Time to gain trust and build up strong relationships. The American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is achieving a tour on the African continent this week to discuss important topics and strengthen partnership and cooperation between the US and Africa. The official of the Biden administration already went to Kenya and Nigeria, two English-speaking countries, and will end up his tour with Senegal this weekend by meeting president Macky Sall and Foreign Secretary Aïssata Tall Sall.

After the Trump years and the difficult relationships between those two parts of the world (everyone can remember the “bullshit countries” expression used by Donald Trump to designate all the countries that were not worth it for him), President Joe Biden wants to show Africa that a genuine cooperation is possible on equal terms and not only dealing with geopolitical issues. 

Economically and financially speaking, the US and Africa must share ideas and develop long-term relationships to bring growth, employment and safety. This is the message conveyed by Antony Blinken this week, who asserted that African countries should be treated as “equal partners”, which was not always the case in the past.

The American Secretary of State focused on a few subjects to work on in the following months (and years): democracy, global warming, health, safety and growth. Aware that nothing will be able to be done without any political stability, Antony Blinken also pointed out that working together was the key success factor to support democracy, not only in the United States and Africa, but in the entire world too.

We now hope that all the debates, discussions, speeches and words will lead to concrete actions, signed contracts and real achievements for Africa. The continent is already watched over by China, who keeps an eye on it and develops business there day after day. America perfectly knows it: trying to get on with Africa is also a way to compete with China on an economic point of view.