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United States President Joe Biden recently ended a three-day summit with 49 African nations in Washington. It was supposed to convince them that their countries were an absolute priority for America. However, Russia and China’s growing influence in Africa is the impetus for what is characterized as a feeble counter to their impact. For example, one report puts China’s trade with Africa at $261 Billion vs. U. S. trade with Africa at $64 Billion.
This summit was flawed in several respects.
Firstly, at this summit, there was no defined agenda. According to Arikana Chihombori-Quao, former ambassador of the African Union to the United States, this is a practice used by the US when dealing with African nations versus how they deal with all other countries. She points out that “there have never been defined agendas whenever they meet with African countries as individual countries. It’s always the United States setting the agenda, the United States setting the policies, and the United States telling the Africans about the policies.” Chihombori-Quao correctly concludes, and I agree, that this is no way to have meaningful engagement as we advance. This meeting was no different and indicated ongoing disrespect for Africans.
In contrast, reports confirm that the issues were clearly defined when China met with the African heads of state. The agenda was to focus on trade and investments. These items were agreed upon long in advance of the meetings. In those meetings, Chinese and African leaders were engaged in the discussions and the planning. They also clearly defined the outcomes with a way forward in terms of follow-up.
Secondly, Biden pledged $55 billion to the African continent over the next three years. This Biden proclaimed was an investment in “Africa’s people, Africa’s infrastructure, Africa’s agriculture, Africa’s health system, Africa’s security and more.” This pledge will quickly spread thin. At the same time, the Biden administration gave $100 billion to Ukraine this year, with further promises to provide billions more for the war efforts against Russia.
Thirdly, America’s concern about Africa is only for US aggrandizement and not the interest of the people and African communities. 90% of US trading with Africa is in oil, gas, and mining. Coincidently, it is the areas where these resources are in most abundance that the US military has historically operated. The US has 29 known military bases in 15 countries on the African continent. France is no better, with military bases in 10 countries.
The US has historically marginalized Africa and its people on the continent and in the diaspora. It has treated Africa more as a problem than an opportunity, a place filled with precious minerals that the US wants, like lithium and cobalt, which America needs for its electric cars. It has postured itself as a racist capitalist extractive system that has frankly destroyed the planet leading to climate change, global warming, and disasters of mega proportions.
The fact of the matter is that it does not matter whether it is Russia, China, or the United States in Africa. The result will be the exploitation and extraction of Africa’s resources and the destruction of communities, especially of women and children.
Kamau Kenyatta is an adjunct professor at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. He is the author of: “The White People Show: How to Understand Racism and Still Be Wrong About It.” https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kamau-Kenyatta/author/B08DKNPK5Y?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
You can contact him at his website, KenyattaSpeaks.com: https://kenyattaspeaks.com/
