ABUJA, NIGERIA — Organised labour across Africa has expressed deep concern over statements made by United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference in February 2026, which they say pose a threat to the continent’s sovereignty and development. Okay News reports.
The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), representing millions of workers across the continent, criticised Rubio’s remarks praising the legacy of Western powers and advocating a revival of Western influence. The organisation described the statements as “insulting and dangerous.”
In a statement, ITUC-Africa General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie said, “The United States’ call to revive Western influence is not charity. Empire was never benevolent. It was an extraction system that left Africa fractured and exploited.”
The labour body pointed to historical and current examples of US foreign intervention, citing Venezuela, Cuba, Palestine, Syria, and South Africa, where sanctions, regime changes, and political pressure have caused economic and social harm. ITUC-Africa warned that such strategies are part of a wider approach to exert influence through economic pressure, debt, and political manipulation.
The statement stressed that internal challenges such as corruption, inequality, poor governance, and ethnic divisions in African countries can be exploited by foreign powers. It urged workers to remain vigilant, organised, and united, and called on trade unions to foster solidarity, resist divisions based on ethnicity, religion, or politics, and advocate for policies that promote decent jobs, industrial growth, and economic independence.
“History has shown us that when African workers stand united, Africa stands strong. We must be strategic, not manipulated; united, not divided. Africa Unite. Our future is ours to defend — and ours to build,” the statement concluded.
ITUC-Africa emphasised that Africa should not become a playground for geopolitical games and highlighted the need for political, economic, and social vigilance to safeguard the continent’s sovereignty.
