They are pursuing their own economic interests. They are pursuing their geopolitical interests. “It’s not democracy and human rights they are pursuing in Africa. As is customary for Beijing’s diplomats, China’s new foreign minister, Qin Gang, began his term in office with a five-nation tour of Africa in January.įred M’membe, the leader of Zambia’s Socialist Party, has said his country is playing a key role in the United States’ “anti-China crusade.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has visited the continent twice in six months, with a Russia-Africa summit slated for July in Moscow. rivals have not held back in courting African leaders. It’s a process,” Blinken said in an interview with the Atlantic. “Unfortunately, more than unfortunately, the United States was much too sympathetic to the apartheid regime, so that history also doesn’t get erased, you know, overnight. Blinken suggested this history was making it difficult to change African countries’ decades-long relationships with Moscow. General Assembly resolution that condemned Russia. Last month, African nations still accounted for nearly half of all abstentions on a U.N. government designated today’s ruling African National Congress a terrorist organization during the Cold War. While the Soviet Union had supported independence movements and the anti-apartheid struggle, the U.S. Historical issues beyond the war complicate matters. Others such as South Africa have appeared on friendlier terms with Russia, controversially hosting joint naval exercises that coincided with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The official stance from these countries is that they are not aligned with either Russia or the West on the war. Many are aware that the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war is behind the renewed interest. There is a certain amount of skepticism from African governments and citizens. foreign policy is committed to moving away from what has traditionally been a relationship more focused on national security partnerships to one with a focus on grassroots development. administrations’ undervaluing of the strategic relationship that African states can offer.īut the message now from Washington’s diplomats is that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ethiopia and Niger-the new hub for Western counterinsurgency since Mali ousted most Western militaries.ĭespite the heavy charm offensive, Harris and others face a barrier in undoing years of what many Africans perceived as previous U.S. And Harris’s visit comes mere weeks after U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and first lady Jill Biden made trips to the continent in January and February. officials have visited 11 African countries. official to visit Africa this year as the United States looks to loosen Russia’s and China’s alliances with African nations. Vice President Kamala Harris began her three-nation Africa tour on Saturday landing in Accra, Ghana, as part of a visit that includes stops in Tanzania and Zambia.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |