Last December, the Biden administration invited the leaders of African nations to Washington for a summit to strengthen cooperation. It provided an opportunity for the U.S. to send a powerful message to the continent: Africa matters. The recently concluded Group of Seven (G7) meeting provided another forum to reinforce that message.
And while Africa was more present than in previous G7 meetings, the recent outbreak of fighting in Sudan involving the Russian Wagner Group, which is also active in Ukraine, shows the U.S. must further strengthen its engagement with Africa to better support American geopolitical interests globally.
Understandably, the issue that dominated the G7 meeting was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Countering China was also a point of focus. Other areas receiving particular attention included climate change, nuclear disarmament and the need to address the newly emerging disruptive potential of artificial intelligence.
Africa was also recognized in several ways. The African Union attended the meeting. The G7 also committed in its communiqué “to work together and with others to … strengthen our partnerships with African countries and support greater African representation in multilateral fora.” There were various additional references to the continent’s challenges, such as the debt crisis negotiations with Ghana.
Indeed, at this year’s G7, Africa was present, albeit still not a priority — and it is seeking a real seat at the table.
As I wrote in an opinion piece for The Hill immediately following the U.S.-Africa December Summit: “To achieve [a] strong partnership, the U.S. will need to demonstrate that it is interested in Africa because the continent itself matters, not merely to address other U.S. international objectives.”
The recent events in Sudan, however, serve as a reminder that it is also important for Washington to vigorously engage Africa precisely to support American geopolitical interests globally.
Over the last several months, the fighting by Russia to take Bakhmut in Ukraine has been spearheaded by the Wagner Group, a paramilitary Russian group of mercenaries. The battle for Bakhmut has become a strategic focus of the war as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine extends into a second year.
While fighting raged in Bakhmut, several thousand miles to the south in Khartoum, Sudan, fighting broke out between two rival generals for control of the city and, by extension, the country. Once again, the Wagner Group is present. As reported by NBC, “The Russian mercenary outfit Wagner Group is sending surface-to-air missiles to one of the sides in Sudan’s war, fueling the conflict and destabilizing the region, the Treasury Department said this week.” Wagner’s strategy in Africa is closely linked to the war in Ukraine as it is “profiting off African countries’ mining wealth, with the proceeds helping to fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
Yet, as U.S. geopolitical competitors in Moscow and Beijing have already recognized, Africa matters for its own sake, independent of the Ukraine situation. Wagner, for example, has worked to establish itself across the continent in a campaign that predates Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by many years. From the Central African Republic to Mali to Sudan and more, Wagner has implanted itself, gaining influence and generating massive revenues by exploiting Africa’s rich mineral resources. Notably, from a geopolitical perspective, experts interviewed by NBC said: “Wagner’s role in Sudan is part of a growing presence in Africa aimed at undercutting U.S. and French influence,” and its “aim has been to bolster Moscow’s influence in Africa.”
Beijing has also come to understand and appreciate the economic and strategic importance of Africa. From diplomatic missions to investment to trade, China has become ubiquitous across the continent. Significantly, China’s trade with Africa has reached a record high of $282 billion, nearly four times the level between the U.S. and the continent, which has languished below $75 billion for nearly a decade. In many respects, China has overtaken the U.S. in Africa.
The proactivity of Russia and China across the continent presents challenges for the U.S., leading to undesirable and unexpected consequences internationally. One example is the resistance the Biden administration has encountered from many African governments to join in criticizing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Similarly, China’s diplomatic, commercial and even military deployment into the critical African Horn nation of Djibouti, strategically situated at the entrance to the Red Sea, has caused disquiet in Washington.
The U.S. has responded. As Politico observed, “The Biden administration has launched a flurry of outreach with African countries — an apparent bid to push back against Beijing’s rising influence in the region.” To its credit, the U.S. government has been working to sustain a sense of momentum following December’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.
Much of the discourse at the U.S.-Africa Summit was about the continent’s future growth. Africa’s people are eager for a big surge forward, a favorable prospect being seriously considered by analysts internationally. As noted in my December article: “What might Africa look like 20 years from now? A real possibility is a 2.4-billion-person continent with … a large and growing middle class that can provide a vibrant economic partner for the U.S.” The U.S. has a potentially major role to play as Africa’s ally in making this longer-term economic vision a reality.
Yet, the recent upheaval in Sudan involving Russia, and the potential for other negative ramifications for American geopolitical interests from events on the continent, point to the need for the U.S. government to also forcefully target shorter-term security and other strategic concerns. These are areas where Washington should look to leverage its G7 allies: notably France, with its extensive historical, diplomatic, economic and military ties to the continent (notwithstanding a mixed record, and the occasional challenges of partnering with Paris), as well as Japan, a longstanding development partner to the region.
Even as the U.S. and African nations work together to build a vibrant economic future, the U.S. government must further strengthen its Africa push to support its more immediate geopolitical objectives on the continent, in Ukraine and elsewhere. And that requires Washington to target even more attention and resources (analytic, diplomatic, financial and other) to its friends — old, new and future — across Africa.
Philippe Benoit has more than 25 years of experience working on international affairs, including previous positions at the World Bank where he focused on Africa. He is currently the research director for Global Infrastructure Analytics and Sustainability 2050.