Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Village Voice News
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Village Voice News
No Result
View All Result
Home Global

President Joe Biden courts the continent as rivals make advances

Admin by Admin
December 17, 2022
in Global
President Joe Biden (BBC Photo)

President Joe Biden (BBC Photo)

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice.

By Anne Soy- US President Joe Biden delivers remarks during the U.S. Africa Leaders Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, USA, 14 December 2022

Africa appears to be the potential bride being courted by suitors from across the world. Each is keen to sweeten the deal, but there seems to be an acceptance that these days, insisting on an exclusive relationship with African countries may no longer be tenable.

READ ALSO

China invites Chang’e-8 lunar probe mission global collaboration

Their ancestors were enslaved and forced to work in the fields. Now, the Haynie family hopes to help alleviate hunger abroad by drawing from generations of farming knowledge

Washington is fighting for attention with Beijing, and to some extent Moscow, and the just-concluded US-Africa Leaders Summit is the latest example of this struggle.

In recent years, China has stolen a march on the US. Its trade with Africa now surpasses the amount that the US, or other Western nations, does with the continent.

Advertisement

The previous US administration of President Donald Trump had been explicit in its assessment of China’s relationship with Africa.

It centred its Africa policy around countering what it saw as a “predatory” China when it was unveiled by the former National Security Advisor John Bolton. He also talked about not wanting to waste “hard-earned taxpayer dollars”.

But this week’s rhetoric from the White House showed a different approach.

Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi (top left), Niger’s Mohamed Bazoum (top right), Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (bottom right) and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame (bottom left) all had a chance to address the summit

First of all, the word “China” did not pass President Joe Biden’s lips in his main address to the African leaders on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had given some hint to this approach when, during his first visit to the continent he said: “Our Africa policy is about Africa, not China.”

Nevertheless, there is no doubt about the rivalry and the US made clear its intention to promote and expand its interests in health, environment, clean energy and security as well as trade.

Discussions at the summit have focussed on building on already existing programmes, including:

  • Prosper Africa – a US government initiative “to increase two-way trade” between African nations and the US launched in 2018
  • the Clinton-era Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, Agoa, which provides African apparel manufacturers preferential access to the US market
  • the Power Africa initiative launched by President Obama to connect millions of Africans to the grid among others.

But the successes in those programmes have been slow to be realised.

Africa only accounts for just over 1% of US foreign trade, which is dominated by petroleum imports from Nigeria and Angola.

Mr Blinken described the possibilities that closer co-operation could bring.

“Together as the world’s largest economy and one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions,” there is potential “to build one of the 21st Century’s most successful economic partnerships”.

To help this he announced his country’s intention to send an investment advisor to the secretariat of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, which was created by the African Union to break down barriers to trade and promote growth within the continent.

Senegal’s president and current head of the African Union Macky Sall said African wanted to “take our partnership to the next level in an inclusive approach”

The US is no doubt eyeing economic opportunities.

Apart from the fast-growing economies, Africa is also home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population. It means the consumer market is expanding rapidly as is the labour force – both aspects making doing business with the continent attractive.

But it also potentially presents security challenges.

If the economies do not grow, then young people are more likely to make risky journeys to find a better life elsewhere. In addition, a disgruntled population can be fodder for extremism.

This has partly fuelled the current violence in both the Horn of Africa and the Sahel region of West Africa.

The US is involved in countering it in both regions, working alongside host countries.

But the entry of the Russian Wagner Group and the dalliance of several African governments with it has strained those countries’ relationships with the US specifically and the West more generally.

More than a dozen African countries also enjoy friendly relations with the Russian government. At least 17 abstained from a UN vote to condemn the war in Ukraine.

Many cite neutrality as a reason for their position. The US has however been urging them that this is not the time to be neutral.

At the summit, however, there was hardly any mention of it. The softer tone in relations between the US and Africa has been noticeable.

But it does not necessarily mean the US is abandoning its engagement to the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

China and Russia do not attach the same conditions and thus will often have a more attractive offer for some African leaders who are reluctant to have their governance issues come under scrutiny.

Now that the US has renewed its case, African leaders must decide whether to commit to the relationship and how they will best look after their interests. (BBC News)

 



Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice



ShareTweetSendShareSend

Related Posts

Global

China invites Chang’e-8 lunar probe mission global collaboration

by Admin
October 3, 2023

BEIJING, (Xinhua) -- The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is offering opportunities for international cooperation on payloads that will piggyback...

Read more
From left, Philip (Ricky) Haynie II, 69, PJ Haynie, 45, Colette Haynie, 21 and Philip Haynie IV, 19.
Global

Their ancestors were enslaved and forced to work in the fields. Now, the Haynie family hopes to help alleviate hunger abroad by drawing from generations of farming knowledge

by Admin
October 2, 2023

Northumberland County, Virginia CNN — Everyday when PJ Haynie wakes up, he prays to God for two things. “As farmers, we go...

Read more
Global

China Focus: Journalists from 17 countries visit China’s Xinjiang

by Admin
October 2, 2023

URUMQI,  (Xinhua) -- A group of 22 journalists from 17 countries concluded a trip to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous...

Read more
Next Post
Former President David Granger

Ageing is unavoidable but suffering is unnecessary- Granger

EDITOR'S PICK

Under Abiy, Tigrayan leaders have complained of being unfairly targeted in corruption prosecutions, removed from top positions [File: Eduardo Soteras/AFP]

Ethiopia’s Tigray blocks general’s appointment in blow to Abiy

October 30, 2020

School teacher desperately needs help to remove brain tumor

June 23, 2022
Joel Henry and Isaiah Henry

PNCR calls on gov’t, to seek assistance to bring Henry Boys’ killers to justice 

September 6, 2021

Catering Consortium Acquires Equity in Newrest Guyana

July 17, 2023

© 2022 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency