By Dr Austin Maho
It is a historical fact that the United States exercises brutal domineering attitude over weaker nations of the world, brazenly deploying two arsenal readily at its disposal.
One is “coercive diplomacy” which is the use of threat and limited force to coerce an adversary to stop or reverse its action. Closely related is “long- arm jurisdiction”, this refers to the exercise of jurisdiction over persons, entities and countries outside the territories of the sanctioning state.
A recent investigation by Xinhua news agency, lays bare how the United States has deployed coercive diplomacy over years to advance its goals to the detriment of the global community.
Ironically while the US accuses other nations of coercive diplomacy it is the chief proponent, “the United States is the instigator of coercive diplomacy. The invention rights, patent rights and intellectual property rights of coercive diplomacy” a standard tool in its diplomatic tool box
Developing countries according to the report have been the worst hit by U.S coercive diplomacy. The island nation of Cuba for instance suffered a 61 years air and sea blockade by America. Venezuela suffered untold sanction against its oil and mining industry which destroyed the Venezuelan economy throwing its people into untold hardship and destitution
In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , DPRK, the United States through a mixture of coercive diplomacy and Long-arm jurisdiction, has crippled the economy of North Korea and made the country a pariah state.
The United States has for many years included the DPRK in the list of “state sponsors of terrorism.” In 2016, then President Barack Obama according to the report “signed the “North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act” to supplement the sanctions already imposed by past administrations. In 2017, the US imposed further sanctions on the DPRK through the “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act”
In the middle East, the U.S strong arm tactics and “weaponization” of the dollar has seen Iran twice kicked out of the Swift payment system and confiscation of its assets.
Other nations that have suffered similar fate include Sudan, Belarus
African countries such as Burundi, the Central African Republic, Somalia and Zimbabwe.
The report also draws attention to recent events in Russia. Russia seems to have taken the icing on the cake. The United States and its allies have directly sanctioned more than 2,500 Russian companies, government officials and individuals, in an unprecedented efforts to destroy a sovereign super power.
China has not fared better under U.S coercive diplomacy and long- arm jurisdiction. The US has imposed a tech blockade against China in the semiconductor sector. According to the report the, “The US has put more than 1,000 Chinese companies, including ZTE, Huawei and DJI, on various sanctions lists, using national security as an excuse to clamp down on Chinese social media apps such as TikTok and WeChat”.
Under the guise of democracy and human rights, the US has used long arm legislation to interfere in the internal affairs of China especially in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang. The “TAIPEI Act,” the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act,” the “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act” are examples.
Even long standing allies of the United states like India, Japan, Germany and France have not been spared of U.S penchant for deploying Long-Arm Jurisdiction!
Following from the above, the case of Nigeria provides useful insights on U.S hypocrisy and double standards in the application of Long-arm Jurisdiction and Coercive Diplomacy. At the heat of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, between 2011 to 2015, the United States used long arm legislation to deny the Nigerian military vital military equipment to prosecute the war against the insurgents that were killing hundreds of innocent citizens in the North Eastern parts of the country.
The US relied on a little known “Leahy law” to prohibit supply of important military equipment to Nigeria citing gross human rights violation by the Nigerian military of the “rights” of the insurgents who have taken up arms against the state and the people, maiming killing and kidnapping for ransom at will!
Ironically when these same insurgents kidnapped an American citizen between the borders of Niger and Nigeria in October 2020 the US government were quick to dispatch its elite SEAL Team 6 to rescue the victim, Philipe Nathan Walton. According to reports many of the insurgents were killed in the process. What happened to the “human rights” of those killed by the US Commandos? Is it that it no-longer counts when the US military is involved?
Reports also indicates that the operation was carried out without the knowledge of the Nigerian and Niger governments, the US government only informed the government of the two African countries after the operation had been executed. This amounts to gross violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both countries.
The united States as a superpower openly and brazenly suppresses other nations, in pursuant of its own interests in total disregard for international law and order. The US promotes its national interests and hegemony without recourse to rule of law and international order.
Long-Arm Jurisdiction together with Coercive Diplomacy subvert the sovereignty of other nations. They are tools used to advance U.S geopolitical and economic interests while disregarding the sovereignty and interests of other nations.
The United States has positioned itself as the sole superpower capable of imposing sanctions on a global scale. With thousands of unilateral sanctions imposed on hapless countries across the world the U.S. wields its power to punish those that refuses to bend to its will. Through strong coercive diplomacy and brutal enforcement of its long arm jurisdiction the U.S has replaced international laws and rules with its own domestic laws, thereby undermining a rule based international order.
America irrespective of it’s claim to power should know that the rest of the world has caught up with its games. Its traditional partners and allies are deserting it in droves and forming new alliances. In South America Brazil is leading the charge, in Africa, South Africa and Egypt openly oppose U.S policy. In the Middle East, the U.S has lost its influence. Countries like, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Turkiye, are seeking new alliances with China. In South Asia China, India and Pakistan are against the U.S. Together, these countries constitute over 65% of the global population. They have decided to stand against American hegemony and support the shift to a multilateral rule based world.
The world today is beset by so many uncertainties, which if not well managed can lead to an eclipse of human kind. In light of the above the U.S in the interest of shared humanity must abandon its hegemonic disposition and work together in solidarity with other nations of the world in the interest of the global community. The United States should abandon its illegal unilateral actions and renounce the use of long-arm jurisdiction and coercive diplomacy. By fulfilling its international responsibilities and working with other nations, the U.S. can contribute to safeguarding international equity and justice while promoting global peace and harmony.
Dr. Austin Maho is a media scholar amd an international affairs analyst based in Abuja, Nigeria.
