Africa must unite to escape exploitation by the West and East

President William Ruto chairs a meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 17, 2025. [File, Standard]

Bob Marley's exhortation to African nations to unite has never been more urgent than now. The continent is weary of wars, fights and disputes that are inimical to its growth.

Arguably the richest continent in terms of natural resources, Africa is dirt poor and destitute. It lacks the wherewithal to extract and turn those resources into wealth for its people, thus creating room for the West and the Orient to plunder them.