Foreign Affairs reported that the 21st century struggle for Africa "is in full swing now, as Russia and China in particular are working to intensify economic and military activity on the continent, while America is retreating there."
In a long article written by 3 former US military leaders, the site stated that both China and Russia see opportunities on the African continent to build economic ties, secure access to natural resources and fast-growing markets, form political alliances, and promote their own illiberal models of governance.
He pointed out that Russia has sought to expand its presence on the continent significantly in recent years, explaining that its mercenary companies, including the Wagner Group, are now operating throughout the continent, from Libya to the Central African Republic to Mozambique.
A competition between two political systems
China has begun to establish military bases and spend huge sums on infrastructure projects to secure access to resources and to buy goodwill and votes in international organizations such as the United Nations, and its leaders are promoting the "bureaucratic authoritarian" system in their countries as a model for African leaders who seek to expand their economies without permitting democratic reforms, Attractive Chinese lending practices and a laissez-faire policy with regard to human rights, market liberalization and corruption give China an additional influence in poor African governments.
The article showed that the increased Russian and Chinese activity is working to turn Africa into a theater of competition with the United States, as was the case during the Cold War of the last century.
He said that the increase in Russian and Chinese activity in the continent will require deeper US participation to promote stability, good governance and economic openness in Africa while confronting the illiberal influence of competing forces, which requires America to follow a regional strategy capable of confronting threats across the borders of African countries, and that nothing less than That would cede an important advantage to the enemies of the United States on the continent. Opportunities and risks are expected to grow in the coming decades.
International military maneuvers against "terrorism" in Niger (Al Jazeera)
A strategy for comprehensive issues
He went on to say that the successful US competition between the great powers in Africa depends on the US ability to win over African governments through a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy that addresses the root causes of “terrorism” and lays the political, economic and development foundation for future stability and prosperity.
The three leaders pointed out that the assumption that the fight against terrorism and other long-term US priorities in Africa will diminish in importance as the competition between America and China and other important powers intensifies, is a false assumption, stressing that Africa will become one of the theaters of this competition.
They explained that President Joe Biden's administration needs a new policy that includes changing the management of its operations on the continent through its ambassadors only, or looking at the 54 countries of the continent as isolated islands, by appointing regional coordinators whose authority exceeds national borders, that is, that Washington begin to protect its interests in the region. The continent and limiting the influence of its competitors by thinking at the regional level, because the current urgent issues are combating "terrorism" and limiting immigration, climate and other issues that affect all countries of the world.
Focus regionally
What the United States needs, according to the article, is not a comprehensive continental strategy, but rather a strategy tailored to specific regions.
African countries themselves have begun to follow this approach in the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, the Horn of Africa, and the southeast of the continent.
The authors also said that the United States should position itself as the preferred partner for African countries in an era of competition between great powers, and that failure to do so would endanger American interests on the continent and perhaps the security of the United States at home.
They indicated that the United States might avoid getting involved in African proxy wars in this new era of competition between great powers, saying that America must be prepared for such conflicts.