As the 16th BRICS Summit unfolds in Kazan, Russia, the addition of Egypt and Ethiopia to the bloc has reignited global interest in BRICS’ potential to challenge Western dominance. Prof. Macharia Munene, a renowned historian and International Relations expert at the US International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), dismissed the notion that Russia is isolated on the world stage, pointing to the strong attendance at the summit as evidence to the contrary.
Prof. Munene described the BRICS coalition—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—as a powerful counterforce to Western hegemony, one that offers emerging markets and developing nations, particularly in Africa, a platform to assert their interests on the global stage.
“The emergence of BRICS as a counterforce is a very welcome phenomenon,” Prof. Munene told Sputnik Africa. “Countries are looking at BRICS as an alternative way to leverage their interests in global affairs.”
He emphasized the growing economic clout of the BRICS bloc, which has now surpassed the combined GDP of the G7 industrialized nations, underscoring BRICS’ economic power and its influence as a major player in the global economy. “The fact that the combined GDP is bigger than the G7 is a force in itself,” he noted.
Munene also highlighted the bloc’s move toward de-dollarization, particularly through the potential adoption of digital currencies. As more countries seek alternatives to the US dollar, BRICS is positioning itself to challenge the dollar’s global dominance. “Policymakers will be looking for an alternative to the dollar, and BRICS is providing that alternative,” Munene said.
Looking ahead, Munene believes BRICS will play a critical role in reshaping the global order, especially for emerging markets and developing nations. For African nations, he stressed the need for internal reforms to become more attractive trade partners within the BRICS framework, which he sees as the “winning side” in the evolving global landscape.
As BRICS continues to expand, Munene’s perspective reflects growing enthusiasm for the bloc’s potential to provide a more balanced, multipolar world order, where emerging economies can thrive without reliance on Western-led structures.
