[TEASER] Alliance of Sahel States Pt. 3: Hyperimperialism and the Fight for Sovereignty w/ Mikaela Nhondo Erskog

Sep 16, 2025

Mikaela Nhondo Erskog, a researcher at Tricontinental and a doctoral student in International Relations, dives into the complexities of hyperimperialism in the Sahel. She discusses Burkina Faso's anti-LGBTQ law and its ties to colonial legacies, highlighting the struggle for equality amidst rising conservatism. Erskog also examines the impact of colonialism on economic dependency in the region, particularly through the CFA franc, and sheds light on grassroots movements advocating for sovereignty against neocolonial forces.

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ANECDOTE

Uranium Wealth, Local Poverty

Mikaela recalls Niger's uranium fueling French electricity while most Nigeriens lacked grid access.
She highlights Niger received a tiny fraction of export revenue and thus remained underdeveloped.

INSIGHT

AES As Anti-Imperialist Break

The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) represents a decisive regional rejection of French and broader imperialist control.
The AES aims to pursue sovereignty and development independent of imperialist blocs.

INSIGHT

Colonial And Religious Roots Of Homophobia

Homophobia in the Sahel mixes colonial-era laws with recent Gulf-influenced religious conservatism.
Criminalization of homosexuality reflects these layered historical and ideological forces.

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In this episode, Part 3 of our series on the Alliance of Sahel States, Mikaela Nhondo Erskog joins us for a wideranging conversation about hyperimperialism and the Sahel's fight against it. We begin the conversation talking about the anti-LGBTQ law that was passed in Burkina Faso criminalizing "acts of homosexuality." We explore the law itself (part of a broader family code bill) and explore how we in the West can wrestle with the contradictions it presents. We then focus our conversation on hyperimperialism, looking at how Western Africa is responding to decades of colonialism and neocolonialism. We talk about what the decline of the US portends for the future of the Global South, the on-the-ground development projects that the AES is embarking on with Russia and China, how the AES and other states on the African continent are attempting to reverse decades of underdevelopment and unequal exchange, and much more.

Mikaela Nhondo Erskog is a researcher at Tricontinental. a doctoral student in International Relations at Fudan University in Shanghai, and regional coordinator of the International People's Assembly in Pan Africanism Today.

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Artwork: Soviet-era propaganda poster by Eduard Artsrunyan titled “Colonialism is Doomed!”

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