The United States has promised to support African countries’ economic and political independence “in the face of undue foreign influence.”
The promise was contained in the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance released by the President Joe Biden administration on Wednesday.
The 24-page document also expressed the Biden administration’s commitment to ending deadly conflicts in the continent, while preventing new ones.
“We will also continue to build partnerships in Africa, invest in civil society and strengthen long-standing political, economic, and cultural connections.
“We will partner dynamic and fast-growing African economies, even as we provide assistance to countries suffering from poor governance, economic distress, health, and food insecurity exacerbated by the pandemic.
“We will work to bring an end to the continent’s deadliest conflicts and prevent the onset of new ones,” it said.
It also conveyed the administration’s promise to assist African countries in combating climate change and violent extremism.
The document, which conveys Biden’s vision for how America will engage with the world, noted that “America’s interests at home are strengthened by improving lives globally.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the U.S. has a longstanding policy of advancing democracy, good governance, peace and security, as well as trade and investment in Africa.
Each president, from Ronald Reagan to Biden’s immediate predecessor, Donald Trump, had a signature initiative aimed at actualising the general policy.
Reagan initiated a “constructive engagement” that saw an end to the apartheid regime in South Africa.
George H.W. Bush personally engaged in efforts that ended civil wars in Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Somalia.
Bill Clinton, who succeeded Bush, sponsored the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which opened the U.S. market to African exports.
The administration of George W. Bush initiated the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other initiatives to combat malaria and support girls’ education.
He also set up the Millennium Challenge Corporation aimed at improving infrastructure in Africa.
President Barack Obama came up with the Power Africa and Feed the Future initiatives designed to tackle electricity challenges and food shortages on the continent.
The popular Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is also Obama’s brainchild, and was designed to address a leadership deficit in Africa.
Trump initiated Prosper Africa, a policy designed to assist U.S. companies seeking to do business in Africa. (NAN)
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