Kamala Harris Africa trip: Can US charm offensive woo continent from China?

The first to visit Africa was the U.S. Secretary of State, now the Vice President, and later this year the President himself will be there.

This string of visits by US government officials reflects a growing awareness of the need for greater US engagement with the African continent.

All this in the face of increasing competition from other global powers, especially China and Russia.

Vice President Kamala Harris will begin a nine-day trip in Ghana before moving on to Tanzania and Zambia.

Ghana, which has a record of several peaceful and democratic power transitions as well as a focus on strengthening ties with the African diaspora, offers an ideal starting point for Mr Harris. increase.

According to an official statement, her visit “further builds” on December’s US-Africa summit in Washington, where President Joe Biden said the US was “fully committed to Africa’s future.” It is intended that

But it’s not just the African continent’s enormous natural resources that have attracted many other powerful nations vying for influence, but its future, fueled by a youthful and growing population.

While Secretary of State Anthony Brinken’s recent visits to Ethiopia and Niger focused on the security challenges of those countries, the Vice President’s visit to countries facing serious economic problems has seen her will bring the

The country is looking to restructure its debt amid skyrocketing inflation of over 50%. Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta has just traveled to Beijing to lead negotiations with the Chinese government.

“So far, our meetings in China have been very positive and encouraging,” he said on Twitter, optimistic that external assurances would come “soon”.

We need a guarantee to release financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

It’s not clear what kind of help Harris will be able to offer, but he will be under pressure to act like a willing partner following Ofori Atta’s visit to China.

Godfred Alpha Bokpin, an economist and professor of finance at the University of Ghana, does not believe the visit will bring “immediate dividends” to help ease the country’s financial woes.

“China’s participation is complicated,” he said, adding that Harris’ visit was a “very important” visit for Ghana as it would “take our relationship with the United States to another level.”

He told the BBC that the US interest in the country and its debt crisis was “good” but worried about what he described as “unfavorable trading terms” with creditor countries.

Zambia is in a similar position to Ghana.

The copper-rich country became the first African country to default on its debts when the Covid pandemic hit.

It is in long-term talks with China to restructure its debt and is also seeking financial support from the IMF.

Reuters quoted a senior U.S. official as saying that Harris would “discuss how best the international community can address the debt problems facing Ghana and Zambia.”

Like Prof Bokpin, Zambian analyst Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa believes China has more leverage when it comes to debt restructuring. But the US wants to be seen as a more reliable partner.

There is a growing feeling on the African continent that Africa should have free choice in its relations with the rest of the world.

Dr Shishwa told the BBC: “Zambia sees the United States in the same way as China and Russia, and is a friend.”

“When a country seeks help from China, Russia or the United States, this should not be seen as disregarding any major power bloc.”

He said attempts to establish exclusive ties with African countries would be counterproductive and likely unsustainable.

This is the same as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said during a visit to Washington last year, “No one with whom we are associated should be told.”

A senior US official told the BBC that they were not going to tell African countries who they could be friends with.

However, the United States is keen to emphasize its emphasis on democracy in its relations with African nations, and the Vice President is also expected to discuss it during his visit.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema will co-host a virtual democracy summit alongside four other heads of state, including President Biden, just before welcoming Mr Harris to the country.

It is one of the values ​​that the U.S. government says underpins its relationship with the African continent and sets it apart from China and Russia, alongside human rights and good governance.

China has a policy of non-interference in domestic affairs and has facilitated engagement with authoritarian leaders.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine must have made the West feel even more urgent to acquire more African countries. The United Nations voted to condemn the division of African countries, which accounted for half of all abstentions, including Tanzania, which is also on Harris’s itinerary.

The Vice President of the United States – the first woman to hold the office – is set to meet President Samia Sulf Hassan, the first female head of state in her country.

This shared experience of being a female trailblazer is making headlines in Tanzania.

Many tout the visit as an endorsement of the country’s progress and increased visibility on the world map.

It wasn’t long ago that Tanzania suppressed the activities of the opposition and independent media and was ousted under the presidency of John Magufuli, who was seen as having autocratic tendencies.

Harris is the most senior U.S. official from the Biden administration to visit Africa, and the fifth since the U.S.-Africa Summit in December.

Others include Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield, First Lady Jill Biden, and Mr. Blinken.

But with renewed interest comes a demand from the continent to be treated fairly.

Professor Bokpin from Ghana said there was some skepticism about the growing interest in Africa.

“There is a belief that a new scramble for Africa is taking place,” referring to the division of the continent by European nations in the late 19th century, leading to decades of colonialism and exploitation. .

“This engagement should emphasize mutual respect,” he added.