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After Biden’s trip to Africa
LONDON, UK
DURING my time in London, United Kingdom, this past week, I reflected on US President Joe Biden’s recent trip to Angola. It was an important trip, in my opinion. The objective of Biden’s trip was to “highlight an ambitious U.S.-backed railway project meant to counter China’s influence on the continent of over 1.4 billion people.”, AP reported.
The Africa-US relations need to be revived. The US needs to strengthen its influence in the African continent – where China’s and Russia’s influence has been growing rapidly over the past two decades.
In one of my recent columns, after my visit to Prague, Czech Republic, I wrote that the Africa-West relations need a reset. This reset, I believe, should be led by the US.
Russia’s and China’s footprint in Africa needs to be welcomed with caution, in my opinion. China and Russia are repressive regimes whose mission, amongst many things, is to spread dictatorial methods of governance in Africa.
Repressive rule has a horrendous record in post-colonial Africa. It is one of the reasons why Africa is still the poorest continent in the world.
President Bill Clinton’s AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) is US’s Africa signature program.
AGOA has been helpful in allowing African producers access to US market.
Other important US programs in Africa are PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), Power Africa, and Prosper Africa. These programs are aimed at improving the lives of Africans.
However, China now seems to have a bigger influence than the US in Africa. The China-financed projects have skyrocketed in Africa over the past two decades. Africa’s biggest creditor and trade partner is China. The US comes far behind.
Russians seem to be gaining support amongst Africans. There have been protests where Africans were carrying the Russian flag. At the first anniversary event of uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) in Durban this past week, I saw a Russian flag in the crown.
A European Union “study showed that Russia secured access to gold and diamonds in the Central African Republic, cobalt in Congo, gold and oil in Sudan, chromite in Madagascar, platinum and diamonds in Zimbabwe, and uranium in Namibia.”, according to PBS.
The truth is that the US is losing to China in Africa, with Russia increasing its influence as well.
In Prague, I learned that Western politics experts are aware that the West has lost ground to China in Africa. So, more work needs to be done to strengthen Africa-US relations.
What Africans can expect from President Trump?
At the G20 Summit in Brazil last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa invited US President-elect Donald Trump to South Africa for a state visit in 2025. Trump will be here in South Africa for the G20 Summit next year. South Africa is chairing next year’s G20 summit.
South Africa remains the most developed market in Sub-Saharan Africa and produces more than 70% of world’s platinum. The relationship between South Africa and the US has been contentious in recent years – over Ukraine-Russia war and South Africa’s support for Hamas in the Middle East. This tension needs to be diffused as soon as possible.
The US is South Africa’s second biggest trade partner behind China.
Trump, I believe, must confront South Africa’s government for its support for Hamas. The ANC-Hamas relationship is not of interest to South Africans and Americans.
I expect Trump to continue with his Prosper Africa Initiative, harnessing it to levels that accelerates economic development in Africa. Of course, the acceleration is only possible with determined African leaders committed to institutional reform.
President Trump’s administration should also work closely with organizations that promote good governance in Africa. The impediment to prosperity in Africa is lack of good governance.
What Africa needs is investment, both local and international, with good institutions of governance. The trade with foreign nations must be transactional. They sell the products we need, we have our natural resources they need.
With that said, I do not expect President Trump to pay much attention to Africa during his second term, and that is okay. The US has geopolitical hotspots that are of greater interest to it than Africa.
America’s greatest threats are not in Africa at the moment. On top of the priority list for President Trump will be the Middle East, Europe, and China. His neighbours Canada and Mexico will also be the focus, as he has threatened them with tariffs should they not stop illegal migrations and sale of fentanyl in the US.
President Trump’s presidency should be viewed as an opportunity to reset US-Africa relations. There are many opportunities between the two regions. A popular United States in Africa, trading and investing, is good for Africa. PM
This article was first published on Politicsweb.co.za. Buy Phumlani’s book Lessons from Past Heroes here, and subscribe to his YouTube channel here.
© PHUMLANI M. MAJOZI