summit files?
- The summit will discuss issues, most notably food security, terrorism, and achieving stability in a continent rife with crises and wars, amid growing American concern about the expansion of Russian influence, as more than 15,000 fighters from the “Wagner” group are deployed in 4 African countries, according to Western reports.
Huge American participation
- The United States is participating in the summit with a large delegation led by Molly Fee, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and includes a number of senior diplomats, in addition to a number of directors and officials in US aid and development agencies.
The large US participation in the African summit comes, in light of the Biden administration’s increasing interest in the issues of the African continent, after a significant decline in the US role in the continent during the reign of his predecessor, Donald Trump, which paved the way more for the expansion of Chinese and Russian influence.
According to observers, the inclusion of a large number of aid agency officials in the US delegation indicates the US tendency to confront Russian security influence and Chinese economic hegemony through a new strategy based on meeting the investment and humanitarian needs of the continent, of which two-thirds of its 1.3 billion people suffer from food insecurity. .
On the other hand, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, anticipated the current US moves at the African summit, with shuttle tours that included Mali, South Africa, Angola and Sudan, after a first tour in July 2022 that included Egypt, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Ethiopia, and he met with representatives of the African Union in Addis Ababa.
new approach?
- In contrast to Russia, which focuses more on “value-paid” security relations, according to observers, the United States says it seeks to direct its relations with the countries of the African continent through a strategy that combines economic and investment cooperation, helping to solve the dilemma of food insecurity, and at the same time addressing concerns Fundamental matters related to US national security, such as terrorism, security, and the growing Russian influence.
Political analyst Mita Seneshu believes that the new reality prompted the competing countries to change their strategy. He tells Sky News Arabia that engaging in a multi-role approach that seeks to reconcile economic and security interests can contribute to providing security and stability and achieving economic and technological development, as well as promoting democratic transformation.
He adds, “The shift in US foreign policy from combating terrorism and its declining interest in Africa under the administration of former President Donald Trump opened the door wide for Russia’s security expansion and China’s economic expansion.”
Wagner and the Russian influence
The United States has been publicly expressing its deep concern about the rapid increase in Russian influence in Africa, especially in countries that have sought the help of the “Wagner” group in order to obtain its security services in return for wide concessions in the field of gold extraction and trade and a number of other precious and industrial minerals.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken conveyed to the African leaders participating in the Washington summit in December 2022, his country’s concern about the Russian presence in some of their countries; explaining; Wagner fighters threaten the stability of African countries, steal mineral resources and violate human rights.
How did Russia expand its influence?
- During the past two years, Russian influence has increased significantly in Mali and Central Africa in particular, where the Wagner Group and other private Russian military companies have worked to provide their security services in the face of armed movements and groups opposing the regimes there.
- According to the US Treasury Department, Russian security groups have been able to obtain significant concessions in the gold and diamond mining sector, which generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the Russian treasury.
- Since it began its war in Ukraine in early 2023, Russia has increased the pace of its diplomatic contacts with a number of African countries in order to confront the isolation imposed on it by Europe and the United States, which explains why only 28 countries out of 56 countries on the continent voted in favor of the UN Security Council resolution to condemn the Russian operation. In Ukraine, and at a later stage, Moscow found its way in Africa to reduce the restrictions imposed on its oil exports. As it is estimated that the average of Russia’s oil exports to African countries reached in December 2022; about 214 thousand barrels per day; An increase of 300 percent from what it was in December 2021.
- In addition to security protection, political protection constitutes another dimension for a number of African countries that benefit from Russia’s status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Food security.. Washington’s mission
- About two-thirds of the estimated 1.3 billion people on the African continent face the threat of food insecurity, in light of the decline in agricultural production by more than 30 percent over the past two years due to the effects of climate change, in addition to civil conflicts and the repercussions of the Corona pandemic and the Russian war in Ukraine.
But neither China nor Russia played a prominent role in resolving the dilemma of growing food insecurity in Africa. In this context, Bakri al-Jak, professor of politics at American universities, told Sky News Arabia, “Historically, the Russian presence in Africa has not been associated with providing any solutions to the dilemma of food insecurity or providing tangible development assistance.”
Al-Jack stresses the need for US diplomacy to focus on addressing issues facing Africa, such as food security, peace and stability, if it wants to establish sustainable strategic relations.
It also indicates that the food and political support that the United States can provide to countries and groups committed to democracy will greatly limit Russian influence.
The problem of terrorism in Africa
Since assuming power in January 2021, the Biden administration has intensified diplomatic work in the brown continent and direct entry as an active party in resolving the crises afflicting many countries, especially Libya, Sudan and Ethiopia.
On the other hand, Africa is witnessing major changes, resulting from the fall and change of regimes in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sudan and Kenya. Security concerns are also increasing in light of the expansion of the activities of terrorist groups, especially in the east and west of the continent. This is a major concern for US national security.
According to the estimates of the Terrorism Index for the year 2022, issued by the Institute for Economics and Peace; So far, international and regional responses to violence have failed to stop the ever-increasing levels of terrorism. The number of terrorist attacks carried out in East and West Africa increased by 55 percent.
The region’s share of all deaths in the world resulting from terrorist operations rose from 1 percent in 2007 to 35 percent.
Economy and investment
In contrast to China, which focuses more on investment and trade relations, the United States seeks to direct its relations with the countries of the African continent through a strategy that combines economic and investment cooperation while addressing the basic concerns related to American national security.
In light of the international competition over the resources of the African continent, the economy emerges as one of the most important axes of interest for the United States, which seeks to increase its investments with countries on the continent rich in natural resources. increase the volume of its trade; Which currently amounts to about 61, billion dollars annually, compared to more than 280 billion dollars for China.
The interest in the economic dimension began to be evident through the announcement of the Biden administration during the African-American Summit, in which Biden hosted the heads and representatives of 50 African countries, during which he announced the pumping of $55 billion into the economies of African countries over the next three years.
Jose Fernandez, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment, expressed the new US economic strategy by saying that the Russian war on Ukraine prompted his country to pay attention to diversifying supply chains, indicating that Africa could benefit from that.
“Partnership with Africa is one of the important foundations of President Biden’s administration’s strategy, because when we talk about priorities such as transitioning to clean energy, supply chains and investment, we need to cooperate with African countries,” he said.
The US official pointed out that his country is discussing with partners from the public and private sectors in African countries to strengthen and deepen cooperation in the field of supply chains.
America desperately needs to increase investment in electric cars and renewable energy, which requires importing more minerals that are used in the manufacture of wind turbines, solar panels and electric batteries.
In addition to traditional industrial minerals, African countries control the largest share of the production of about 40 minerals that are important for the future of clean energy and environmentally friendly industries such as electric cars, computers and chips.
Economic researcher Abraham Larti believes that Africa is blessed with huge economic opportunities and a huge abundance of natural resources. Where 30 percent of the world’s mineral resources are concentrated; It also owns 8 percent of fossil fuel reserves, 12 percent of natural gas reserves, and 65 percent of arable land in the world.
Africa also provides investment opportunities estimated at more than 500 billion dollars in the field of infrastructure.
facts
- The current competition between the United States, Russia and China reflects an aspect of the sharp international strategic economic security polarization around Africa, which is considered one of the most attractive regions in the world for international competition.
- The spread of corruption poses a major challenge to the flow of US aid and investment, as corruption is widespread in a number of countries on the continent, which led to the entry of 35 of its countries into a list of 46 countries classified by the United Nations as the least developed countries in the world.
- Russia and China currently dominate a large part of the mineral resources in Africa through giant companies such as the Zijin company, which is one of the largest mining groups in the world and has huge activities in the field of producing lithium, copper and other minerals in a number of African countries. Russian companies are expanding in Angola, where the Alrosa company operates profitable projects in the field of diamond extraction and trade, and the “Rosatom” company is active in the field of bauxite mining in Guinea.
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