The African continent remains extremely important on the global stage and is one of the most powerful spheres of influence for Western and regional nations.
It continues to be a sphere of influence for major powers seeking to impose their hegemony, as well as realise their objectives and benefit from the natural and human resources of the continent’s countries.
The US has strong interests in the continent and is striving to increase its influence and presence there. The last US administration attempted to reestablish its relations with the African continent when former US president Joe Biden outlined the US strategy towards Sub-Saharan Africa in August 2022, aiming to strengthen US influence and address African challenges, particularly issues of democratic transition, the surge in military coups, and the rise of terrorism and armed groups.
These factors have also impacted maritime navigation. Amid growing international competition in Africa, Washington has sought to enhance its presence, capitalising on African discontent with France and the latter’s withdrawal from its military bases in the Sahel. However, the US has also become “unwelcome” in many African nations, with increasing calls for the withdrawal of US troops mirroring the Sahel countries’ stance towards France, especially after shifts in pro-Western governments.
Following US President Donald Trump’s first term in office, the US aimed to reinvigorate its relations with Africa, recognising the need to adjust its strategy to counter international competition for influence. Under Biden, the US reaffirmed its partnership with Africa, focusing on military and security dominance. However, Washington faced significant challenges, particularly after Russia surpassed it as Africa’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 49 per cent of arms exports compared to the US’ 37 per cent. The US now seeks to reclaim its diminished military standing on the continent.
The Biden administration emphasised the importance of achieving economic development in Africa. During the second US-Africa Summit hosted in Washington in December 2022, Biden stressed the need to provide all the necessary tools and mechanisms to help the African nations achieve economic breakthrough.
This included offering economic facilitations, loans, and grants, as well as deepening trade relations, to counter Chinese expansion in the continent. The US Department of State has reported the signing of over 800 bilateral trade and investment deals with African countries since 2021, worth more than $18 billion. Additionally, exports of US goods and services to Africa exceed $83.6 billion in 2021, marking a significant economic boost.
A key driver behind the US strategy in Africa is securing maritime routes. Given Africa’s strategic importance, the continent hosts several vital maritime passages for global trade. The Horn of Africa region alone contains eight major ports.
For the US, protecting these routes is a strong motive for its presence in the region, ensuring freedom of navigation, securing global trade, and combating piracy in areas like the Gulf of Guinea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. Recently, Washington launched a new Coalition to protect maritime trade in the Red Sea, countering Houthi threats to Israeli commercial shipping amid the escalation of the Israeli war on Gaza.
Washington has also sought to strengthen its presence in Africa by supporting democracy and promoting principles of good governance. However, the US approach to military coups in Africa has been inconsistent. The US excluded several African countries, such as Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Sudan, from the second US-Africa Summit, citing military coups and unconstitutional regimes. Yet, it invited Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni despite his controversial human rights record. The US has also remained ambiguous regarding the coups in Gabon and Niger.
The Biden administration demonstrated its commitment to Africa, focusing on shared global interests such as climate change, food security, terrorism, peace, health, digital connectivity, and investment. It worked to enhance cooperation in digital communication, improve the investment environment to ensure free data flow, protect individuals, and promote self-sufficiency and industrialisation in Africa.
However, while the US under Biden sought to expand its presence across Africa, its influence in the Sahel region has declined. On 16 March 2024, Niger’s military council terminated its 2012 military agreement with the US, and on 19 April the same year Chad suspended US military activities at the Adji Kossei Airbase in the country. These developments have disrupted the US position in the region, amid growing threats to its presence in the Sahel.
On 5 August 2024, the US Department of Defence and Niger’s Ministry of National Defence jointly announced the complete withdrawal of US troops and military assets from Niger. This marked the end of the US counterterrorism mission in the country, even as violent extremism continues to rise across the Sahel. According to the Voice of America (VOA), only a small number of US military personnel remain in Niger, and the incomplete mission is attributed to disagreements between the two nations. The two bases are now under Nigerian government control.
The US had used these bases to monitor terrorist activities, including those of the Islamic State (IS) group, Al-Qaeda, and human traffickers in Libya and the Sahel, using drones. Approximately 1,000 US troops were stationed in Niger after 2019, and the construction of Air Base 201 in the country cost around $110 million.
Niger was the last Western partner in the fight against extremist Islamist groups in the Sahel. US officials have acknowledged that losing these bases is a blow to counterterrorism efforts and broader security in the Sahel, as well as a loss of access to Niger’s natural resources.
The termination of military agreements by some Sahelian countries represents a significant shift in US-Africa relations, undermining US interests in the Sahel. This development could lead to a further decline in Washington’s influence and its ability to achieve its goals on the continent. Relations between the US and Niger, as well as Chad, may deteriorate, potentially reaching the point of severing diplomatic ties.
Meanwhile, this situation presents a significant opportunity for China, Russia, and Iran to gain strategic advantages in the region.
The writer is a researcher in African affairs.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 30 January, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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