In an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Jafar Ghanadbashi said about the course of the events in the African continent: “Among these changes, we can mention the presidency of Basiro Diomaye in Senegal; A person who was elected to the presidency just ten days after his release from prison and who is the youngest president in the history of this country. Also, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was elected the president of Egypt for the third time and another six years. The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo is trying to move his country towards development despite the violence in the region by electing the first female prime minister.

Ghanadbashi asks whether we consider Africa a business opportunity and what these developments mean. He continued: “In Africa, we are witnessing the beginning of a transformational phase in governance, and this is the promise of a new order that Westerners and political parties in Africa have been calling for in different ways for a long time. This is their desire that was formed after the Cold War.”

He added: “At the time of the Cold War, African countries were divided into two groups of supporters of the East and the West, and all kinds of political and military conflicts in Africa were considered a proxy confrontation between the East and the West.”

According to this expert, after the Cold War and the collapse of the former Soviet Union, an ideological vacuum was formed in Africa. On the one hand, new conflicts based on competition between European countries and America were formed there. On the other hand, disputes between Western countries and powers such as China affected the African political scene.

Pointing out that the Westerners were trying to find justifications for their presence in Africa, Ghanadbashi explained: “Because they could no longer use the threat of the former Soviet Union as an excuse for their continued presence. It was on this basis that Western countries tried to provide the necessary conditions and platforms for the activation of branches of Takfiri terrorist groups, including Daesh, in countries rich in oil and gas, and other valuable resources.

They also maintained military presence, dispatched troops to certain countries, and established new military bases (drone enters).” under the pretext of confronting these groups.

This expert emphasized: “But this policy of Western countries did not last long due to public vigilance in African countries and also due to the disclosure of the true nature of the terrorist groups.

Therefore, new movements were launched in many African countries among the latest and educated generation, which, on the one hand, did not show alignment with terrorist groups and, on the other hand, demanded the end of the domination of European countries, especially France and England, over their countries.

According to Ghanadbashi, the analysis that the young African generation considered new demands, new goals, and motivations for their countries has many examples in African countries. Experts on African issues believe this matter greatly worries the heads of influential African countries and former colonial powers. In this context, we have witnessed the expulsion of France from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger and the subsequent developments. Of course, there is a possibility that these powers will be replaced by China or some other semi-industrialized countries such as Brazil, India, Malaysia, or even Turkey.

He continued: “It goes without saying that the efforts of the governments of Paris, London, and Washington over the past few years have been to direct the political currents in Africa to their interests in any way.”

Ghanadbashi added: This motivates African youth and independent personalities in this continent to oppose this new policy, which they consider to be a policy arising from French colonialism and which causes the rise of independent personalities who defend national interests in Africa.

This expert further emphasized: “The current developments in Africa show a new challenge among the young generation who want to end any foreign interference in the affairs of this continent and the governments who want to preserve their interests as much as possible by losing most of their influential levers in Africa.” »

Ghanadbashi continued: “Therefore, the excitement of the elections we are witnessing today in various African countries is based on such a challenge, and the symbol of the success of each of these two sides can be seen in the form of the victory of a political figure at the head of executive affairs.

He emphasized: “Of course, in such a situation, the removal of the traditional colonialists in Africa and the rise of the defenders of national interests will provide a new and valuable opportunity for countries like Iran to forge greater economic cooperation;

Naturally, in such a situation, the removal of the control and dominance of the traditional colonialists in Africa and the rise of the defenders of national interests provides a new and valuable opportunity for countries like Iran to forge greater economic cooperation. It also means the removal of serious obstacles that imperceptibly prevented Iran’s financial and commercial presence in these countries during the last four decades.”