US Hosts Africa Summit as Aims to Counter Sino-Russian Influence

First modification: 12/14/2022 – 18:33

The three-day summit in Washington with nearly 50 leaders from that continent is the first visible link in a series of resolutions on that part of the planet where China and Russia have expanded their presence in the last decade.

After years and even decades of what some critics have described as abandonment of the African continent, US Vice President Kamala Harris opened the meeting on December 13, emphasizing the help that her government will provide to the population. young.

The meeting will last until December 15 and brings together representatives of countries such as Somalia, Niger and Angola, a nation rich in oil that has been a major recipient of Chinese investment in recent years and is even considering allowing the Asian giant to open in its territory one of its naval bases.

The measures with which Washington seeks to relaunch its relationship with Africa

Harris announced additional $100 million in aid to expand the Young African Leaders Initiative and said the US Export-Import Bank is expected to clear the way for another $1 billion in new trade financing in Africa.

The Democratic leader highlighted the need for these measures by ensuring that the demography of the continent will inevitably lead it to become a “key global player” in the coming decades. About 60% of Africa’s population is under 25 years of age and the youth population will grow to 80% by 2050.

“This represents enormous potential for the world in terms of economic growth and social and political progress,” Harris stressed at a leaders’ forum.

This is just the first step in the help with which the White House seeks to seduce the third largest continent on the planet and with a relevant geopolitical role.

Ahead of the summit, President Joe Biden announced his support for the African Union to become a permanent member of the G20 and appointed experienced diplomat Johnnie Carson to drive implementation of the range of initiatives.

In addition, the leader of the White House is expected to confirm before the end of the summit an official visit to several African countries, scheduled for next year.

Likewise, the US government promised the delivery of 55,000 million dollars over the next three years in “a wide range of sectors to address the main challenges of our time,” said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

The African representatives, for their part, have echoed the issues that most concern them: economy, global warming, health, education and security.

Africa, the apple at the center of the dispute between the US, Russia and China

The US push towards Africa is not accidental. This vast territory has increasingly become a battlefield for global influence.

The continent remains of great strategic importance as the United States recalibrates its foreign policy with a greater focus on Beijing, considered Washington’s main economic and military adversary.

The continent is also crucial to world powers due to its rapidly growing population, significant natural resources and supply of raw materials, including cobalt and lithium, crucial in making electric cars.

Added to this interest are fifty African nations that represent a juicy block of voters in the United Nations organization and international institutions. In recent years, many of those votes have supported the Asian giant and not the first power.

By contrast, China has shrewdly cultivated its relationship with that region for years.

Beijing maintains ties with the different governments of that continent regardless of their ideological inclinations, regimes or values, to the point that Africa is home to the first Chinese military base abroad, specifically in Djibouti, a mainly French and Arabic-speaking nation.

And US military sources suggest that Beijing is considering building a second base in Equatorial Guinea.

Chinese investments in the continent are also large in the construction of ports and railways, among others.

Russia has been involved to a lesser extent, but its influence on Africans is also increasingly important.

With AP and EFE