Ever since a “military coup” struck Mali in May 2021, Western powers have struggled for a way to counter what quickly revealed itself to be a wave of nationalist rebellions, which most recently struck Niger in July 2023. The series of coups in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Niger have effectively eliminated one former colonialist power, France, from power in the region, and also—either directly or indirectly—opened the door to Russian influence. A wave of U.S.-led (counter) diplomacy—preaching against the evils of authoritarianism and the blessings of “democracy”—is being unleashed onto the continent.
In November 2023, billboards began appearing along highways in Ghana, heralding the arrival of a “masked candidate” who would unify the opposition before the February 2024 Presidential election, and dethrone incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo. That candidate has now been revealed to be “wealthy Ghanaian businessman” Nano Kwame Bediako. 42-year-old Bediako, “whose father was remarkably wealthy,” was schooled in London, and now sits on top of Kwarleyz Group, building “Waukandaland"-type urban developments on three continents, in partnership with (among others) Siemens, the Oxford Business Group, and B&B Italia.
