The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken arrived Sunday, August 7 in South Africa, the first stage of his second tour in Africa.
This Monday, Blinken spoke in the morning with the head of South African diplomacy, Naledi Pandor. During a press conference, held after their tete-a-tete, the American Secretary of State seemed to motivate Washington’s desire to relaunch the partnership with Pretoria.
« Given your economic weight, your leadership, your membership in the G20, your influence within the G77, given the crucial work that South Africa undertakes in areas such as health, climate, democracy, security regional and so many other topics, what South Africa says, what South Africa does has a big impact », he underlined, adding that « all of this makes vital this strategic dialogue between our country ».
While delivering a speech at the University of Pretoria this afternoon regarding the US strategy for Africa for the next few years, Blinken made sure to touch on the minister’s recent African tour. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov. The latter went to Congo-Brazzaville, Uganda, Egypt and Ethiopia at the end of July.
It is clear that the presence of Russia in Africa is not viewed favorably by the United States. The neutral position displayed by several African states during UN resolutions blaming the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a sign that Moscow enjoys a certain consideration from several leaders in the continent.
With the aim, among other things, of consolidating their relations with African states, the United States has already announced an American-African summit scheduled for December 13 in Washington.
Let us recall that the former American president Donald Trump, in a certain way tainted the relations between the United States and the African countries which he had described as « shitty country ».
After South Africa, the American Secretary of State will travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday and then to Rwanda on Wednesday.
By OMA Newsletter N° 812 of 08/08/2022
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
