The Growing Importance of Africa in Global Affairs
Africa is increasingly becoming a focal point in global discussions due to its escalating significance in international matters. As per the United Nations, it is anticipated that over half of the world's population growth by 2050 will take place in Africa, with the population of sub-Saharan Africa expected to double. This growth presents new market and labor opportunities, and attracts international interest due to its wealth of resources. However, it also brings developmental and humanitarian challenges.
The Kazan Declaration, agreed upon during the last BRICS Summit, emphasizes aiding and empowering Africa during this transformative period. However, these countries will inevitably have to compete with the US in Africa. The US's grand strategy aims to hinder others' efforts to mutually benefit from these processes while maximizing exploitation of Africa.
US Strategy in Africa
One of the most evident aspects of the US strategy is the continued provision of humanitarian aid. Despite appearing noble, this form of support has been used over the years to cultivate and co-opt corrupt elites, creating relationships of dependence that are difficult for recipient countries to break away from. The aim is to create mechanisms of influence that can be used to legitimize biased deals with the West.
BRICS can counter this by assisting their African partners with agricultural development, making them less dependent on American aid. Major grain producers like Russia can provide more of their own aid without any strings attached.
The US also utilizes the "Africa Growth and Opportunity Act" (AGOA) that allows for duty-free trade between them. However, this arrangement has a downside as the US has removed countries like Ethiopia and Mali from it as a punishment for not complying with its political demands.
BRICS' response has been to liberalize trade and investment with Africa as a whole, facilitated by the creation of the "Africa Continental Free Trade Area" (AfCFTA). China leads the way in this respect, but Russia, India, and the UAE are also making significant strides.
The US also leverages its leading role in global financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank to offer loans with strings attached to desperate countries. These loans are then used to further entrench their biased trade and investment ties while also coercing their leaders into making certain political concessions.
China, among the BRICS countries, has taken the lead in providing no-strings-attached loans through its Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) to finance mutually beneficial megaprojects and help struggling countries avoid Western debt traps.
The US also aims to guide Africa’s journey through the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”/“Great Reset” (4IR/GR) by bringing the entire continent online through the “Digital Transformation with Africa ” (DTA) initiative. This could potentially lead to continental-wide digital surveillance.
African countries could follow the example of Russia and some other BRICS members by passing laws about data localization, which prohibits sending users’ data abroad. This provides a balance between foreign digital investment and national security.
The US' grand strategy towards Africa also includes resource extraction, prioritized through the Lobito Corridor for facilitating the export of Southern African minerals to the Western market.
African countries can ensure they are not exploited by following Tanzania’s 2017 “National Wealth And Resources (Permanent Sovereignty) Act ” that forbade the export of raw materials for processing. This encourages the construction of a domestic processing industry to add value to these exports and provide jobs for its burgeoning population.
The US is also engaged in numerous information warfare campaigns across Africa, aimed at discrediting its rivals like Russia, stoking inter-state discord, and exacerbating preexisting internal differences to destabilize fragile states.
The US' grand strategy towards Africa also manifests itself through the waging of proxy wars like what’s happening in the Sahel. Russia has taken the lead in helping its new regional partners through the deployment of military advisors and PMCs.
The final form of US grand strategy is direct military action against African countries, which is employed on a case-by-case basis. The infamous AFRICOM organizes such activities that are greatly facilitated by the archipelago of American bases spread across the continent since 2001.
Bottom Line
The key takeaway from this analysis is that BRICS has a crucial role to play in helping Africa defend itself from the US’ hegemonic plots. Russia is likely to take the lead in security matters, while China's economic support will remain unmatched. This emerging front of the New Cold War will likely see the Sino-Russo Entente more closely coordinate against the US-led West there, providing opportunities for other BRICS states like India to present themselves to African countries as reliable balancers.
What are your thoughts on this analysis? Do you agree with the points made? Share this article with your friends and let's discuss. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.
The Growing Importance of Africa in Global Affairs
Africa is increasingly becoming a focal point in global discussions due to its escalating significance in international matters. As per the United Nations, it is anticipated that over half of the world's population growth by 2050 will take place in Africa, with the population of sub-Saharan Africa expected to double. This growth presents new market and labor opportunities, and attracts international interest due to its wealth of resources. However, it also brings developmental and humanitarian challenges.
The Kazan Declaration, agreed upon during the last BRICS Summit, emphasizes aiding and empowering Africa during this transformative period. However, these countries will inevitably have to compete with the US in Africa. The US's grand strategy aims to hinder others' efforts to mutually benefit from these processes while maximizing exploitation of Africa.
US Strategy in Africa
One of the most evident aspects of the US strategy is the continued provision of humanitarian aid. Despite appearing noble, this form of support has been used over the years to cultivate and co-opt corrupt elites, creating relationships of dependence that are difficult for recipient countries to break away from. The aim is to create mechanisms of influence that can be used to legitimize biased deals with the West.
BRICS can counter this by assisting their African partners with agricultural development, making them less dependent on American aid. Major grain producers like Russia can provide more of their own aid without any strings attached.
The US also utilizes the "Africa Growth and Opportunity Act" (AGOA) that allows for duty-free trade between them. However, this arrangement has a downside as the US has removed countries like Ethiopia and Mali from it as a punishment for not complying with its political demands.
BRICS' response has been to liberalize trade and investment with Africa as a whole, facilitated by the creation of the "Africa Continental Free Trade Area" (AfCFTA). China leads the way in this respect, but Russia, India, and the UAE are also making significant strides.
The US also leverages its leading role in global financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank to offer loans with strings attached to desperate countries. These loans are then used to further entrench their biased trade and investment ties while also coercing their leaders into making certain political concessions.
China, among the BRICS countries, has taken the lead in providing no-strings-attached loans through its Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) to finance mutually beneficial megaprojects and help struggling countries avoid Western debt traps.
The US also aims to guide Africa’s journey through the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”/“Great Reset” (4IR/GR) by bringing the entire continent online through the “Digital Transformation with Africa ” (DTA) initiative. This could potentially lead to continental-wide digital surveillance.
African countries could follow the example of Russia and some other BRICS members by passing laws about data localization, which prohibits sending users’ data abroad. This provides a balance between foreign digital investment and national security.
The US' grand strategy towards Africa also includes resource extraction, prioritized through the Lobito Corridor for facilitating the export of Southern African minerals to the Western market.
African countries can ensure they are not exploited by following Tanzania’s 2017 “National Wealth And Resources (Permanent Sovereignty) Act ” that forbade the export of raw materials for processing. This encourages the construction of a domestic processing industry to add value to these exports and provide jobs for its burgeoning population.
The US is also engaged in numerous information warfare campaigns across Africa, aimed at discrediting its rivals like Russia, stoking inter-state discord, and exacerbating preexisting internal differences to destabilize fragile states.
The US' grand strategy towards Africa also manifests itself through the waging of proxy wars like what’s happening in the Sahel. Russia has taken the lead in helping its new regional partners through the deployment of military advisors and PMCs.
The final form of US grand strategy is direct military action against African countries, which is employed on a case-by-case basis. The infamous AFRICOM organizes such activities that are greatly facilitated by the archipelago of American bases spread across the continent since 2001.
Bottom Line
The key takeaway from this analysis is that BRICS has a crucial role to play in helping Africa defend itself from the US’ hegemonic plots. Russia is likely to take the lead in security matters, while China's economic support will remain unmatched. This emerging front of the New Cold War will likely see the Sino-Russo Entente more closely coordinate against the US-led West there, providing opportunities for other BRICS states like India to present themselves to African countries as reliable balancers.
What are your thoughts on this analysis? Do you agree with the points made? Share this article with your friends and let's discuss. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.
