Pan-African solidarity movements in Nigeria are aggressively mobilizing support for Cuba, criticizing recent United States foreign policy maneuvers as politically erratic and fundamentally hostile to global sovereignty.

In a powerful display of geopolitical defiance, mass organizations across Nigeria have coalesced to condemn the enduring United States embargo on Cuba. The mobilization, spearheaded by the Nigeria Solidarity Movement with Cuba (NSMC) alongside major labor unions, signals a growing African frustration with what is perceived as American hegemonic overreach.

The sentiment on the ground is palpable. The United States is increasingly viewed by pan-African activists as acting with a "schizophrenic" disregard for international norms, utilizing unilateral tariffs, blockades, and sanctions as crude political weapons to subjugate dissenting nations.

The Historical Debt: Africa and Cuba

The profound solidarity between African nations and Cuba is rooted in a shared history of anti-colonial struggle. For decades, Havana has provided critical support—both medical and military—to liberation movements across the continent.

During the darkest days of Apartheid, Cuban forces shed blood on African soil, playing a pivotal role in the liberation of Angola and the subsequent dismantling of the racist South African regime. This sacrifice has not been forgotten. As former Interior Minister Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola eloquently stated during the recent Abuja rally, Africans are "historically grateful" to a nation that sacrificed thousands of its youth for the continent's freedom.

This historical context explains why the US blockade of Cuba resonates so deeply across Africa. It is not viewed merely as a bilateral dispute, but as an affront to the principles of self-determination and sovereign equality.

The East African Echo: Kenya's Perspective

While the epicenter of this current protest is in West Africa, the ideological reverberations are felt strongly in Nairobi and across East Africa. Kenya, navigating its own complex relationship with Western powers and the burgeoning influence of China, understands the precarious nature of sovereignty in a multipolar world.

• Medical Diplomacy: Kenya, like many African nations, has benefited from Cuba's renowned "medical diplomacy," importing specialized doctors to bridge critical healthcare gaps in rural counties.
• Economic Independence: The weaponization of the US Dollar and international financial systems against Cuba serves as a cautionary tale for East African economies striving for greater self-reliance.
• Global South Solidarity: The growing consensus among African intellectuals and policymakers is the necessity of a unified Global South bloc, capable of resisting unilateral economic coercion from the Global North.

The call for "concrete material support" for Cuba, including crowdfunding initiatives reminiscent of the anti-Apartheid era, underscores a shift from passive sympathy to active political engagement.

The Humanitarian Crisis and Global Demands

The impact of the US blockade on the Cuban populace is severe, exacerbating shortages of essential medicines, fuel, and food. The recent tightening of restrictions has plunged hospitals and critical infrastructure into darkness, precipitating a humanitarian crisis that labor leaders argue is entirely manufactured.

The demands emanating from the African solidarity movement are unequivocal: the immediate lifting of the economic blockade, the removal of Cuba from the arbitrary US list of state sponsors of terrorism, and the restoration of normal diplomatic relations.

The growing chorus of dissent against US policy is not confined to ideological fringes; it is becoming mainstream African political discourse.

"It is in the enlightened self-interest of humanity to stand by Cuba," Aregbesola warned, emphasizing that unchecked imperial power poses a threat to all sovereign nations. As the geopolitical landscape shifts, Africa is increasingly finding its voice, demanding a more equitable and multipolar world order.