Hawzah News Agency- Addressing a massive gathering of tens of thousands of Muslims during the annual Martyrs’ Day ceremony in the northern Nigerian city of Zaria, Sheikh Zakzaky said recent developments across the African continent point to the implementation of what Western powers themselves have described as the “Second Scramble for Africa.”
Referring to historical precedents, he recalled the Berlin Conference, during which European colonial powers formally divided Africa among themselves, stressing that the same scenario is now being repeated in a different form.
“The world powers announced years ago that the coming century would be the ‘African Century,’ not for the benefit of Africans, but because Africa possesses nearly two-thirds of the world’s natural wealth,” Sheikh Zakzaky stated. “For this reason, they have decided to reoccupy the continent.”
He accused the United States of openly declaring terrorism as a tool for advancing its strategic objectives in Africa, arguing that ongoing conflicts across the continent reflect the practical execution of this policy.
Sheikh Zakzaky cited Libya as an early example, saying the country was destroyed following popular uprisings in the Arab world, leaving behind prolonged instability, tribal conflict and bloodshed, while foreign powers exploit its resources. He noted similarities between Libya and Nigeria, particularly the presence of high-quality “sweet crude” oil, which he said has long been under foreign control through compliant local officials.
Turning to Mali, he described the French military intervention as a pretext for resource exploitation, particularly gold reserves historically associated with the era of Mansa Musa. He also pointed to violence in the Central African Republic, attributing sectarian massacres to fabricated narratives aimed at justifying foreign military involvement and access to diamond resources.
Sheikh Zakzaky further criticized the manipulation of tribal and religious divisions in South Sudan and Nigeria, singling out the Boko Haram insurgency as an externally engineered project. He claimed that even Western analysts have acknowledged the group’s artificial origins, asserting that incidents such as the kidnapping of schoolgirls were used to legitimize foreign intervention.
“The real terrorism,” he said, “is the same force that destroyed Afghanistan and Iraq under false pretexts and continues to plunder nations’ wealth.”
He warned Nigerian and African leaders against cooperating with foreign powers, stating that rulers who sacrifice their people for personal gain ultimately face the same fate as figures such as Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi.
Describing resistance as both a moral and religious obligation, Sheikh Zakzaky emphasized that faith, awareness and perseverance remain the primary tools of opposition. He concluded by praying for protection, steadfastness and eventual victory in the face of what he described as an escalating campaign against Africa and its people.
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