Not All Empires Look the Same

Context

You know how we often think of 'empire' in terms of old maps and direct occupation? This piece from Africa Is a Country turns that idea on its head, asking us to look closer at how power operates today. It unpacks the less visible, but equally devastating, ways some nations exert influence – through finance, proxy forces, and controlling vital infrastructure. The writer shows how this 'subimperialist' model, exemplified by the UAE, is playing out with catastrophic consequences in places like Sudan, challenging us to see the quiet violence often laundered through the language of development.

Show notes