Africa-Press – Seychelles. The United States wants a “true partnership” with Africa, declared today in Pretoria the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, underlining Washington’s commitment to “overcoming” the influence of other world powers on the continent.
“What we’re looking for is a true partnership between the United States and Africa. We don’t want an unbalanced or transactional relationship,” Blinken said at a press conference shared with his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor.
Blinken arrived in South Africa at dawn on Sunday, for the start of his second official trip to Africa, which will then take him to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and Rwanda.
Blinken will also outline Washington’s strategic vision for the continent in a speech at the University of Pretoria this afternoon, but the details of the document have already been released.
The United States today unveiled the Joe Biden administration’s US policy framework for sub-Saharan Africa, where it intends to counter the Russian and Chinese presence and develop non-military approaches to terrorism.
The new strategy, which recognizes Africa’s growing demographic importance, its weight in the United Nations and its immense natural resources and opportunities, responds to growing criticism that the emphasis on US foreign policy in a military stance to fight extremist movements in Africa have not produced the expected results.
“The United States has a strong interest in ensuring that the region remains open and accessible to all, and that governments and people can make their own political choices (…). Open societies are generally more likely to work with the United States, attract more U.S. trade and investment (…) and counter the harmful activities of the People’s Republic of China, Russia, and other foreign actors,” the new document maintains.
Entitled “US Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa,” the document details four five-year objectives: fostering open societies; provide democratic and security dividends; work on pandemic recovery and economic opportunity; support climate preservation and adaptation and a just energy transition.
Africa has played a secondary role in US foreign policy, a record that the new US administration hopes to change and begin to implement at a US-Africa summit, scheduled for December 13 in Washington.
The document also expresses several complaints from the White House against the policies developed by Beijing and Moscow in Africa.
It suggests that Beijing is using the continent as an “arena to challenge the rules of the international order, advance its narrow commercial and geopolitical interests … and weaken US relations with African peoples and governments.”
As for Russia, Washington says that Moscow “sees the region as a permissive environment for parastatal and private military companies, often creating instability with the aim of extracting strategic and financial advantages”, according to the document, which also accuses Russia of make use of “disinformation”.
The reference to the role of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, accused by the West of various abuses, particularly in the Central African Republic and Libya, although veiled, is clear.
The document also suggests the need for a growing effort to “stop the recent wave of authoritarianism and military coups, working with allies and partners in the region to respond to democratic setbacks and human rights violations.”
The United States finally expresses its intention to use its “unilateral capability” – read “military” – against terrorist targets, “only where it is lawful and where the threat is most pressing”, but bets on “effective approaches led by civilians whenever possible”.
US support for the region’s recovery from the severe economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic “is a prerequisite for regaining Africa’s confidence in the global leadership of the United States”, the document adds.
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