Africa in the International System: A Critical Perspective on Center-Periphery Relations

Introduction

Although nations hold different views on many issues in the 21st century, they converge on the concept of globalization. By transforming the world into a “global village,” globalization ensures that events occurring in one region inevitably impact others. Although this world is not formally regulated, it is shaped by the rise of certain countries and global economic trends. Since the end of the Cold War, the dominance of the capitalist system has been undeniable.

Samir Amin, who argues that this global capitalist system reinforces the dominance of core countries (the West) over peripheral countries (such as Africa and other Eastern regions), presents a striking analysis of international relations. The renowned Egyptian economist developed a development theory opposing the Western-centric capitalist system through his book Accumulation on a World Scale and other works. According to Amin, the global economy is built upon structural inequalities that keep African countries (the periphery) dependent on the economic centers of the West. Although Amin conducted most of his studies between the 1970s and 1990s, his analyses remain relevant today. In this study, the unequal relationships between the center and the periphery will be examined with contemporary examples.

It All Began with Colonialism

Africa’s history has been deeply shaped by colonialism, which profoundly impacted its economic, social, and political structures. From the late 19th century, European powers engaged in a race to seize African territories, a period commonly referred to as the Scramble for Africa. The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 formalized this division, disregarding the continent’s existing social and political structures.

Colonialism led to the systematic exploitation of Africa’s natural resources and forcibly integrated African economies into the global capitalist system. This dependency was not coincidental but rather a direct consequence of the capitalist system itself. To break free from this exploitative structure, Amin proposed the concept of delinking. According to him, peripheral countries like those in Africa should detach themselves from the dominant global system and establish a self-sufficient development model.

This approach requires rethinking economic priorities, promoting local industrialization, improving infrastructure, and diversifying economies. The underdevelopment of Africa and the Global East is, in essence, a result of the West’s development. Therefore, African countries must complete an initial accumulation process at the national level, redefine their priorities, and reposition themselves strategically. This would also protect them from external economic shocks.

Independence Without Economic and Political Sovereignty

The two world wars played a critical role in reshaping the global economic structure. World War I (1914–1918) devastated European economies, altering the global balance of power. The Bretton Woods Agreements of 1944 established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, creating a new international monetary system. While these institutions aimed to stabilize the world economy, they also cemented a financial hierarchy under U.S. dominance by making the U.S. dollar the primary reserve currency.

However, the political independence movements of the 1950s and 1960s did not lead to genuine economic independence. The artificial borders imposed by colonial powers fueled internal conflicts, preventing the stability necessary for economic growth. African economies, reliant on raw material exports, remained vulnerable to price fluctuations in global markets, further deepening their dependence on central economies.

Samir Amin underscores the importance of a delinking strategy to end this dependency. He argues that Africa must reposition itself strategically within the international system to better protect its resources and interests. "If capitalism truly exists, then the existence of underdevelopment today must also be a necessity".

This statement highlights a fundamental reality of capitalism: the system relies on maintaining structural underdevelopment in certain regions. This underdevelopment is not an accidental outcome but rather a necessary condition for the expansion and continuation of the global capitalist system.

Contemporary examples clearly illustrate this dynamic: the CFA franc, structural adjustment programs, the exploitation of natural resources, and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

The CFA franc, used by many countries in West and Central Africa, is a striking example of economic dependency. Although it is pegged to the euro, this currency remains under the influence of France. Countries using the CFA franc are required to deposit a significant portion of their foreign exchange reserves in the French Treasury, effectively limiting their economic sovereignty. Furthermore, they are unable to develop independent monetary policies tailored to their local needs, reinforcing their dependence on central economies. This system strengthens the asymmetries between capitalist centers and peripheral nations, thereby perpetuating underdevelopment.

The structural adjustment programs imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in the 1980s and 1990s tied financial aid to the implementation of neoliberal policies. These policies included the privatization of key sectors, reductions in public spending, and the promotion of free market policies. These measures primarily benefited foreign multinational corporations while exacerbating poverty among local populations. Consequently, African countries became even more vulnerable to global market fluctuations and increasingly dependent on central economies, making independent development nearly impossible.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is another example that embodies this logic of dominance through the exploitation of its natural resources. Cobalt, a critical component in modern technologies, is extracted from this country. However, raw cobalt is exported at low prices to Western or Asian economic centers, where it is processed and sold for substantial profits. The absence of local processing industries deprives the DRC of value-added production, leaving it in a state of underdevelopment and dependency despite its vast natural wealth.

Economic Partnership Agreements between African countries and the European Union further reveal the structural asymmetry of the global system. These agreements encourage the importation of subsidized European products into African markets, creating unfair competition for local producers. African markets are flooded with cheap European goods, leading to the decline of strategic sectors such as agriculture and preventing the growth of local industries. This dynamic further entrenches African countries' dependence on central economies.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the inequalities within the international system are clearly reflected in contemporary examples. Underdevelopment is not a random failure but a crucial condition for the functioning of global capitalism. The global economic system sustains its growth dynamics by exploiting the asymmetries between the center and the periphery.

To break this vicious cycle, solutions such as those proposed by Samir Amin—delinking and self-sufficiency-based development—play a crucial role. These approaches advocate severing ties with the global capitalist system and reshaping the economic and political priorities of peripheral nations to achieve true sovereignty.