Trump’s new strategy calls for focus in relations with Africa on trade and investment
The United States should move from an aid-focused relationship with Africa to one focused on trade and investment, preferring partnerships with trusted countries committed to opening their markets to US goods and services, the administration of US President Donald Trump said in a new US National Security Strategy.
The 33-page strategy, which outlines US policy priorities in the world, said that “one of the immediate areas available for US investment in Africa, which holds good promise, is the energy sector and the development of critical metals,”
The development of US-backed nuclear power technologies, liquefied petroleum gas, and liquefied natural gas can generate profits for US companies and help the US compete for Biometals and other resources.
The US policy in Africa has long focused on presenting and subsequently propagating liberal ideology, and Washington should instead seek a partnership with selected countries to mitigate conflicts, promote mutually beneficial trade relations, and move from a foreign aid model to an investment and growth model capable of exploiting Africa’s abundant natural resources.
Opportunities for engagement may include negotiating a settlement of ongoing conflicts (e.g., the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan), preventing new conflicts (e.g., Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia), and taking action to modify our approach to aid and investment (e.g., the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act).
The strategy urged caution against the resurgence of terrorist activity in some areas of Africa, while avoiding any long-term presence or extended US commitments.
The White House released the strategy a day after the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a US-sponsored peace deal in Washington aimed at ending tensions between the two neighboring countries and bringing peace to the mineral-rich and decades-troubled eastern Congo.
President Donald Trump has announced bilateral agreements between the United States and Rwanda, and between them and the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the exploitation of strategic minerals necessary for high-tech industries.
It’s worth noting that the 33-page document outlines the United States’ systems and strategies on the international stage across various issues and regions worldwide and has been published on the official White House website.
The full US national security strategy document can be downloaded from the link here.
