The age of hybrid warfare: why is Azerbaijan promoting "decolonisation" of French territories

Actually it's the latest frontier in an old geopolitical battle

No, we’re not making it up. The French territory of New Caledonia, which voted democratically to remain as such in 2021, has been hit with unrest as pro-independence agitators have become emboldened by new sources of support, from seemingly unlikely places - namely the Aliyev regime in Azerbaijan.

So what motivates Azerbaijan to take interest in far away places? For one, France has been a staunch supporter of Armenia. While Azerbaijan has increasingly taken an interest in "decolonisation” and Third Worldist discourse, especially after taking on chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement. The regime even created the Baku Initiative Group to promote this goal.

Does this reflect the delusions of grandeur typical of corrupt despots? Or is Azerbaijan doing this on behalf of Russia, China and Turkey who have their own “Global South” projects? It’s not a new thing - this dates back to the Cold War, and Aliyev after all is the son of a high-ranking Communist Party and KGB figure, so will no doubt be well schooled in this kind of thing.

The use of separatist and decolonisation rhetoric was part of the Cold War, and it continues to be used in a new age of hybrid warfare - instead of wars, invasions and coups, agents of influence can be deployed to manufacture narratives and foment unrest where it suits geopolitical goals. And where major powers don’t do it themselves, it leaves the door open for other countries to do so.