Africa and the United States: Trust Levels Remain Strained

Sudanhorizon – Othman Siddiq

The United States’ relationship with sub-Saharan Africa has long been characterized by persistent tension and declining trust. Over time, the credibility gap has widened, while the hope for improvement has faded.
An article from the Ugandan Independent newspaper, published Thursday, October 31, 2024, indicated that the U.S.-Africa summits would fail if Americans did not treat Africans as equals. Earlier this month, U.S. President Joe Biden postponed an overseas trip originally scheduled for October 13-15, which included stops in Germany and Angola, opting instead to focus on preparations for Hurricane Milton’s arrival in Florida. However, he briefly visited Germany on October 17-18, while his first trip to Africa as president was postponed until December, just after the U.S. elections and weeks before he was due to leave the White House.
For some African observers, the delay underscores the low priority of African issues in U.S. political strategy.
Furthermore, signs of discontent among African nations regarding American interference are increasing. In May, Ethiopia dismissed the U.S. Ambassador’s statements about its internal matters as “unwanted advice,” and in August, Niger shut down the last U.S. military base in the country, declaring the military cooperation agreement with the United States “illegal.”
These incidents highlight a broader trend of scepticism and distrust toward U.S. intentions among African nations. Despite Washington’s ongoing influence on the continent, the persistent lack of trust remains challenging for U.S. leaders.
This issue has been evident since the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in 2014, when African nations expected the U.S. to fulfil its investment promises. However, Washington’s actions tell a different story. According to data platform and economic intelligence provider Statista, after a peak in 2014, U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa dropped to $44.81 billion in 2020 before rebounding slightly to $56.29 billion in 2023.
In 2018, the Trump administration launched the ambitious “Prosper Africa” initiative to stimulate African growth through increased trade and investment. However, the Republican president never set foot in Africa during his four years in the White House. He significantly cut the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) budget, reducing foreign aid rather than expanding it.
Many analysts believe that the U.S.-led responses to climate change issues, development financing, and great-power competition still favour the Global North and that repeated promises followed by inaction only reinforce the entrenched perception that Washington is inherently an unreliable partner, if not hypocritical.
The situation worsened in 2022, when the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit drew attention due to a notable incident in which over 50 African leaders were transported by bus to the summit venue. Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his displeasure at the treatment, complaining about what he called transporting leaders like schoolchildren.
The Independent (Uganda) quoted former African Union representative to the U.S., Arikana Chihombori, as saying, “The U.S.-Africa summit is a failure if Americans do not treat Africans as equals.” Meanwhile, a political analyst in Guinea-Bissau, Seko Kassama, stated that the United States completely disregards African realities, including “its traditions and civilizations, always imposing its interests over those of Africans.”
According to an analysis by Olayinka Ajala, a lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of Leeds, terrorist activity and deaths have steadily increased since 2014 despite U.S. military operations that began in 2013. The American military presence in Niger had come under scrutiny as attacks have increased significantly since 2018, when the United States opened Air Base 201 in Agadez.
Many African countries have long expressed discontent with Washington’s overbearing interference in their internal affairs. One of the primary obstacles in U.S.-Africa relations remains political intervention through economic means. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a unilateral preferential policy, is a cornerstone of U.S.-Africa economic exchanges. Beneficiary countries must meet numerous non-economic criteria, such as democratic reforms, rule of law, and human rights protection. If a government loses eligibility, there is no dispute resolution process, making AGOA an essential tool for American intervention in African affairs.
Based on this act, the United States revoked Ethiopia’s privileges under AGOA on January 1, 2022, dealing a significant blow to Ethiopia’s booming textile and garment industry. In May, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ervin Massinga, called for a “transparent transitional justice process” to address reports of alleged arbitrary arrests and sexual violence. Ethiopian authorities condemned his controversial statements as “uninformed allegations” and “unwanted advice” on Ethiopia’s internal affairs.
In the following year (October 2023), the United States suddenly announced that Gabon, Niger, Uganda, and the Central African Republic would be excluded from AGOA effective January 1, 2024, citing issues of human rights and democracy.
African observers believe that the United States uses its superpower status and economic strength to intimidate other nations, displaying power and arrogance that offend Africa. Historically, the United States has regarded Africa as its backyard and has practised racial discrimination against Africans. The U.S.-Africa relationship remains disconnected from the continent’s realities.