US – Africa Summit: Last Step Of An Ill-fated Dance of Pretence

US - Africa Realism. Source: BBC

Introduction

The recent news of a summit between US President and African Heads of governments/states to discuss trade, economy and other matters of importance is awkward. This article attempts to review the motives of the summit, including the timing and the performance of African-Americans as part of US institutions towards Africa in the last decade.

Geopolitics

The timing of the news and event hit the headlines in part as distraction to US lack of leadership in boiling Middle East and consistent inflexibility to readapt to fast changing world.  The last few weeks have exposed the hollowness of her honest brokerage that has seen incontestable assault on Gaza on US watch. In addition, the recent pyrrhic EU sanction on Russia under Washington DC pressure is another disinformation. It is also the case that when western countries are on the ropes in global politics, they suddenly turn to Africa on a pretended charity mission to rescue their battered images for a time. Obama’s White House is simply following this ‘rule’ to the letter but African leaders and Africans are not stupid.

2^nd Best

One can only review Africa’s economic history of the last 2 decades and wonder who are the drivers, enabler and obstructers. China has taken the lead in among other things accepting that ‘something positive is in Africa’ and that ‘something good comes out of Africa’. Chinese investment in Africa is increasing and trade between China and many African countries is growing astronomically. This is accompanied by rising economic development. Despite misgivings in many quarters’ especially pro-colonialist and neoliberal colonialists, Chinese investment in the African continent is not another form of imposition or colonialism. Nature abhors a vacuum and when the ‘end of history’ swept away the last vestige of US challenge, she abandoned her erstwhile supporters like Mobutu in Africa in the usual ambivalence & hubris that Africa is a basket case.

The last decade has seen increased interaction and trade between African countries and China which naturally led to among other others things increased diplomatic engagements crowned with summits of heads of state which US is now attempting to mimic. This vehicle has allowed both parties in the African continent and Beijing to progress, fine-tune and advance policies in various areas. The increased trade and interaction has equally enabled many African states to open Yuan accounts in their central banks to facilitate trading with Beijing and vice versa. No matter how small these accounts are, their existence and use signify diminished role of US dollar.

For United States to suddenly realise the importance of Africa as a serious player in trade and economy is very rich. She simply arrived late to the party and equally confirmed her inflexibility to abandon dominance for leadership with inaccurate barbs against China. The figure above is an uncontested summary. African leadership is not stupid despite their overall negative performance as they see through Washington DC’s inconsistency, insincerity, ambivalence & diplomatic retreat on Africa.

Space of Conflict

Currently US policy on Africa is clear. African continent is a space for geopolitical confrontation for her rich mineral and water resources. To counter potential interest in Africa’s wealth even in the sphere of investment that will benefit Africans, US have deployed US African Command as a vehicle to foil such investments. Complementary to deploying few boots on the ground, US military is all around African capitals providing unwanted and counter-productive military aid/assistance as an extension of ‘war on terror’.  Military bases, listening posts and drone bases now litter Africa lying in wait for the ‘enemy’. Most of these military investments were accelerated under Obama presidency since the main opposite was brutally cut down in the murder of Col Ghaddafi.

Since 1994 the Rwandan genocide has opened vistas of opportunities on the eastern flank. With US support new regime in Kigali contributed to new genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo while illegally exploiting the country’s mineral resources. Kampala is another collaborator in advancing US interest in the region.

If Obama where an African, the substance could have trickled down in respecting the continent by avoiding any form of rape and pillage of Mother Africa by western interest. No, his sense of history is either non-existence or too obtuse to be comprehensive. By taking the lead from behind, he unleashed violence that simply removed Ghaddafi’s Libya from the face of the earth.  It is now the ultimate destination for freedom lovers and democracy enthusiasts! If Obama knew his history he would have appreciated that Libya is more African than Arab.

The next target turn toward Egypt where Obama’s US supported the overthrow of an elected government with full-spectrum violence and bloodletting. If Obama knew his history, he would have realised that Egypt is more African than Arab. Libya and Egypt are 2 giants of Africa that are summarily dehumanised and de-Africanised just to serve ambivalence and unproductive US interest. It is interesting to watch US uncoordinated retreat from Tripoli, Libya few weeks ago after arriving with confidence of Tomahawks, Hellfires and B-52s in 2011.

No Interlocutors in African Americans

While the narrative of US can be juxtaposed with increased profile of African-Americans in the last 5 decades, one can certify that since the end of apartheid African America has receded significantly on the African scene. Since all politics is local, all US politics is ethnic. Despite the warnings of both Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X that African-Americans cannot claim full legitimacy divorced from Africa, post-cold war US African-American politicians and political class no longer care about their origins. If anything, they are focused on becoming ethnically something else.

It is for this reason that no African politician has genuine engagement with African-American politicians and political class.  While Indian-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Irish-Americans and Israeli-American to name a few are making the most of US resources and assets for the benefits of their homelands, similar comparisons cannot be made for African-Americans. One must conclude that Africa/Africans have no interlocutors in African-Americans including President Obama.

Post-Summit Reality

Geopolitical transition is fast on the tracks with serious reconfiguration on the cards. Whichever way Africa is placed on a potentially comfortable position of playing to strength in taking advantage between the falling world and the rising world.  There is a clear choice for African capitals in choosing between dominance and leadership as well as recalibrating her aspirations in seeking solutions from the north. Evidence indicates that positive and productive solutions have become mobile and are concentrating in the South America and Asia not from a one-off catch-up summit in the north. This will be way forward in the next generation.