US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was on a trip to Africa to reshape US strategy on the continent, gave an interview to RFI in Pretoria, South Africa. Antony Blinken mentions the war in Ukraine, the American influence in Africa, but also the ongoing tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is also expected from this Tuesday, August 9th for the remainder of his tour in the DRC before joining Rwanda.
Your visit to South Africa is coming to an end. They are now expected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and then in Rwanda. You have read the United Nations report documenting Rwandan soldiers’ involvement in attacks on Congolese soldiers in Congo in support of M23 rebels in North Kivu province. Rwanda rejects the conclusions of this report. Do you confirm the conclusions of the UN report? ?
I will primarily be speaking to leaders in both the DRC and Rwanda to try and help those who want to end the conflict and violence. And above all to support African initiatives and efforts, including the efforts of the outgoing Kenyan President Kenyatta, in a process in Nairobi to try to find a peaceful future, especially in the Congo in the east. For us, it is about knowing how we can be useful to prevent this violence, which not only continues but is accentuated in a very unfortunate way.
On our antenna, Congolese Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula stated that the United States must play a role in resolving this conflict. It also calls for sanctions from the international community. Are you ready for sanctions or are you at least calling for sanctions from the international community? And if not, what specific role can the United States play? ?
First of all, it’s up to our diplomacy to try to support the efforts already underway, including the SADC (Southern African Development Community), including the Nairobi Initiative, and it’s up to us to see how we can do that effort support, help them to find a diplomatic solution to prevent the violence in the long term. Because it’s a recurring crisis and I think we need to find a solution that’s really sustainable.
During the press conference with the South African Minister for International Relations, Naledi Pandor, there was talk of the lack of consistency on the part of the United States, which is able to both condemn and call for sanctions in certain conflicts, then remain calm in other conflicts. Does the case of Congo and Rwanda illustrate the double standards of the United States? ?
I think you have to see each challenge in its own detail. Depending on the challenge, we try to use the tools that we consider to be the most suitable and effective. It’s not always the same in one case or another, but we must indeed try to stay true to our principles and stay true to the goal we have. It’s about trying to find peace where there is conflict and avoiding conflict where there is peace.
After the Democratic Republic of the Congo we go to Rwanda. Will Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebels be on the menu of talks with President Paul Kagame? ?
I think that all support for armed groups of any kind must be stopped. It is not a way to promote peace, security and stability, quite the opposite. In any case, we will discuss this with the President.
In Rwanda there is an imprisoned American who has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, it is Paul Rusesabagina. He is known for inspiring the film Hotel Rwanda, but also for being an opponent of President Paul Kagame. Will you ask for his release?
Yes, however, unfortunately in some countries in the world there are Americans or American residents who are unjustly imprisoned. A priority for me, wherever it may be, is to try and work at home in the United States for her return.
Her trip to Africa follows that of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Does the US fear a loss of influence on the African continent?
I’m not here because there’s a competition with someone else. It’s not a trip, not just a trip, it’s not an American engagement in Africa because of another country, but on the contrary, because the future of the world will be determined in a very decisive way in Africa. And what we’re doing here is that we’re building partnerships, we’re trying to work together on the challenges that are really impacting the lives of our fellow citizens, whether it’s the challenge of Covid-19, whether it’s either the climate or the impact of new technologies on the lives of our citizens. So our concern is not at all to impose a choice, but to offer the countries in Africa a choice. And we have a very positive agenda for that future. I’ve had the opportunity to share a bit of our strategy for Africa here in South Africa and I’ll be speaking about it on other trips in the future.
It’s a trip where there’s a lot of talk about the war in Ukraine. You are in a country that refuses to talk about a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Did you have that candid conversation with Naledi Pandor, the South African Minister for International Relations? Have you tried moving the rows? ?
We often talk about it. It’s not the first time and we are, I think, on the most important principles together. What is happening in Ukraine is not only aggression against the Ukrainian people, it is also aggression against the principles that form the basis of the international system, which form the basis of the United Nations Charter, which applies to South Africa, including the countries , are very important across Africa. The idea that a country does not have the right to change another country’s borders by force, the idea that a country does not have the right to take another country’s territory is something that reverberates in Africa given Africa’s history. This imperialist aggression by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine is something that is linked to the history of many countries in Africa. And also there are consequences in Africa and around the world, particularly in terms of food, where there is an already existing global crisis because of the climate, then the Covid-19 and now the conflict. For me it’s very important to show everything we’re doing to try exactly to face this crisis with African countries. Very significant humanitarian aid since the Russian aggression, 6 billion dollars or almost since February, but above all investing in the future of agriculture in Africa, so that production is self-sufficient, so that if there is another crisis, Africa can cope more easily in the future.
It has been seven years since relations with South Africa were renewed in this way, the Minister for International Relations said. Has the former government’s Africa policy hurt Donald Trump’s insulting remarks about trying to restore ties on the African continent? ?
I focus on the present and the future. The past doesn’t matter. What is important is what we do today, what we will do together tomorrow. Today we resumed a very important strategic dialogue with South Africa because it focuses on issues that have a real impact on the lives of South Africans and Americans: health issues, climate issues, infrastructure investments, more global investments. So for us it’s today, it’s tomorrow, yesterday, it’s yesterday.
A final word. Kenyans are called to the polls to elect their new President. Is it a presidential election that the United States is particularly watching? ?
We are following this closely, as are many people across Africa and around the world. So far I think it looks very positive to have an election that is free, high turnout and free from violence. This is what the world expects, this is what Africa expects from this election and we will follow them closely.
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