President Joe Biden’s top envoy signaled the US’s intent to revitalize its long-neglected relations with Africa, where it has steadily been losing influence to China and other global powers.

“Too many times, the countries of Africa have been treated as junior partners –- or worse –- rather than equal ones,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech Friday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. “We want to make your partnerships with us even stronger.”

Africa has always been near the bottom of the US foreign-relations priority list, with the world’s poorest continent accounting for less than 2% of its total two-way trade. Relations reached a low ebb during President Donald Trump’s tenure, during which he made disparaging remarks about African countries and high-level diplomatic engagements were few and far between.

US policy toward Africa has focused on building trade tries, encouraging democracy and development and countering terrorism -- tenets that Blinken said would remain, along with countering climate change and improving access to healthcare.

TRADE TIES
The US’s flagship economic program for the continent is the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which was enacted in 2000 and eliminated import levies on more than 7,000 products ranging from textiles to manufactured items. To qualify, countries must cut barriers to US investment, operate a market-based economy, protect workers’ rights and implement policies to reduce poverty.

While the act, which is due to expire in 2025, has bolstered two-way trade, Africa has nurtured even closer relations with China, which has largely steered clear of domestic politics and offered aid, loans and investment with few strings attached.

Blinken acknowledged that many African countries “are wary of the strings that come with more engagement, and fear that in a world of sharper rivalries among major powers, countries will be forced to choose” between them.

“The United States doesn’t want to limit your partnerships with other countries,” he said. “We don’t want to make you choose. We want to give you choices.”

Blinken also announced that Biden intends to host a summit of African leaders with a view to increasing engagement and fostering closer cooperation.

He noted that the US had provided more than 50 million coronavirus vaccine doses to Africa with no strings attached and that more were en route. The US has given more than $1.9-billion in Covid-19-related assistance to fund emergency food provisions and other humanitarian support, Blinken said.

The US also supported the suspension of debt for 32 African countries to help their economies recover from the pandemic, he said.