The United State believes partnering with Africa is not only mutually beneficial, but also essential to its national security interests.
“It is sobering to consider the decline in Africa over the past year, especially the outbreak of civil war in Sudan, the intensification of the long running conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and the rise of military governments in the Sahel,” noted Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Molly Phee in recent congressional testimony:
“We must ask why this is happening and where we should invest our finite resources for maximum impact. First, democracy scholars have documented worldwide a recession of democratic governance and a growth of authoritarian power. While acute in Africa, Africa is not alone.”
The complex conflict in eastern DRC can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The collapse of governments in the Sahel is linked to the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. The U.S. has employed diplomacy to help bring peace to the region, said Assistant Secretary Phee:
“In response, the administration named Tom Perriello to the position of Special Envoy for Sudan, enlisted the unique capabilities of [Director of National Intelligence] Director Avril Hanes to promote de-escalation in eastern DRC and deepen collaboration with Nigeria and coastal West Africa, including by drawing on the resources of the Global Fragility Act. We are employing the new African Democratic and Political Transitions Initiative in West Africa.”
On the economic front, the United States is steadily elevating its commercial engagement with Africa, said Assistant Secretary Phee:
“We have fostered $15 billion in deals announced at the American Business Forum, and ... we hosted a U.S. Africa Business Summit and announced an additional 2 billion in U.S. government investment from some of our key economic instruments.”
“We provide substantial security assistance to Somalia and to Kenya to combat al-Shabab and to Nigeria to confront ISIS and Boko Haram,” said Ms. Phee. “We remain the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance.”
Finally, the U.S. will continue to collaborate with Africans to confront foreign mercenaries, propaganda, corruption, and Russian and Chinese interference. The United States remains committed to partnering with Africa to overcome all these challenges.
