BLINKEN ON WEST AFRICA TOUR

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was just in the Ivory Coast on the second leg of his West African tour, after visiting Cape Verde. He was in the stands as Equatorial Guinea thrashed Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) host Ivory Coast with a 4-0 final score. He is expected to later land in Angola and Nigeria. It’s been bounced around that the US is trying to win over some African countries and keep others loyal to counter increasing Russian and Chinese activity in Africa. For example, the 60,000-seat Allasane Ouattara stadium that hosted the 22 January match is Chinese-built.

With the Sahel experiencing widely popular coups that have ejected Western allies in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the United States is doubling down on the rhetoric of democracy. The Alliance of Sahel States is likely to be high on the priority list. Former colonial power and NATO member France’s military has been shown the door in all three countries, and Russia has emerged as one of the preferred security and development partners. Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine was last week in Moscow with a delegation to discuss partnership on issues like security and economy. Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré had engaged Russia on constructing a nuclear power plant during 2023’s Russia-Africa Summit. In Mali, Russia is constructing West Africa’s biggest refinery, with an expected annual output of 200 tons of gold. We take it that the United States will be looking to re-consolidate its position in the region.

Blinken’s visit comes just days after China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi continued China’s diplomatic tradition of 34 years by making Africa the first destination of its foreign minister in a new year. The outcome of Blinken’s visit remains to be seen, as is whether the US will successfully dislodge China and Russia in Africa. Africa has expressed its disinterest in mere rhetoric and pandering in favour of material benefits. The United States’ $55 billion pledge for Africa at the US-Africa Leaders Summit is woefully short of what China has spent on infrastructure projects, for example.