Several factors influence the renewed interest in the region, including the impact of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, estimate the specialists at the Center for International Political Research (CIPI) in Cuba, Lucas Domingo Hernández and Rodobaldo Isasi Herrera, who Escáner offered her have appreciations.
It is worth noting, they said, that the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, due to its side effects, poses an additional threat to the national security of many African states.
However, they noted that competition between major international players in the region, such as the United States, Russia, China and the European Union, among others, could present an opportunity for the continent’s growth in terms of cooperation, trade and investment.
RECURRENT PRESENCE
Recent official and business visits to Africa by senior US officials have coincided with the presence in the region of senior officials from China, Russia and the West.
On this subject, the researchers pointed out that part of the major visits to Africa by senior US officials are aimed at renewing old alliances and establishing new influences.
Since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been to the African region twice.
The repeated stays of the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield; and the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Michael Hammer.
The experts emphasized that the recent presence of Vice President Kamala Harris in the countries of the region – Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia – who again promised financial aid to the region, should not be forgotten.
Added to this is the marathon list of visitors from western countries, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Amid the military operations, the White House accelerated the rollout of what was originally dubbed the US Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, which was the result of a systematic review of President Joseph Biden’s administration’s policies and interests.
The official presentation of this program took place in Pretoria at Blinken’s expense in August 2022, demonstrating South Africa’s importance to Washington bilaterally, coupled with a desire to enlist further support from the region, the scholars said.
The II. USA-Africa Summit, which will take place on December 13-15, 2022, will serve as an attempt to strengthen relations.
At the event – the analysts recalled – attended by 36 heads of state and government, nine prime ministers, four ministers and the President of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the White House pledged funds in of several million dollars to promote cooperation. Investment and trade on the continent.
In this context, Biden underscored Washington’s recognition of Africa’s role and place on the international stage, both economically, demographically and politically-diplomatically.
He also pledged to boost investment in human capital and reiterated his support for the AU’s permanent presence at G-20 (most developed economies) meetings and for African countries’ right to a permanent seat on the UN Council get security.
During the meeting, the northern country’s president also announced working visits to some of these states by members of his cabinet and senior officials, including himself, in 2023.
These trips, Isasi stressed, are based on honoring the agreements and memoranda of understanding signed during the summit, which are a priority for the nations of the region.
Following the forum, two high-level North American delegations visited the African region last January.
In this context, Finance Minister Janet Yellen visited Senegal, Zambia and South Africa, while the Ambassador to the United Nations visited Thomas-Greenfield, Somalia, Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya.
On a noteworthy note, Hernández said, the US Treasury Secretary contrasted Washington’s policy on Africa with Russia and China, blaming Moscow and Beijing for the negative economic impact that the armed conflict has caused on the continent’s debt and debt, respectively.
On the other hand, the Russian special operation in Ukraine and the international complexities it entailed led the continent to adopt its own perspective and weigh its own interests, they stressed.
Hence the calls from African leaders with proposals for negotiation and resolution of the military conflict, both inside and outside the multilateral arena, with South Africa at the fore.
Such nations range from the state of the latter country, a member of the G-20, and the Brics countries (group of emerging economies with great potential consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), the continent’s largest economy, as well that it is Washington’s most important economic and trading partner in the region.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the North American reaction, the European Union (EU) and Kiev, in turn, allowed the leaders of the above geographic area to reflect on the double standards applied by the West in the concepts of war and refugees.
That reality, among other factors, could confirm the assumed abstention pattern and other considerations, Isasi and Hernández predicted in their statements to Escáner.
They judged that the foregoing also reaffirmed African militancy within the Non-Aligned Movement and in the G77+China (broad and diverse consultative group), to which, notoriously, would also be added the longstanding relationship with Moscow with Cuba in the process of national liberation of the continent.
Added to this is the bilateral relationship between Beijing and Moscow with their interlocutors on the ground, without political conditioning, an attitude that makes a difference in relation to Washington and the EU.
In this regard, Isasi pointed out that “the help offered by the White House will always be linked to its political interests, but in the case of China there will always be a win-win equation, based on respect for its trading partners”.
AFRICA AT THE CENTER OF THE GOAL
We also believe that the Russian military operation has put Africa at the center of competition between major players present in the region, such as China, the United States, the European Union and Russia, the researchers pointed out.
Therein, they asserted, is related the majority trend of the African voter abstention pattern in the face of condemnatory actions and resolutions sponsored by Washington and the European Union, as well as sanctions sponsored against Moscow.
The renewed commitment of the North American government and the EU itself, particularly France, to gain the continent’s political support, particularly on the issue of future voting by multilateral organizations, is forcing Moscow and Beijing – seen as Russian allies – not to neglect issues such as cooperation, Trade and investment, the researchers conclude.
The forecast is important given that the US government has allocated around $13 billion in emergency relief and food aid in 2022 with the ostensible purpose of “mitigating” the negative impact of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
Faced with this latest reflection by the US authorities, many, including Moscow, reiterate that in the current situation of the world economic crisis, which is having a significant impact on Africa, the tightening Western sanctions against Russia are crucial.
Plus something some are dying to forget: this is the continent that has been the most plundered, exploited and outraged by Western powers in more than two centuries. It was the African slaves and natural resources of this region that helped enrich the world’s largest economies.
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