The US is SO Eager to Return to Burkina Faso/Sahel Region! Geopolitical Trends

Hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends, where truth matters. Excited to be with you on this Friday. I think— what is today's date? Is the 19th. Because a, a dear friend of mine is like a brother to me, his birthday is tomorrow, September the 20th. So that's why I remember. Anyway, very, very excited to be with you. I have an interesting topic which I already mentioned to you earlier that I'm going to be covering. This one has to do with the United States now reaching out to the Sahel region, specifically to Burkina Faso. So I'm gonna be sharing with you some information that I came across while I was in China. Didn't want to do it because I needed to sort of, uh, check on that information and confirm its authenticity before I'll share it with you. But before I'll do all this, let me say hi to our wonderful community. Leanne, good to see you. Willie Holman, as always, free them all, good to see you and hello to you. Rafael Gond, as always, good to see you. Taiwan Still, uh, who else is here? Passive Income, good to see you. Uh, Harry Lukel, here you are, good to see you, Harry. I hope all is well. So, uh, before I'll delve into all this, I have some housekeeping items I need to share with you. One of them is I was able to secure an interview— I don't like to call them interviews, just a conversation— with, with a world-renowned author. He's going to be here next week. Let me share his picture with you. None other than James Bradley. So very fascinating fellow, an author. So he wrote extensively, especially about Asia, and we're going to be having a very, very interesting, uh, we are working on the timing and the dates, but it's going to be at the beginning of next week. I will keep you informed. Just make sure to tune in into this because it will be a fascinating conversation. So, uh, second thing, I also working out on other guests, uh, that I am, uh, waiting to hear a response from them. And once I hear, uh, from them and confirm the dates, I will let you know. So, so let's move on into some headlines. I have two main headlines, which by the way If you guys would like me to do a, a video for you, I'd be happy to, because on both topics I wrote a book on each country, and what I detailed in the books is exactly what is going on right now, except the media is not going to disclose it for security reasons. So, uh, the first one has to do with Saudi Arabia. You all know what happened. Saudis and the Pakistanis signed the, uh, agreement uh, for the military. Now, now, this one is a mutual defense pact. Now let me tell you something, this is nothing new. The only difference that now is moving to the fore is because of what took place in Qatar. There is one caveat, which— this is why if you would like me to do the video for you about this, the Saudis and Pakistanis, I will be happy to do so. So suffice it to say for now that this signature, this agreement of the mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan, uh, sort of now it's a move that is, uh, in my opinion, uh, will only strengthen the decades-long of security partnership between the two nations. You know, I remember when I was in Saudi Arabia, we used to be aware of the visit of the head of the military in Pakistan at that time used to be General Kayani, unannounced visit to Saudis. The Pakistanis also depends on the Saudi money, so there is a win-win for both. So if you would like me to do a video on this, please just say yes or no in the chat box, um, or I will put a survey for the community later on. Second top headlines, which once again it will be worthwhile for us to do a video on it because I need you to be aware of what's going on. This one has to do with Iran. What's going on right now with Iran is that the UN Security Council rejected the resolution to extend Iran sanctions relief. Yeah, and like I always say, why is Iran pursuing these negotiations with the West? You can't trust the West. Now they are turning on Iran, which means what? They're going to now trigger— especially the Europeans, France, Italy, uh, I'm sorry, France, UK, and Germany— they are triggering now the snap sanctions. And this is why Iran calls now the action by the UN Security Council unlawful as the 9 member countries vote against nuclear, uh, Iran sanctions relief. So that just tells you the story right there. Uh, uh, Larry Johnson wrote a good piece about how Egypt, uh, negotiated the deal and agreement between the IAEA and Iran. And again, I, I would not trust the IAEA no matter what they say, no matter what they do. Can't trust them. So, so once again, that's another topic. If you would like me to address it for you, I will be happy to do so. So, all right, let's move on to our conversation today about really what's going on between the United States and Burkina Faso. And this one is not going to be limited only to Burkina Faso, it's going to be extended to the entire Sahel region. And this is why I found it very, very interesting to understand, uh, for the community to understand the geopolitical dynamics of this as Congress is meeting as we speak regarding these topics. So what the way you look at this is that after some sort of, uh, a period, you know, give or take, of relative disengagement, uh, from African affairs, because the US never cared for Africa. This is why it was under the sphere of influence for the Europeans, more so France, Germany UK to a degree, uh, Dutch to a degree, but not much, except for France. But of course, after France was kicked out of the Sahel region, all of a sudden you find Donald Trump now is signaling a renewed interest in the continent's political, security, and economic ties— or issues, that is. Of course, It begs the question, why all of a sudden? And in my opinion, this one of these— this shift rather is reflecting much broader sort of strategic considerations, uh, on part of the United States that goes beyond Africa. It's not just Africa. You look at what's going on in Latin America. As a matter of fact, I will be addressing one key specific topic about Venezuela with my guest James Bradley when he is here next week. So And all this is that the United States now is trying to align some sort of, uh, its strategy, if, if you call it strategy, with the recalibration of the US foreign policy under now Trump's second term. Where it's going to go from there, I don't know, because US never cared for Africa. So why will we all of a sudden be interested in that? And by the way, uh, I'll move on with this a little bit, and I'm gonna do geography and history for you regarding Burkina Faso because you need to understand, uh, that aspects of it. So, and this is why now— and I just got the article yesterday for the Meaning of Congress, you know, I'll share it with you later on— uh, the Meaning of Congress regarding why now Africa tops agenda as US Congress moves sort of to reshape the policy towards the, the Sahel region in its entirety. And this is why Congress now is preparing, as we speak, it is preparing an entire week to debate now some sort of a bill that will reorganize the State Department and its aid programs to the Sahel region. You all know what it means. And this is why when you think about— and I usually do listen, uh, to, or watch rather, the hearings for, uh, three things. One is the Armed Services Committee, second is the Intelligence Committee, and the third is the Foreign Relations Committee. I tend to listen to those because that gives me an idea of where the, the trajectory of the US policy regarding whatever region of the world is headed towards. So, and this is why, uh, the, the, the chairman of the House of the Foreign Relations or Foreign Affairs Committee, uh, Chairman Brian Mast, uh, said, and I quote here, we are aiming at— I'm paraphrasing, rather— we are aiming here at restoring— listen to this, which is ridiculous— we are aiming at restoring command and control. That's to me like, wait a minute, wait a minute, didn't Africa or the Sahel region that is just kicked France because of that issue? Didn't Niger just kick the US because of that issue? All of a sudden we are sort of not reinventing it, just repeating the same narrative. For him to say we are restoring command and control The message is loud and clear. We are not here to negotiate with you. We are not here to cooperate with you. We are here to take control of you. And I don't see how— you know, of course there will be some African nations would agree to that, like Nigeria, because you have a corrupted president. You know, that's— I won't be surprised with something like that. So And this is where, coming from this guy, the, uh, Chairman Brian Mast, which by the way, he's the same person who served on the Armed Services Committee. This is why I told you I listen to those three committees, because that usually gives me an idea of where things are headed. So, and this is why they just voted two days ago on the 17th on 248-page bill that will reshape now the US diplomacy in line with America First. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. African countries, especially in the Sahel region, I ain't gonna buy it. They will not. This is why Congress sent members to Burkina Faso, and I'm gonna get into that as I move forward. Now, there are some sort of, uh, uh, key project that the US is proposing already in the bill. And I had a chance to read that, uh, part of that bill for this particular project, and I'm going to share them with you. One is lifting the financial sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe under the 2001 Act. You all remember when Robert Mugabe used to be the head of Zimbabwe. He's the one who stood to the Americans and to the Western imperialism and so forth He took, he took stand. Some, of course, the West didn't like him for that, but hey, that's what he did for his country. So now this particular bill, it includes the lifting of sanctions. Second one, addressing the staffing crisis in the African Affairs Office by now accelerating talent acquisition. What this has to do with the welfare of people there anyway? Third one, launching an initiative to enhance trade diplomacy with Africa, leveraging the potential of African communities in the United States. Once again, if this is going to benefit the African community in America, how is that going to benefit the people on the ground in the Sahel region? And the last one is integrating the Global Fragility Act into regional plans and this one will focus on Libya, Mozambique, and coastal West Africa. I'm just perplexed as to, you know, because all this is nothing but hypes. There is nothing of substance into all this. So, and that is why the day before that, before the 17th, which means September 16th, what did Washington do? Washington went ahead and hosted the African Communities Day, and this is an event was with the participation of the American lawmakers, investors, and leaders from Africa and the Caribbean. You all know why this all happening is because the Chinese presence in Africa, the Russians presence in Africa, but mainly the Chinese because of the investments the economic and, uh, joint ventures. This is why now all of a sudden we want to sort of put the money on the table, but it's too late. How can African countries trust what the Americans are saying? And here is the interesting aspect about this event that took place. It included also a meeting with the three ambassadors, and you know where those three ambassadors are from? Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. You all know what happened with those three countries. Let me, let me put the map here. You know, those the one were able to kick both the French and the Americans, especially for Niger. Niger was able to kick the Americans. And this is exactly the mistake Iraq, Iraq is making by not setting a hard date for the Americans to evac completely from their territory. Niger said to the Americans, you have till the end of the month to pack your stuff and get out. And that's exactly what happened. So, so this is what I found, uh, interesting. But with all these dynamics, you find some African leaders like, for example, uh, Alassane Ouattara. He is sort of now that he's reaching out to America. I think I have a picture of him. Uh, he is now trying— uh, no, I don't— I thought I did— uh, reaching out to a senior aide in Washington last July. Why did he reach out for? To secure communication channels. Why? Because he wanted to have the support of the US. This is where that idea of the cooperation comes in with the $300 million Dollar Regional Agreements to support the Côte d'Ivoire, or Ivory Coast, energy sector. Yeah, what is that going to benefit? I don't know. I found it very, very, uh, sort of nefarious, for all of a sudden Congress now is focusing on, on, on the Sahel region. So this leads me, of course, to talk about Burkina Faso. And I'm going to share some geography with you, and I'll do a little bit of history and move into the analysis of this part and see if there's any question from you I would be happy to answer. So, so let's start with geography here, and let me share the, uh, uh, map with you. And I give credit to, uh, World Atlas. That is the one where— share screen, and I'll put the map for you here. Okay, this is Burkina Faso. What you need to know about Burkina Faso is in West African country, is a West African country located in the Northern Hemisphere region of the Earth. So What's important to understand about Burkina Faso, it, it straddles the prime meridians as it has territories on both sides, the eastern and western hemispheres, and it borders 6 countries. And those countries are Benin, Togo to the southeast, Niger to the east, Mali to the north and west, Ivory Coast to the southwest, and Ghana to the south. So, and of course, as you know, Burkina Faso is a landlocked country, so, and does not have a coastline. Let me, let me extend this map so to show you those countries. There is Mali, uh, there is Niger, and Benin, Ghana, and right here Ivory Coast, or la Côte d'Ivoire. So that's what's interesting about this particular, uh, geography of, uh, of Burkina Faso. Now when it comes down to its history, you have to understand its history because it will make more sense to you. And I'm going to be brief on this history because I'm not going to detail too much about it. So Burkina Faso has some sort of a long, long history that was marked by none other than colonial kingdoms. Yeah, from way back, from way back. And which one I'm referring to? I'm referring to the Mossi Kingdom, which by the way was followed by the French colonial rule. And that's where it was till until 1960 when Burkina Faso gained its independence. It was known back then as the Upper Volta. So, and it was renamed, uh, uh, to Burkina Faso in 1984. That's when it was renamed. So, and of course, this country experienced a lot of instability, a lot of coups, even as recently as 2023. So, and of course, economic challenges with none other than its revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara. I have a picture of him here. They, they equivalent him to, uh, uh, what's his name, the guy from Latin America, uh, uh, Che Guevara. That's the one that they compare him to. He played a role, major role, into the era, uh, and for Burkina Faso in the '80s. So, and here is what's important. Once again, when you think about the pre-colonial era for Burkina Faso you have to go with the Mossi Kingdom. And the Mossi Kingdom went all the way back to the 11th century, and even before that. You have to understand that for Burkina Faso, when you look at it, these timelines, it goes all the way back between 3600 to 2600 BC. That's how far back it goes. And because back then Burkina Faso was nothing but agricultural settlements. As a matter of fact, uh, I'm, I'm gonna share later on, I'm gonna share a picture with you from the 19th century of some of the mosques they were in Burkina Faso. Then you move into the era of 800 to 700 BC. What is this era was known for? It was known for iron smelting. So, and production, that's how far back it goes into Burkina Faso. Of course, between the 3rd and the 13th century AD, so the Iron Age civilization centered on the lower Niger River Valley, which is in Niger but also in Burkina Faso as well. So Between 1000 and, uh, 1896 AD, that's when Mossi Kingdom— Mossi, M-O-S-S-I, to those who are familiar or are interested in history. So the Mossi Kingdoms, or Mossi Empire, which was nothing but a group of kingdoms— those were small inside, inside Burkina Faso— which, by the way, dominated the Upper Volta river region. And the largest Mossi kingdom, it was the one in none other than the modern-day capital, Ouagadougou. That's where they were located. Move to 1700, that's when Mossi kingdom increased their regional economic and military power with significant connections to the Fula kingdoms and the Mali Empire. Why is this important to understand? It is important to understand for, for you, for what the current president Ibrahim Traoré is doing for his country. This is why the West, it's not liking it, because he doesn't want the West to exit, because he wanted to move his country both on a military level by of course asking the Russians for nuclear technology, believe it or not, and for economic ventures by revamping the economy in Burkina Faso, and we don't seem to like that one. So 1896, this is when the Franco-British Convention— this is important to understand— the Franco-British Convention created Burkina Faso's modern borders. Let me put it back again, put the, uh, I'm just going to put the regular map of the Sahel region. And we'll show you there all the, the, uh, this is where the, uh, uh, Burkina Faso, where all the new borders. This is Niamey, this is Ouagadougou, right? I'm pointing at it, but you won't see that anyway. And that's when the British and Franco convention created that very, very interesting dynamics for this, uh, back in, uh, and After that one, after the 1898, uh, it was between 1915 and 1917. This is where a war broke out, and it was an anti-colonial rebellion in modern-day what's known Burkina Faso took place, but it also took place in Mali. This is why you see those three countries: Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, they all moved into that direction. So, so, and its peak at that time between 1915 and 1917, the rebels must have about almost between— according to the historical data, and I will share the link with you later on to read it yourself— between about 15,000 to 20,000 fighters. This is why you have some sort of the groups inside still till today persist inside Africa. So, and after initial setback, the French army suppressed the insurgency. That's what happened. So, and of course, 1919, you all know what was going on around the world at that time, and that's where France creates— created, created attempts Yeah, it created rather a French Upper Volta, which is a region just under the command of France directly, so separating the present territory of Burkina Faso from the Upper Senegal and Niger. Because back then, remember, they used to call it the Upper Volta. Well, Upper Volta include modern days of Senegal and Niger. And that's exactly what France creates, that, uh, that, that separation back in 1919. 1932, it was after a failed attempt to promote cotton as an export crop, the colony was dissolved and split between the French colonies of Ivory Coast and French Sudan and Niger. So France had a big presence back then. 1947, sort of— I'm sorry, 1958, that one is— so the Upper Volta gained self-governing and joined the Franco-African Community. And in 1960, the Upper Volta became fully independent with Maurice Yaméogo as its president. 1966, the military coup deposed Yamigou, and that's where it started the series of the military coups. And of course suspended the constitution and brings in military government at that time under Lieutenant Colonel Sangoulé Lamizana. So 1976, this is where the new constitution established a 4-year transition period towards civilian rule. 1978, Senghor Lamizana is reelected in open elections. And you all, the rest of 1980, it was another bloodless coup. 1982, another coup. 1983, infighting between factions inside. Uh, all this went through all the way to 2014. In 2014 President Comporé, uh, resigned following massive protest against plans to extend his rule. I don't get it with these rulers, they want to stay forever in power. They want like die, when they die they still want to hold on to power as they are dying. That just doesn't make any sense. So 2015, that was a coup by a unit of the army at that time, failed. It failed the coup. In 2016, 30 people were killed in a terrorist attack in Ouagadougou. Makes you just wonder how the terrorist attacks all of a sudden appeared. So, and of course, that takes us to, to, to 2022, and that is where the two military coups took place in one year. One in January was, was, uh, a coup that was led by Lieutenant Colonel Damiba, uh, which seizes power and deposes, uh, President Kaboré. And in September, Kaboré was ousted by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who is now, uh, of course, the president. Denominated him as— in, in 2024, Burkina Faso's military backed President Ibrahim Traoré. And that's where the whole history of it, uh, keeps going as we move forward. Liking this video so far? Don't just be a watcher. Go ahead and hit the like, share, and subscribe button, and don't forget to tap the bell so you will not miss any of my videos or live streams. This way, you will be supporting a channel that stands for the truth and objective reporting. The choice is yours. Thanks for your support. Indeed, I am very grateful for your support. Now let's talk about why Washington all of a sudden is returning to the Sahel region, and specifically starting with, uh, starting with a Burkina Faso tour. Members of Congress went to Burkina Faso, so, and the argument These members of Congress are saying, oh, this is aimed at security concerns in Burkina Faso, because you all know Burkinabés who opposed the French presence went ahead and kicked the French out and allowed the presence of the Russian. That's why you saw, uh, the Russian flag was waved in Burkina Faso a few years ago. So And this in itself, the meaning, the move by Congress, this one in itself is seen, my opinion, as a shift in American foreign policy towards the region. I've made the video, I did a video with Dr. Stewart back then when we argued about, I said, Mike, my word, Africa is gonna become the next geopolitical ring where major powers, which mainly only three— the US, Russia, and China— is going to be competing over influence. That was, that was back in 2019 when we did the video. I think that somewhere around that. I, if I get the link, I'll, I'll, I'll look for the link and, and post it for the community. And that is exactly what now is happening. So this is why these, uh, members of Congress visited Ouagadougou, the capital of, of Burkina Faso. So, and this, by the way, was the first visit by members of Congress to the country since the military coup took place there. So the arguments Congress is making, oh, this is part of Mr. Trump's sort of pragmatic approach. There is no pragmatism about it. The reason to why Mr. Trump is pushing for this, because he wanted to control the natural resources in the entire Sahel region, starting with Burkina Faso. That is what the objective is. We have no care for what's going on in Africa or care for the Africans. We want to go after the natural resources. You all know, you all know how rich the Sahel region from uranium and gold to silver and, and, and rare earths and other elements as well. That is the reason why all of a sudden— but Congress is pretending to say, you know what, we just wanted to reestablish, uh, this relationship. What makes us think that the Burkina Faso, especially Ibrahim Traoré, wants anything to do with the Americans? Because he is vehemently opposing the US, uh, presence in the region. And by the way, Congress lied, or the members of Congress that went there, they lied about one statement. They said, and I'm paraphrasing here, oh, we didn't want to meet with Ibrahim Traoré. Well, wait a minute, it was the other way around. It was Ibrahim Traoré who did not want to meet with them. You know, so funny how we flip the truth. You can't, you know, this is not a way of conducting business when you are flip-flopping. What makes us think that the Africans is going to trust us? Of course there will be some corrupted African leaders, and make no mistake, corruption still, you know, look no further what's going on in, in Ivory Coast, look no further what's going on in, uh, Nigeria. Look no further what's going on in even Egypt, because Egypt is considered an African continent, even though there is that debate, uh, oh, Egypt is considered a Middle Eastern— no, it's not. You know, what do you guys think? Is Egypt— should be considered part of Middle East, or West Asia, that is, or part of Africa? It is in an African continent. If you would be kind and just, uh, uh, put your answer in the chat box and I would share it with the community. So the visit of the Congress came after two failed attempts because they tried it before and it didn't work. Now the Congress is pushing the narrative of, oh, there is a security and political unrest. No, no, no, no, no, no. I think we are working behind scene— behind the scenes of fomenting tensions in the region with some groups. Because remember, all the jihadists, who was funding them? You know, it's no secret, no secret. This is what I'm saying is the idea of, uh, what, uh, this delegation, by the way, it had one Republican and two Democrats. Uh, the Republican was Austin Scott, and the two Democrats were Jimmy Pnerra and Saloud Karvajal. So, and, and they spent about 4 hours in Ouagadougou. However, Ibrahim Traoré didn't want to meet with them, and in my opinion, rightly so. What would he meet with them for when they were trying to undermine the guy? Remember, he survived an assassination attempt. Makes you just wonder, you know, maybe it were the French. Who knows? So all this, like I said earlier, this is where Congress— because I read the report, it says the delegation did not meet with the transitional leader Ibrahim Traoré, but however, it did meet with the speaker of the transitional parliament. Oh, wait a minute, it was Ibrahim Traoré who did not want to meet with them. Completely, because he is vehemently opposed to the US presence in the region. And all this has to do with, of course, what happened few months before. How can we forget? How can we forget when the Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Ibrahim Traoré in Moscow? You all remember that? This is exactly Why now Ibrahim Traoré is asking the Russians with the assistance in the nuclear domain? And rightly so. If I were to advise Ibrahim Traoré, if I were to advise him, I would say you need to do two things. One of them, get involved with the Chinese in an investment of infrastructure. And second, get involved with the Russians into building your nuclear capabilities. Whether to go as far as having nuclear deterrence, it might be too early for that because the country does not have the infrastructure for that, but it can start moving into that direction. And believe me, if that happens, France, the US, UK, Germany will not be able to do anything to Burkina Faso. And for a reason, because now Burkina Faso has a good relationship with Niger and Mali. Those two countries have an abundance of uranium. That's why to me it makes more sense. So this is if I were advising him. So, and the idea of why Congress— just to go back to why Congress is wording certain things— is very manipulative. You know, I read the report, it's very, very manipulative. To those who do not understand the dynamics of geopolitics will say to themselves Wow, you know, the US really wants to reach out to Burkina Faso. Here is what Congress is saying: security is a prerequisite for trade, and without security, there can be no trade. This is what the Republican Representative Scott told the sort of the press. Well, wait a minute, why will they have to have security depending on you? They could have their own security. They could reach out to another country. Why does it have to be the United States? So the— on the other hand, the other representative, Panetta, he noted that the lifting of US restrictions imposed under Section 7008 of the FONEA, the Appropriations Act, requires concrete steps by the Sahel authorities, most notably the free and fair elections. What a double standards. You know what I found very interesting is we didn't say the same thing about when the comedian Zelensky abolished elections altogether. So why Congress didn't say a word? And by the way, just to let you know, This issue with the Europeans snap, uh, triggering snap, uh, snap sanctions on Iran has nothing to do with the nuclear program. This one has to do with the Ukraine part because of what the US is pressuring Europe. That's all it is. That's all it is. So, and then again, I will do a survey for you if you would like me to do this topic, and I'll be happy to address it for for you. So now, suffice it to say, the Sahel Alliance— when you think about the Sahel, because when this delegation of Congress went over, they wanted to lift the restrictions on the Sahel Alliance, but of course they want something in return. But they are not basing it on a mutual interest. They're basing it on, oh, this only has to do with, uh, we want to help you with counterterrorism. And we want to be part of the intelligence sharing with you. And of course, we wanted to seek US investment opportunities in the region. You know, how is that going to benefit the locals? So when you consider, uh, the other two countries, Niger and Mali, especially for Niger— Niger is a complex, and the military file that exists into this because the military relations remain sensitive. Why? Because Niger had the gut to kick the US out of its territory. So, so basically, if Niger will allow the American back, population is not going to like it. And of course, this was aggravated by none other than the statement by, uh, General Michael Langley You all remember him, right? He's the one who sort of said, and I'm paraphrasing here, that, oh, Ibrahim Traore is diverting gold reserves, which estimated at $4 billion, to pay Russian mercenaries. What I found very interesting, which by the way, general here is no longer in command, uh, there is a new general. If I remember, his name is Dagvin Andersen, if I remember, my memory serves me well. Uh, and interesting about this new general, he is some sort of adopting a more, uh, reconciliatory tone, you know, turning it down a little bit. So it's because in his assessment, oh, in the right time, the US might be allowed to return. I don't think so. I think this is where Washington still operating on the, on, on the old ideologies, on the old thinking. The world has moved on. They don't care whether the US is taking part of it or not. And this is what Washington is not getting. The Sahel region, the entire region with its resources natural resources and manpower resources. As I said, if I were advising those entities, I would say you're gonna have to strengthen your ventures, economic ventures with the Chinese, your military ties with the Russians. That's the only way I see it, you know. Otherwise you're gonna— because what you're gonna be noticing now, and make my word on it, you're gonna be seeing an uptick into some conflict by jihadists and, and, and the, and the likes, because that's what's going to be coming. I just see it. I just can see it as one who worked in the field. I was in that part of the world, you know, especially when I spent time in Ivory Coast and in, uh, Djibouti. That, that's what I see. That's what I see coming. So And, uh, it is my belief that the US has missed a golden opportunity back then to fill the void that was left by when France was kicked out. But on the other hand, we shouldn't be thinking of it as a golden opportunity, because what makes us think that the locals will be welcoming of the Americans after what we did in some other parts of the world? Or what we are doing now, let's say, in South China Sea, or what we doing now in, uh, uh, in Ukraine. All those conflicts we created. Or what we are doing right now in Venezuela. So this is why I'm saying, uh, there is only one angle that Donald Trump is pushing for, which Donald Trump doesn't think about the country. Donald Trump thinks for the Trump family, for the wealth of the family. And, you know, to them, to him, it's like, you know, I'm not saying he's stupid, it's just he doesn't understand these dynamics. But he's using his position to enrich his family, and it's the system that allows it. Do you blame the guy? I mean, let's be straightforward, especially with my American audience. And to those who voted for him, I'm assuming you knew what you were voting for. So, but in any event, what Donald Trump is aiming at is aiming at arguing with the locals by saying, or the governments, by saying, you know what, we'll provide you with the security in return for the natural or the mineral resources. Because you all see the other side of the equation, and the other side of the equation has to do with the microchips. You know, you need to have access to rare earth elements China has a dominant in that, and China doesn't even need any— they used to depend to a degree on Nvidia, not anymore after Huawei. And I just read that yesterday, after Huawei developed now the necessary technology and that is required for this type of chips the Chinese used to get from India. So they don't need Americans anymore. And second, China has massive reserves on the rare earth elements that the US will have to apply for that. So basically the Chinese holding the Americans by the balls, if I may use the term here. So, but when you think about the idea of sort of when Congress start to mention about the values of democracy and and freedom of speech and all that nonsense, because it is nonsense. You know, if we are at least, at least observing that here in America, I will say that might be okay. Now you are starting to see what's going on inside the country. A lot of stuff is not reported here for how they are silencing people. So what I want you to get out of this is that the, uh, the, the, the Congress trip, the US interest, Donald Trump's administration interest in the Sahel region abruptly has to do with the minerals. That is exactly why. And the argument they are making to the Sahel region that if the US is not involved in the security, the Sahel will become a black hole for extremist groups. Oh no, oh no, we all know how those extremist groups will, uh, will, uh, will emerge. You know, the best example I can give you is for, uh, what I posted on the community for Zulani, the terrorist in, in Syria, who is now going to be cutting a deal with Israel. You know, and I remember I told you, this is the point, man. For both Israel and the US. We the— you know, if you look at the history, and it's not a secret, again, you know, he was funded by the US. We funded him. We funded his, uh, group at the time. So, and this is what Congress is trying to, uh, uh, uh, sort of pitch the idea. But there is one angle to all this, and the angle that I see— and once again, and I'm not I'm not bragging here, I'm just saying I talked about this few months ago and I said watch out for what NATO is going to be doing in Mauritania and to a degree Morocco. And that is exactly what is happening now. Now with the US realizing that there is no hope, there is no hope into establishing relations with the Sahel region, they are turning their attentions to those two countries, Mauritania and Morocco. This is exactly where things are moving. Why? Because they are— they, Mauritania and Morocco, in the eyes of the US and NATO, they are emerging as stable North African anchors. Because that in itself, from a geopolitical perspective, is going to offer NATO and the US. When you think NATO, you think US, of course, is going to offer them a strategic geographical positioning because there is a lot, a lot of, a lot of planning can go from that part of the world, from that part of the region towards the Sahel if you want to create chaos. But to them, they are saying, oh, this will be perfect for this sort of strategic geographical positioning. It will be also for political, uh, steadiness and of course a discreet but sustained security cooperation. Mind you that media is not going to cover— there are training between Morocco and Moroccan forces and some of NATO entities. There are training between Mauritania and some NATO entities. It's because the geography, their geography, that is their posture, their reliability in the eyes of the US and NATO, offer some sort of a viable, viable path for one objective. And you know what that objective is? To secure access and to manage the regional fallout with entanglement in this kind of partnership in, in, in the Sahel region. That is where that objective is. And I just want you to understand where these dynamics are moving. Um, like I say again, uh, it's my, my responsibility towards the community. I need to make sure you understand exactly what's going on, because when I hear some stuff on YouTube, you know, they're free to say whatever they want. I just don't want the community to be misguided into the wrong direction. So that's what prompted me to do this for you. So now you understand at least why Washington had to host some African leaders, okay? And all of them, you can just tell, I can just I'm not judging here, no, you know, but you can just tell why they were invited. So, oh, I forgot to share with you, uh, the 19th century mosque, uh, that was, uh, established in Burkina Faso, uh, uh, right there. Yeah, that goes way back. So Now this one is, uh, is somebody who's competing for presidency, I think, in Ivory Coast, and now he's reaching out to the US for support. So you all know what it means. This is why if, if Africa doesn't rid itself of corruption, get rid of surrogates, leaders like Nigeria, it's, it's, it's, it's famous for that. The massive corruption that exists, and yet Nigeria is so wealthy, is so rich in oil. And why is that wealth is not transferred to the people? The same arguments I've made always about Iraq. You guys know how much oil is in Iraq? So why is it not sort of trickling down to the average citizens? And that is why I don't see the US succeeding in reestablishing those ties with, with the, uh, with the Sahel regions. All right, let me see what you guys put in the chat box here. And I know I have, uh, I have to go back because I remember asking you that question. And, uh, uh, oh, I see this statement here by Steve: Morocco needs to kick Israel out of their country. They won't. Uh, first of all, you have to understand, uh, and I'm going to share this with you, uh, one of the most powerful Jews are from Morocco, are Moroccans, you know, just to let you know. They are very, very influential. As a matter of fact, the previous King Hassan II, one of his advisors was an Israeli prime minister, former prime minister Shimon Peres. So, so they won't kick that. There is, there is a there's a lot, a lot of behind the scenes regarding the Western Sahara issue and so forth. That is why, uh, but Morocco is in a delicate position given what's going on in Gaza. And not just Morocco, you got the other four countries— United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Egypt— all of them. So makes you just wonder, you know, where the priorities are. But again, I just don't see that happening. So, uh, uh, Let me see what you guys have here. Okay, and, and I'm gonna put the survey question for you, for you guys, what you want tomorrow. Do you want me to do the Saudi Arabia or you want me to do the Iran, uh, uh, particular, uh, uh, topics here? So, uh, oh, Xian Liu, I want to say thank you for becoming— well, you've been a member, so, and I remember you the first time. So I just want to say thank you for your support, uh, for the channel. I'm very, very grateful. Yeah, you wrote, thanks so much, Dr. O, for your enlightening geopolitical wisdom. You're most welcome. And I'm learning from you guys as well. I want you to know it's not going one way, it's both ways. I'm learning, you teaching me stuff also that I learn from. Why do you think I read all your comments? I spend time reading all those comments and answering them because I want to learn from that. So if I didn't care, I won't even answer. I won't even bother to even look at it. But that's not— I don't do that. I don't do that. Uh, E82, thank you so much for, uh, for your, uh, super sticker. You put, Mazin, um, Danny Kano was unjustly abducted from Kenya for defending Biafrans against atrocities by the Nigerian army and Fulani militants. I did not know that, so thank you so much for sharing this. I'm gonna go and dig into this and understand. I always like to go back few, few, uh, few years for me to understand what led to this. So, but I, I greatly appreciate you, uh, doing this. Speaking of that, that reminds me of something, uh, that one the members put a comment about it. When I mentioned yesterday about the Muslim Golden Era, remember last night I was talking and I mentioned the name of al-Khwarizmi. Al-Khwarizmi wasn't an Arab, and I knew that, I just didn't mention it for somehow I wasn't thinking about talking about the history. I'd be happy to do a historical lesson, if you will, about the contribution of what the Persians have done. So you have al-Khwarizmi And by the way, Khawarizmi is a Persian, and that is the same name that is used in modern mathematics of algorithm. Algorithm is the equivalency or the English translation of al-Khawarizmi. That's it. And the other one was in medicine, and I mentioned about medicine, Ibn Sina. Ibn Sina wasn't an Arab, he was a Persian also. So, so thank you so much for pointing that out. But I'll be happy to do a livestream for the community if you want to learn about the history of the Islamic Golden Era. So I'll be happy to do that. So, all right, I'm gonna sign off once again. Uh, I will be putting the, the, uh, survey for you for which topic you want me to cover, uh, and be on the lookout for when I set the date for the timing, rather, for my conversation with the world world-renowned author James Bradley. Fascinating if you only know the history of his father, former military, and, and so forth. So I will be— I look forward to that conversation. As always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, bye-bye.