More than 60 African leaders will join US President Biden in December for the second “US-Africa Leaders Summit.” It was announced simultaneously in virtual remarks by Vice President Kamala Harris to the US-Africa Business Summit in Marrakesh, Morocco. The first summit was hosted by President Obama in 2014, eight years after it was first announced; more than 50 African presidents attended. This summit indicates America’s increased attention to the continent as more global powers become active, particularly following the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Shifts in US foreign policy
The US foreign policy on Africa has changed under Biden compared to Trump. This shift could be outlined in 3 key aspects:
1. Increased visits:
By November 2021, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had visited many African countries including Senegal, Kenya and Nigeria. His trip had come a few days earlier to the FOCAC, China’s economic forum for deepening its strategic partnerships in Africa. Blinken started a second trip to Africa early this month. South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo are on his itinerary to discuss their positions on Russia’s operation in Ukraine. Also, Blinken attempts to mediate in the Congo-Rawanda border conflict where the M23 rebel group has expanded its control in the North Kivu province in the eastern part of Congo. Various media reports mentioned that the US efforts in Africa to diplomatically isolate Russia.
Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is visiting Ghana and Uganda, following a visit by Administrator of the US Agency for International Development Samantha Power to Somalia and Kenya.
2. Development Initiatives:
The US is investing heavily in Africa. At the US-Africa business summit that began July 2022 in Morocco, Alice Albright, chief executive of US development agency Millennium Challenge Corporation, said Washington “is seeking to catalyse billions of dollars in trade and investment, creating jobs, and building inclusive, sustainable economic growth and prosperity” across Africa.
Earlier, Biden announced a USD 80 billion initiative summer of 2021 dubbed “Prosper Africa”. Congress had extended the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, until 2025. Under this legislation, African countries are exempt of customs no more than 6500 products exported to the US. During his first 10 months in office Biden proposed a couple initiatives targeting infrastructure and health. At the G7 summit in Germany held in June, Biden proposed a new $600 billion initiative, The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which aims to deliver “game-changing” projects to close the infrastructure gap in developing countries, strengthen the global economy and supply chains, and advance US national security”. Countries in Africa, the announcement goes, would receive more than USD 200 billion worth of investments over the next 5 years to upgrade its infrastructure and revitalise the private sector. Experts note that the initiative is in fact US attempt to challenge China’s Belt and Road. Biden’s administration also pledged more than 50 million doses of Corona vaccine to 43 countries in Africa. Other investments in climate change, education, and health were also announced.
It is unclear, however, whether the US could deliver on its promises. The global initiative seems to have received a facelift of G7’s Build Back Better World, announced June 2021, but which was not passed through Congress. Whether Congress is going to take a liking to the new proposal is yet to be seen.
3. Military reinforcement:
The US is sending 6500 troops to Africa in a mission to provide counterterrorism training to “ally nations”. Ivory Coast hosted Flintlock, US-led military training which was established in 2015. More than 400 service members from 10 African partners and allied partners participated. The goal was “to strengthen the ability of key partner nations in the region to counter violent extremist organizations, collaborate across borders and provide security for the people of Africa”, AFRICOM’s website says.
Washington’s raison d’état
A brew of political, strategical, and security factors have led to change in US policy on Africa, noted as follows:
1. Biden’s Africa policy:
Abandoning Trump’s protectionist strategy, Biden wants to restore America’s global role. He must begin in Africa, therefore, for Africa-US relations has deteriorated under Trump, whose travel ban– infamously named “Muslim ban” – listed several African countries including Nigeria, the continent’s biggest country, and Chad, a US security partner.
Biden’s strategy, by contrast, focuses on supporting human rights, countering terrorism, and facing Russia and China’s growing influence in the continent. Trump may have proclaimed similar goals in Africa, but his approach was far more pragmatic and parochial to civil conflict, epidemics, or terrorist attacks.
2. The ‘new’ scramble for Africa:
Since the beginning of Russia’s operation in Ukraine, global powers have turned to Africa for much needed energy and food resources. Hoping to win African countries to their bloc, the West, led by the US, have realised the vacuum is rapidly being filled by other global actors. Russia’s trade with Africa has increased 35% since this year. African countries were invited June 2022 to a remarkable summit in Sochi where Russian President Vladimir Putin met presidents of the African Union, its Commission, and the president Senegal. Sergey Lavrov just the month of July visited Egypt, Uganda, Congo, and Ethiopia. Speaking to African media, Lavrov said, “Western and Ukrainian propaganda that accuses Russia of allegedly 'exporting hunger' is completely groundless”.
China has grown its trade with Africa multi fold, becoming the continent’s largest trade partner. By 2019, one in every five projects are financed by China; one in every three infrastructure projects were built by China. Senegal hosted the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation, held every three years. Attending virtually was President Xi. He pledged $40 billion in financial investments, and to increase imports of African goods to USD 300 billion within three years.
3. Africa’s wealth of resources:
The continent is being seen as the world’s hope out of the current global food crisis. Endued with vast arable lands, mostly intact, would supply much of the world’s food needs. Europe is looking to end its reliance on Russian fossil fuels. Italy, to this end, has struck deals with Angola and Congo; Germany is looking to secure its energy supplies from Senegal.
Five of the ten world’s fastest economies are in Africa, according to an International Monetary Fund released in 2019. African markets remain largely untapped; its demography is mostly young and is expected to reach 2 billion people by 2050. The US is late to the European and Chinese competition to capture the African market.
Africa has become a key destination for global leaders in recent years, including US President Joe Biden, who hopes to restore America’s global position. As global competition stiffens in the African market, US wants to secure its share of the new Scramble for Africa – especially as the Russian-Ukrainian war shifts the global balance for power.
