President Joe Biden undertook the final international trip of his presidency last week. It was not to a major ally in Western Europe, nor somewhere on the verge of bubbling over into open conflict, like the South China Sea.
Instead, the president traveled to Angola, located in southwest Africa. It was Biden’s first visit to the continent as president, and the first visit by an American head of state to Africa since 2015.
For many years, the United States treated much of sub-Saharan Africa as something of an afterthought. While it had many key resources — such as uranium deposits — US-aligned governments and the US military worked to secure American interests in the region.
But over the past decade, China and Russia have made a hard play to increase their regional influence. China has invested billions into its Belt and Road infrastructure across the continent and opened a military base in Djibouti — with plans to potentially open a second. Russia also has invested heavily in the continent and has deployed some military forces.
The two’s efforts have paid off. African leaders are often frustrated by Western hectoring, with a common phrase being, “Every time the Chinese come, we get a hospital; every time the British come, we get a lecture.” So, many nations have embraced Chinese and Russian funding.
Military juntas — like one in Burkina Faso, and a dictatorship in Chad — have kicked out Western diplomats and military officials. One, in Niger, just nationalized a key French uranium mine.
Biden’s final trip is an attempt to reverse these trends. The Biden administration sent Angola about $4 billion to help build a critical rail network, and Biden also announced a further $1 billion would be spent on humanitarian aid in 31 African states.
For America to truly compete with Russia and China on the continent, it may need to open the spigot further: this past September, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $50 billion in aid across Africa.
