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Obama’s Policy towards Africa: A Blend of Competition and Roadblocks

Aakriti Sethi
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Cover Story

When Barack Obama was elected as the President of United States of America in 2009, many saw this as being symbolic of a new era in American politics. Due to his mixed ethnicity, he grabbed the attention of countries and continents across the globe, especially Africa. Much was anticipated from his administration, especially with regard to working more closely with the African continent. But it was only in his second term beginning 2013 that he managed to focus on the African countries by initiating the US-Africa Leaders Summit in August 2014. His predecessor, George Bush, had worked extensively with Africa, thus somewhat eclipsing Obama’s little endeavour in the region. Obama has been widely applauded for distinguishing himself from Bush’s policies, notably in Iraq and Afghanistan. But across this continent, many Africans wished Obama was more like Bush in his social and health policies, particularly in the fight against HIV/AIDS- one of the former president’s signature foreign policy aid programs.1

Obama’s only extensive visit to the continent came as late as 2013; a three-country visit to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. Prior to this he had visited Ghana very briefly as the last stop of his international visits in the first term. The primary initiative taken by his administration towards the region was commencing the US-Africa Leaders Summit, a unique summit which involved the US President meeting the state representatives of almost all the nations of Africa and discussing various areas from economics to public health. But, the visit and the summit both came in Obama’s second term, with his first term primarily devoted to the Asia Pivot Strategy, focussing on the economically booming region with increasing strategic significance. The steps taken by the Obama administration towards the African continent have been limited and disappointing in contrast to the initial expectations from him when he took over the White House.

The Race with China

Over the last five years, China’s top leaders including- the president, vice president, premier, vice premier, cabinet ministers, and top Communist Party officials have visited around 30 African countries. Former Chinese President Hu Jintao visited 17 African nations in a single 10-month stretch between July 2006 and February 2007. And China’s current President, Xi Jinping has already visited three African countries since taking office in March 2013. 2 In 2014, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited 7 African countries, further strengthening the already economically prospering ties with the continent. 3 The economic bases of China spreading in the African continent have made the Americans realise their mistake of not reaping the vast economic opportunity present in the African region earlier. President Obama might take pride in launching a one of a kind USAfrica Leaders summit which would be held between America and African leaders once in every four years, but the Chinese were ahead in engaging with the Africans by launching the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation way back in 2000 with five summits having taken place.

The US-Africa Leaders summit was seen as a success, given the fact that nearly 50 African head of states came together to discuss multiple themes and used the summit as a platform to foster better US-Africa ties. However, the initiative should have come earlier. Countries like India, China and even Europe have left US behind in terms of trading with the continent. An estimated one million Chinese now reside in Africa, up from a few thousands a decade ago, and more are arriving. China recently overtook America as the world’s largest net importer of oil. Almost 80% of Chinese imports from Africa are mineral products. 4 China-Africa trade reached $166 billion in 2011, an 83 per cent rise from 2009. The bilateral trade further increased another 19.3 percent to $198 billion in 2012, and passed the $200 billion threshold to $210 billion in 2013. On the other hand, US-Africa trade dwindled from $125 billion in 2011 to $99 billion in 2012 and $85 billion in 2013. 5

US Forays into Africa

Nevertheless, the summit had its own moments of US-Africa bonhomie. One of the main highlights of the US-Africa Leaders summit was the economic negotiations between the countries. The White House announced $33 billion in commitments aimed at increasing US ties with Africa. A large part of the money, $14 billion, is coming from the private sector. Among the companies announcing the big commitments are Coca-Cola and General Electric (GE). 6 A $5 billion investment from Coca Cola to manufacturing lines and production equipment; $2 billion investment from GE by 2018; $200 million in investments across Africa by Marriott, and a $66 million commitment by IBM to provide technology services to Ghana’s Fidelity Bank, were some of the plans announced during the summit. 7 The three primary initiatives of President Obama in the summit were Power Africa, Trade Africa and Young African Leaders initiative. Power Africa aims to improve the continent’s electric grid; Trade Africa focuses on economic development in East Africa and the Young African Leaders Initiative provides young Africans internships at companies and public institutions. 8 In a way, this summit presented itself as an opportunity for US to shape a strategy primarily aiming at the capacity building initiatives of the African states. The summit also indicated a prominent shift of the US engagement in the continent from a government-based relationship to a private sector-led one. But despite the enthusiastic rhetoric present in the US-Africa relations, the American economic foothold is nowhere close to other countries engaging with the region, making them increasingly devoid of the growing potential of the African continent.

US and the Militarisation of Africa

One of the strongest criticisms of Obama’s Africa policy is the reliance over military in dealing with the region. US Africa Command, the US military command responsible for training and security operations in Africa, has grown from its meagre beginnings and has seen an extensive expansion of engagement on the continent through drone operations, covert military actions and the so called “train and equip” programs in at least 49 countries. 9 The United States Africa Command was formed in 2008 by George W Bush administration and has been expanded and enhanced under President Barack Obama. A series of navy operations known as ‘Obangame Express’ is now in its fourth year with additional European, African and at least one South American state, Brazil, involved. The Pentagon’s Obangame Express 2014 brings in more navies while military build-up continues. 10 More than 30 warships from 20 countries are engaged in major manoeuvres along the Western African coast. In addition to 11 West African nations, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands as well as Denmark, Turkey, Brazil and the United States have dispatched ships, making the training manoeuvre one of Africa’s largest. 11 This extent of military involvement in the region by various countries, especially US, has been viewed sceptically by the Africans, posing questions about the eventual intentions US has towards the region. 12 Also, the recent deployment of 3000 troops in Liberia as an American response to Ebola has put the Obama administration under scrutiny by many of his critics in the larger context of US-led militarisation of the region.

The use of drones to eliminate high profile terrorists in the African region by the US has had mixed results. An October 2013 report by a UN Human Rights investigator states that only approximately 2 per cent of all drone strikes by the US in all parts of the world hit high level targets and that majority of the causalities were civilian. 13 While the US may think that its policy of drone strikes improves national security without the loss of lives, the reality is that these strikes in Africa and beyond are creating a generation that is getting involved in organized terror for its security with a severe antipathy towards American foreign policy and initiatives. So while certain ‘high profile’ targets are eliminated, there is no shortage of people willing to step in and fill their shoes. 14

The Future

Some of the fastest growing economies in the world are from Africa, making the continent the nerve centre of constant growth and development. Among the most significant shifts in the USAs Africa policy during the Obama administration’s tenure has been a new and more affirmative emphasis in bolstering economic and commercial engagement. 15 In the coming years the economic relations between US and Africa are likely going to increase, especially post the commencement of the US-Africa Leaders Summit. However, even though the economic possibilities look promising, they do not wipe out the existing irritants in the relationship. Bringing matters like corruption and human rights charges on influential African leaders on the table is not something the US is ready to do anymore. During the US-Africa summit hundreds of protesters had gathered outside the State Department to denounce some of the African leaders as “torturers” and “killers”. The protesters were angry that the White House was looking to enhance economic ties with repressive governments. 16

The success of China in the continent is due to many reasons, one of them being Beijing not intervening in the socio-political arrangement of the countries it is dealing with. Taking a cue from this, the Americans are trying to cement strong economic ties with the African nations on similar lines. With a resource rich Africa on one hand and ever-growing Chinese influence on the other, America is trying to rapidly build its larger policy towards Africa around the economic imperatives. Apart from economic ties, US-Africa relation presents plenty of scope for working together in counterterrorism efforts. Even though US military presence in the African continent has been a reason for much criticism, America’s security support is required for countering numerous security threats present in the region. America’s expertise in matters of counterterrorism gives it an upper-hand in comparison to China. Nonetheless, the strategic importance of Middle East or Asia Pacific is still way more for the US than Africa. The summit might have paved way for a better future of US-Africa relations, but this relationship will take its own time in becoming one of the top most priorities of the White House.

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