As the U.S. doubles down on tariffs and trade wars, African nations—particularly in the Sahel—find themselves at a critical juncture. The West calls its protectionism “economic security” and “national interest.” But when African states make similar moves to assert control over their land, labor, and futures, they are labeled authoritarian, unstable, or dangerous. Sovereignty for the West is lauded. Sovereignty for the South is a threat.

The truth is that protectionism has always been political. From Alexander Hamilton’s “infant industry” policies in the U.S. to South Korea’s strategic shielding of domestic industries in the 1960s and 1970s, protectionism has never been about fairness.

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