Deeper Relations with Africa:
On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken Embarks on Africa Tour to affirm the US commitment of stronger relations with Africa. Blinken is touring Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Angola. This tour is an effort to address Sahel security concerns and uncertainties about a key US base in Niger. Despite President Biden missing his Africa visit last year, Blinken quoted Biden, expressing a strong commitment to Africa. Blinken emphasized interconnected futures and prosperity between the US and Africa. He highlighted the increasing influence of African voices in global conversations. In Cape Verde, he praised the country as a “beacon of stability” and a “strong, principled voice.” Blinken reiterated the US commitment to strengthen partnerships across Africa.
Condemns Russia Invasion:
Concerns arise across the continent regarding Western aid to Ukraine, with many expressing unease. Cape Verde’s Prime Minister, Jose Ulisses Correia e Silva, conveyed strong condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Silva emphasized that Cape Verde, guided by the values of liberal democracy, criticized recent coups in Africa.
$150m given to Cape
Secretary of State Blinken visited the expanded port in Praia, Cape Verde. The port was financed through nearly $150 million from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which supports democratically governed countries. The US government body plans to collaborate with Cape Verde on a third aid package. Prime Minister Silva invited the Peace Corps to return after a ten-year absence.
Blinken will proceed to Ivory Coast, where he will attend a football match in the Africa Cup of Nations. The 60,000-seat Olympic stadium hosting the match was constructed with China’s support. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the venue last week. Alongside Russia, China, perceived as the US’s top global rival, has significantly expanded its influence in Africa in recent years.
China Loans Infrastructure Projects:
China has extended loans for infrastructure projects. Russia’s Wagner Group of mercenaries has been deployed to Mali, the Central African Republic, and reportedly Burkina Faso. A delegation from Niger visited Moscow recently. The military in Niger overthrew elected President Mohamed Bazoum after a visit by Secretary of State Blinken, aimed at supporting him.
Linchpin in US efforts
Niger played a crucial role in US efforts against armed groups in the Sahel, hosting a $100 million drone base in Agadez. Despite expelling French forces, Niger permitted nearly 1,000 US troops to remain. General James Hecker, US Air Force commander for Europe and Africa, discussed potential new drone bases in multiple West African locations. Concurrently, while Secretary of State Blinken visits, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield tours Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Thomas-Greenfield attends a presidential inauguration and monitors a peaceful transition of power in Liberia.
