Africa and the Global South in the New World Order

Zachariah Mampilly, the Marxe Endowed Chair of International Affairs at Baruch College and professor of Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, joins The Thought Project to unpack the effects of the new world order on Africa and the Global South. Mampilly explains that outdated racial and colonial frameworks continue to shape international relations and discusses how countries in Africa and the broader Global South are often sidelined or instrumentalized by global powers like China and Russia. He addresses the rising challenges for these regions, including foreign interventions, resource extraction, and the enduring effects of Western imperialism. Mampilly also reflects on Sudan’s devastating conflict, the manipulation of African nations by external forces, and the missed opportunities for genuine engagement and leadership from the West. In a moment of global upheaval, he asks whether the Global South can assert new forms of influence — or if old hierarchies will simply be repackaged.