Mthobeli Jiwulane

Never in the history of the US foreign policy had Africa been so high on the Agenda of Washington than now.

For the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to touch on so numerous African capitals within the last seven months is itself a record in American diplomacy. Africa continued to be in the backburner of any US administration whether it’s a Republican or Democratic President in the White House.

As the two world powerful nations, the US and Russia wake up to realise the need for their new scramble for Africa, they, with China as another force, have actually turned Africa into a battleground in their new cold war.

If Blinken’s intention to round the continent since August last year was to counter the Russian and China’s influence in Africa he had been so good at hiding it, perhaps only discussing in hushed tones behind-the-scenes with his host countries such as Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum or merely answering specific questions relating to Ukraine during at press conferences.

The way he handled it left you guessing about whether he had a hidden agenda to come barely a month on the heels of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov who visited Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo last July. He also held discussions with the Arab League’s secretary general o and was invited to address the organization in Cairo.

Blinken’s recent and previous tours of Africa and the Middle East almost traced Lavrov’s foot-steps both in pattern and intent. Blinken came to South Africa in August last year and Lavrov followed in January this year.

Blinken’s sojourns in the middle of raging war between Russia and Ukraine which is trained and armed by the US. At the same time China and Russia continue to grow their hegemonies in Africa, which political scientists in South Africa believe is the cause of Blinken frequenting Africa.

The experts say that Blinken’s third leg visit to Africa this week was scheduled on the eve of the crucial BRICS Summit to be held in South Africa and tri-nation military joint drills involving South Africa, Russia and China in Durban soon, was no coincidence. The timing was significant for it was disturbing to the US that South Africa would be hosting Russia in particular on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

The stance taken by many Africa countries including South Africa on the Russian invasion of Ukraine left no doubt that the days of American dominance in Africa are numbered. Blinken’s whirl-wind rounding of Africa since last year was the US expression of worry at losing its grip on continent while Russia and China are busy strengthening their respective hegemonies on the continent.

Blinken had tried to hide his intentions during his latest visits which took him to West, Central and East Africa including Ethiopia where he also held talks with African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat. But he gave it away when he discussed security matters particularly Ukraine with President Bazoum of Niger on Thursday.

Blinken was forthright but not detailed about the strategic relations the US had with Niger which it supported with arms.

Niger, which established diplomatic ties with US in 1960 received an extra-ordinary humanitarian and development aid from Washington as its ally that were announced this week and in September last year.

The US announced $150 million in new humanitarian assistance for Niger and other countries throughout the Sahel region to address humanitarian needs in west and central Africa and the Sahel, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.

Niger is the largest recipient of State Department military assistance in West Africa and the second highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. The US planned to spend over R500 million under its 2022 bilateral assistance for Niger’s food security; education; democracy and governance; and health and security assistance.

This includes $9 million in supplemental funding to address increased food insecurity. This incorporates a massive multi-dimensional initiative by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) involving the Sustainable Water and Agriculture Compact approved last year. It would include the largest irrigation perimeter, satellite imaging, and hydrogeological assessments. The $442 million MCC compact with Niger, was also targeted to assist in the fight against climate change.

In the financial year 2022, the MCC board of directors approved the agency’s first-ever concurrent regional compacts with Niger and Benin respectively. The proposed regional compacts were designed to reduce transportation costs and improve operations along the corridor between Niamey and the Port of Cotonou in Benin.

Nearly $135.4 million was for bilateral humanitarian assistance from US to Niger in the financial year 2022. It would focus on refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities in Niger including those fleeing conflict and instability.

In September 2022, USAID announced new funding for Niger totalling $44 million to respond to the food insecurity crisis caused resulting from a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate shocks, protracted conflict and humanitarian crises, and global food prices.

Following his talks with Blinken, President Bazoum of Niger pledged to prioritize anti-corruption efforts in Niger, to support democratic principles and economic growth.

The US also targeted East Africa where an in-person negotiating round under the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) would be held in Kenya from 17-20 April 2023. US Assistant Trade Representative Connie Hamilton will lead a US delegation that would include representatives from several other U.S. government agencies.

Discussions would centre on trade areas set out in the first round July 14, 2022 joint statement made at the launch of the STIP initiative. The partnership’s goal is to increase investment; promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth to benefit workers, consumers, and businesses including small enterprises,

In another development and as sequel to Blinken’s first visit in August last year, South Africa, is to benefit from a new announcement by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the area of vocational and technical education.

The US said approximately 20 South African college administrators and officials would be identified to travel to the United States for an in-depth professional development seminar. The seminar would examine and share perspectives on innovative programs at U.S. community colleges that address workforce development needs in 2024.  

With all these announcements and more that he made in other countries to visit this week and last year, it is clear that the US had realised its neglect of Africa for several decades. Blinken had decided to start from scratch, with the first things first – humanitarian aid, development before he elevated it to the strategic matters.

But he would find it difficult to catch up with China and Russia that would have hardened their grips on Africa by the time the US is fully consolidated its forces on the continent, if at all.