Under Joe Biden, America struggles to reassert itself in Africa
As Chinese and Russian influence rise, the odds are against it
Judging by events in the Sahel over the past few years, America’s standing in Africa has taken a severe knock. It has patently failed to stop the spread of coups across a belt stretching from Guinea in the west to Sudan in east, all now run by military men. American efforts to nudge Sudan from military dictatorship to democracy have ended in a bloody civil war. Last year Niger’s generals told America to close down its base, from which it provided intelligence in the war against jihadists linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “An uphill struggle”
From the May 11th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Middle East & Africa
Hamas talks a big game but is in chaos
Look beyond the latest bravado and brutality and it is bitterly split
Iran’s alarming nuclear dash will soon test Donald Trump
There is no plausible civilian use for the enhanced uranium Iran is producing
Syria’s new rulers say they are keen to integrate foreign fighters
Outsiders continue to see them as a threat
Rwanda’s reckless plan to redraw the map of Africa
The fall of Goma could trigger another Congo conflict
Three big lawsuits against Meta in Kenya may have global implications
One was prompted by the murder of an Ethiopian professor
Trump should try to end, not manage, the Middle East’s oldest conflicts
And he should see the region as more than a source of instability and arms deals