca, where ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi stewed, and roots to Al-Qaeda in Iraq under Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and you’ve got a US-made mess. If America’s bombing ISIS in Nigeria now, it’s just mopping up their own spill—one that’s stained Africa and beyond. Now, that “Christian genocide” angle? The International Crisis Group dropped a reality check in November 2025 with their piece “Why is President Trump Threatening a Humanitarian Intervention in Nigeria?” They highlight Nigeria’s tangled web of threats: religious extremism, banditry, land grabs, communal clashes, and separatist vibes, all amplified by poverty and political games. Security’s tanked since President Bola Tinubu took office in 2023, with Amnesty International tallying around 10,000 deaths and abductions—though the government pushed back on the numbers. But victim counts by religion? Dodgy at best, since pinpointing faiths in the fog of violence is near impossible. The “genocide” spotlight ignores that hotspots like the Northeast (Boko Haram’s playground) and Northwest (bandit central) are mostly Muslim-majority, with Muslims bearing the brunt. Even Nigeria’s government has called out the US claims as bogus, before and after the strikes. So why the cozy US-Nigeria military tango? It reeks of something deeper.
We South Africans (or should I say South AfriKKKans?) know Trump doesn’t sweat facts when smearing nations that irk him. Remember his “shithole countries” rant about Haiti and Africa? Or calling Somalia “garbage,” “filthy,” and crime-ridden, full of pirates who “just run around killing each other”? With that disdain for Black lives, why the sudden savior complex for Black Christians in a “shithole”? Here’s where the plot thickens: this isn’t about faith; it’s empire’s eternal hunger for resources. Over two decades, China and Russia have surged in influence across the Global South, reshaping trade, infrastructure, diplomacy, military might, and tech. Thinkers like Noam Chomsky, John Mearsheimer, Jeffrey Sachs, Kishore Mahbubani, Richard Wolff, Michael Hardt, Antonio Negri, Morris Berman, Chris Hedges, and even echoes of Ibn Khaldun paint the US as a fading giant, scrambling to reclaim its throne. Africa’s the prize in this new Cold War. A 2022 Al Jazeera report reminds us: the continent holds 30% of global minerals—platinum, cobalt, manganese—vital for EVs, solar panels, wind turbines. Nigeria ranks high, bloated with oil, gas, and more, alongside powerhouses like South Africa, DRC, and Angola.
Trump tipped his hand at the December 4, 2025, Rwanda-DRC peace talks: “We’ll send our biggest companies to these countries. We’re going to extract rare earths and assets, pay up, and everyone makes money.” Echoes of the 1939 Strategic and Critical Minerals Stockpiling Act, which defines “strategic” materials as those essential for US military and industry but scarce domestically—think the CIA’s hand in Lumumba’s 1961 assassination to secure Congo’s riches. Then there’s oil. In a piece I penned earlier on global oil control (drawing from the endless tug-of-war in the Middle East and beyond), I argued that empires don’t fight for ideals—they battle for black gold. The US guzzles 16% of world energy with just 4% of the population, per the Energy Information Administration’s 2022 stats. Its economy can’t fuel 800+ global bases alone, so it bullies for supply. Nigeria, Africa’s oil kingpin and economic heavyweight, is a prime target—hence the military pact. This resource raid isn’t solo. Look at Venezuela: Trump’s ongoing aggression there, ramping up with sanctions, proxy pressures, and the arrest of Maduro, is straight from the playbook. Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt holds the world’s largest oil reserves, yet the US has squeezed it dry under the guise of “democracy promotion” and fighting “socialism.” Recent escalations— airstrikes and blockades in late 2025—mirror Nigeria’s strikes: fabricate a crisis (ISIS here, Maduro’s “tyranny” there), then swoop in for the spoils. It’s bullying on steroids, turning sovereign nations into extraction zones for US corporations.
Add the Alliance of Sahel States’ rise: Since 2022, France got booted from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Ivory Coast, Senegal. US troops followed suit from Niger and Chad in 2024-25, losing that $110 million drone base in Niger for “counterterrorism.” Only Djibouti’s Camp Lemonnier remains as a US foothold. Led by Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré, Mali’s Assimi Goïta, and Niger’s Abdourahamane Tchiani, this alliance is a slap to Western dominance. US coziness with Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda? It’s a divide-and-conquer ploy to fracture the Sahel bloc and reclaim mineral heartlands. All guided by the Wolfowitz Doctrine from the ’90s: deter attacks, bind “democratic” allies, block rivals from key regions (Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America—and Africa’s implied), and lead to prevent “non-democratic” control of resources that could threaten US security. This is the story: a declining empire, claws out, bullying into Nigeria, Venezuela, and beyond for minerals and oil. Illegal invasions in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan; venom toward Iran; blind Israel backing—it’s all restoration theater for hegemony.
But here’s the wake-up: If Africa and socialist-leaning states—Venezuela, Cuba, the Sahel crew, even BRICS holdouts—don’t unite against Trumpism, the world burns. Empires in decline lash out hardest, turning continents to ash for profit.
I am Nelson Dieta Motjhapalong Mokoena, a socialist, civics activist, organizer of the unorganized, a member of SANCO and I write in my personal capacity.
