It has now become a habit, and the United States is not the only Western country to do so: an African tour in a few countries to reaffirm and strengthen the relationships between the continent and the West. Speeches, promises and strong declarations usually accompany the procession coming from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean or Mediterranean Sea.
In a context of difficult times in Europe with the Ukrainian war and the will of Russian president Vladimir Putin to become friends with the military juntas who grabbed power in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali and expressed their wish to get rid of any French presence, it is a real stake for the US and Western European countries to keep good relationships with Africa. What does the continent have to respond though?
If American president Joe Biden was not able to keep his promise to visit the African continent last year, he sent his Secretary of State instead: Antony Blinken was on an African tour lately, a trip that sent him to Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola. While in Abidjan, Blinken asserted that “sport was another way to build bridges between the US and Africa”. His presence for the ultimate game of Ivory Coast in the group phase, and this huge defeat 0-4 against Equatorial Guinea, was also an opportunity to witness the efforts of the country to preserve democracy and hold terrorism back.
On a larger scale, the US is eager to implement a ten-year plan in order to maintain stability in the Sahel region and avoid the rise in violence that is observable in territories like Northern Mali and Burkina Faso. US soldiers are still present in Niger and other African countries, even though the recent departure of French soldiers from Mali is raising questions. Acts beyond words?