OPINION:
Over the last couple of decades, a substantial portion of my law practice has been focused on Africa. I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of transactional and arbitration matters involving various francophone sub-Saharan nations. In my work, I have met and gotten to know several heads of state from those nations, as well as other high-level government officials.
My conversations with those individuals have made it abundantly clear that there is serious concern about the United States’ absence from active participation in the African continent. I have repeatedly heard from numerous prominent Africans that they wish our nation were prepared to play a greater role in Africa. The recent brief visit to Africa by a somnolent President Biden has done little to assuage the concerns of our friends there.
It is plainly apparent that the United States has been steadily eclipsed on the continent by other nations. It is not alone in this situation. France has been among the predominant powers in Africa for generations, yet today, its role on the continent is being rapidly reduced. France is steadily being squeezed out of its former colonies.
In the meantime, Islamist groups are seeking increasing influence and are filling the spaces being vacated by France. But it is China that has taken the lead in the economic conquest of Africa, which was marked by the exploitation of the continent’s mineral resources. The consequences of that conquest have been mixed at best.
When visiting Africa, I have often heard the concern that the Chinese presence has engendered. While the infusion of funding for various projects has been appreciated, the conditions invariably attached to Chinese investments are far less welcome. Those conditions can include a merciless demand for repayment of loans even at times of economic distress. As a prominent African diplomat noted with dismay, “We expected the Chinese to behave like Americans, but they have not done so.” When the time for repayment comes, the Chinese do not flinch; they insist on repayment.
Compassion and flexibility have always been vital components of American assistance to developing countries. More often than not, government loans have been partially or even totally forgiven. This approach is unique to American assistance. The Chinese have no such ethos.
Chinese investment is dramatically different from Western investment in general and American investment specifically. When a Chinese investment is made in Africa, the Chinese drive a hard bargain. They advance funds without the need to go through the lengthy process of negotiating with private banks or other funders. Still, they do so subject to strict conditions and serious consequences if the bargain they have made is not adhered to by the African nation.
Also, the Chinese frequently bring their own personnel with them. They are reluctant to hire local workers, and thus, their investments do not achieve an important goal of African nations: enhanced employment opportunities.
As a result, Chinese investments do not provide the kind of training and experience that African nations so badly need. Furthermore, Chinese investors do not necessarily respect local customs. Rather, they apply their own practices as they implement their investments, often leaving unpleasant feelings in their wake.
This approach to investment is alienating to Africans. With Americans failing to show up, however, many African leaders have determined that they have no alternative. There is a crying need for investment in Africa, and there is a dearth of financing available to pursue such investments. Only China seems willing to step up and take the risks involved in investments in Africa and to finance those investments.
It should be self-evident that this dilemma creates an important opening and opportunity for the United States. Contrary to the many naysayers in our nation, Americans are viewed favorably in Africa. Our ability to innovate, to take risks and to bring our incredible know-how are highly valued. There is a desire to see us reengage in Africa.
The arrival of a new Republican administration is viewed with optimism. There is a tendency to think that Republicans have a greater interest than Democrats in Africa despite public statements by Democrats to the contrary. Africans remember the significant presence of the George W. Bush administration in Africa and contrast that to the relatively hands-off approach of the Obama and Biden administrations.
Though Mr. Biden finally made a trip to Africa on the cusp of leaving office, his administration has not played a very significant role in Africa. It is hoped that President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office may mark a return to greater involvement.
That Mr. Trump has certain attributes of a strongman is not a negative factor for Africans. They are accustomed to their leaders being powerful figures — often called “le patron,” the boss. Thus, many in Africa hope that the new president will serve as a kind of role model and will provide the appropriate incentive for the reengagement of the United States in Africa. Indeed, at least one African president once said to me, without hesitation, “I wish that I could be more like Donald Trump.”
With its rich mineral resources and youthful and ambitious population, Africa deserves to receive the attention — both diplomatic and, especially, entrepreneurial — from the United States that China has bestowed and that we have failed to provide. It is high time to reverse this dynamic. Africa will benefit from such a reversal, and so will the United States.
• Gerard Leval is a partner in the Washington office of a national law firm. He is the author of “Lobbying for Equality: Jacques Godard and the Struggle for Jewish Civil Rights During the French Revolution,” published by HUC Press.
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