President Joseph Biden opened the doors of Washington to receive nearly fifty leaders, members of so-called civil society and the private sector at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for three days of the week just ended, invited to the first US-Africa Summit since 2014 during Barack Obama’s presidency.
Eight years without any priority attention from US governments – apart from the involvement of AfriCom (Africa Command) in creating military links to cover its presence in this region and in the numerous armed conflicts that are bleeding dry some of the African nations cementing the war on terrorism – challenging the real purposes of the rush now.
The news media and the geopolitical study centers of the West point out that the US has warned that political and economic influences can escape in the rich continent in favor of other protagonists, a vision that consolidates the exploitative character, in search of great profits and World domination, which distinguishes him from the still powerful empire.
In reality, Washington is concerned that two other great powers, which it describes as enemies or at least adversaries, are increasing their influence on this continent, in particular Beijing, which has increased its trade ties and is also present in numerous infrastructure projects for growth and development for that matrix region of humanity, which does not need to be forgotten or belittled, which does not live by words and promises alone.
To charm the guests, Biden launched this sentence: “If Africa succeeds, the United States will succeed. Frankly, the whole world is succeeding too,” and previously pledged $55 billion to Africa over the next three years. It will thus be present in the areas of infrastructure, digitization and internet access. Also in matters of health and in the fight against climate change, which is raging on the continent. Also guarantee the African Union a seat in the G-20.
Much the same as what Barack Obama said in 2014, with virtually no effective results for the betterment and well-being of the African peoples other than US military presence, training, weapons and an increase in conflict. And now the return of the coups, because only in this year 2022 there are already six.
Meanwhile, his successor, Donald Trump, didn’t even know this continent existed, other than calling some African countries “shitholes,” an epithet he also included Haiti and El Salvador, to which he added his preference for Norwegian immigrants to come to the United States States, so without being paranoid, you could at least call it racist.
But that is not the case now. There is a new administration in Washington, that of Joe Biden, and he also took his time to think about Africa, only halfway through his tenure turning that shy and opportunistic gaze southeast across the Atlantic.
It is important to note that the President had put aside some of the African leaders and the “awe” of having them at the White House, particularly those governing the countries where elections will be held in 2023.
Jake Sullivan, his National Security Assistant, told the press that this meeting “was intended for a discussion of the upcoming 2023 presidential election in Africa and United States support for free, fair and credible elections across the continent.” Once again the hand that rocks the cradle… and rules the world, in its new political meaning of a claw of interference in the internal affairs of other countries, for this phrase has long since been regarded as Ross Wallace’s poem, written in 1865, to describe the immense value of women for human development.
“The Summit reiterated our determination to work with African governments, businesses and the public to strengthen ties between peoples, ensure more inclusive and responsive global institutions, build a strong and sustainable global economy, foster new technologies and innovations that… Strengthen health systems and prepare for the next pandemic, address food security and climate crises, support democracy and human rights, and promote peace and security.”
An aside or two in that statement that could be deciphered step-by-step: “Preparing for the next pandemic, addressing food safety.” The help the continent received with COVID-19 wasn’t much, but neither was the United States nor a Much of the world rises from the hand of solidarity that extends to 17 percent of the world’s population, where diseases such as malaria , HIV, tuberculosis and cholera have been suffering for years.
What about food safety? There, 239 million people suffer from malnutrition and 69 million suffer from acute food insecurity, according to data from 2020, the year of the outbreak of the coronavirus, which aggravated but did not cause a chronic situation, it was already there. think about it
The Miracle of the Century in the aforementioned statement, which the White House announced they were “appointing a new special presidential envoy to the implementation of the US-Africa Leadership Summit to coordinate implementation efforts,” and said for that position that State Department will appoint Ambassador Johnnie Carson, whose extensive diplomatic career, primarily in Africa, they reported and secured his credentials to “coordinate with representatives of the United States and African governments, civil society, the private sector and the diaspora to… to ensure that the important dialogues started during the Summit translate into lasting action.”
This journalistic curiosity prompted us to delve a little deeper into the pedigree of Ambassador Carson, who was also National Intelligence Officer for Africa at the National Intelligence Council, after serving as senior vice president at the National Defense University in Washington, DC (2003-2006); and long before that he also worked as a consultant in the Africa section of the State Office for Intelligence and Investigation Services (1971-1974). It is enough to use this data to deduce what is at stake.
The United States should learn what is at stake when it comes to relationships. It doesn’t remember the other from time to time or when it suits your interests or when you see them in danger. It doesn’t dictate what to do or how to do and be. It’s a matter of respect.