In the midst of a rapidly shifting global landscape, the concept of the global south has emerged as a powerful symbol of resistance and resilience. It is evident in the series of military coups in the West African countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Guinea since 2020. Their militaries, dissatisfied with the former colonial power France and the west in general, forced French troops to leave and invited Russian mercenaries instead. Also, the unified stance of the global south on the war in Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza against the west has accelerated the decline of western dominance and the emergence of the multipolar world. The Global South represents a complex geopolitical dynamic, transcending geographic and economic categorization, and challenges the western domination and exploitation of the ‘third world’. It encompasses historical experiences of imperialism. It is promoting local discourse to counter western narratives, cultural diversity, and decolonial thought.
Through the Marxist’s lens, the Global South’s resistance against neoliberalism, imperialism, and environmental degradation is justified as a necessary response to exploitative global capitalism, which perpetuates unequal development and dependency. The rise of the global south aligns with Karl Marx’s predictions of revolt by the working class (colonies or post-colonial states) against the Bourgeoise (colonial powers or the west) due to colonial exploitation, underdevelopment, and economic imbalances.It didn’t happen overnight. The global financial crisis, staggering economies, and underdevelopment of the third world made the emerging markets of the global south start to question the relevance and credibility of west-led global financial systems. To get a clear perspective on how western dominance of the global economy led to financial crises and underdevelopment in the global south, take the example of pre-colonial Asia.
In the 1820s, Asia alone accounted for 57% of the global economy, while Europe and the US combined made up only 35%. But in the 1990s, Asia’s share in the global economy dwindled to only 21%. This shift illustrated the drain of wealth and resources from the global south to the western colonial powers. Similarly, the contemporary dominance of the US and Europe in international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank particularly draws suspicion of third-world countries and criticism of Russia and China, who are aspiring to replace the existing world order with the multipolarity having various regional centers of power. As Luanda Mpungose, a South African analyst, said, there is ‘no equality between the countries of the developing South and countries of the developed North.’
This economic inequality can be shown by the comparison of the total GDP of the G7, a western bloc that makes up up to 10%, with that of the BRICS countries, which are home to 41% of the world population. Still, 43% of the global GDP is concentrated in the G7, whereas BRICS accounts for 29% of the global economy. In addition to the economic stagnation, the US also influences these countries politically through conditionalities, an infamous structural adjustment program in the domestic arena of the states.So, all of this led to brewing resentment in Africa, Latin America, and Asia against western dominance. It paved the path for many countries, as rightly pointed out by Kishore Mahbubani, a Singaporean diplomat, ‘to shake off their old allegiance to the west to enjoy new wealth, influence, and optimism’.
Now, the members of the global south are no longer passive participants in the global arena; instead, they are pursuing their interests independently of the west. It has also been discussed by Zhang Tengjun, a Chinese researcher, that the collective wish of Asians to have autonomy over their affairs and matters has driven their resistance to western domination. In this regard, Mahbubani has shed light on several’striking moments’ in the global south. In September 2023, at the G20 Summit, the AU won a permanent seat in the G20, significantly voicing the grievances and stances of the global south at the Western Forum. Similarly, the refusal of the global south to bow down to the western pressure of aligning with the western stance on the war on Ukraine and the genocide in Palestine.
Remarkably, the Global South has adopted an independent stance on the Ukraine war to remain neutral and to call out the atrocities of Israel against Palestinians. South Africa brought the case of genocide against Israel to the ICJ, and India has continued its trade with Russia in face of pressure from the west. Many countries in the global south have refused to impose sanctions on Russia and stuck to their non-aligned stance. The US has also warned countries against joining the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative by China, but nearly 140 countries have joined this mega-project.
The driving force behind the rise of the global south as a unified force against Western hegemony are shared challenges and opportunities. These shared challenges and opportunities can be wrapped up into four major interests. First is multilateralism, which is centered on the creation of global-south-anchored cooperation rather than western dominance. The second is the struggle for sovereignty to create barriers to western intervention. The demand for sovereignty by the global south involves complete autonomy over natural resources, financial flows, science and technology, military power, and information. Third is the new modernization that is centered on constructing regional economies that prioritize the use of local currency in place of the dollar for trade and reserves. The efforts to expedite the de-dollarization of the global economy by the BRICS, led by Russia and China, The last one is reparations, which would entail collective bargaining to compensate for the West’s centuries-old debt traps along with economic and resource abuses. So, it has been evident now that the reason why the US keeps seeking to influence the political stance of the global south is due to its power struggle with Russia and China.
Meanwhile, the Global South seeks ‘peace and equality’ while the West seeks ‘conflict and control’. The zero-sum competition perpetrated by the US through exaggerated wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and now Ukraine and Gaza have tarnished the position of the US as a guardian of rules-based international order. Many in the Global South have accused the West of “double standards”. This vacuum has been strategically filled by Russia and China, pursuing their collective ambition to counter US hegemony. As the Global South gains momentum in its efforts to counter the Western dominance, it faces numerous internal challenges. BRICS is making strides in its quest for de-dollarization, but various obstacles threaten its progress.
These include strained relations between China and India, the rise of fascist regimes in India and Brazil, Putin’s declining popularity in Russia, corruption in South Africa, the ongoing Ukraine war, escalating tensions in the South China Sea, and intense competition between Russia and China for influence in Central Asia through the SCO. Moreover, the world is seeking a viable alternative to the US dollar, which BRICS has yet to provide. Meanwhile, the BRI project faces Western propaganda against China. Despite the collective desire for autonomy, Asia still struggles for complete political and economic freedom. Similarly, West Africa battles neocolonialism and fights for control over its resources.
The Author, Haniya is a student of International Relations at International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI). Her expertise lies in analyzing great power competition and its implications on global politics and international relations.
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