Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Representative to the United Nations, has concluded her African tour with conversations in Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya, and Somalia.
At a brief teleconference on Monday, Greenfield called on the international community to join the United States in helping Africans tackle many of the challenges they face.
The United States alone, she asserted, cannot solve challenges around insecurity, climate change, food insecurity and foreign and regional threats.
The visits by Greenfield and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen who was on a three-nation, 10-day Africa tour are part of President Biden’s plans to strengthen ties with the continent and counter rising China and increasingly influential Russia.
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. himself announced last month during the second U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington D.C. that he will visit sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, the first trip by a sitting U.S. president since then President Barack Obama visited a decade ago.
Greenfield said, “I’m just coming off of a very productive weeklong trip to Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya, and Somalia. I had four overarching goals for this trip: to strengthen our partnerships with current and former UN Security Council members; follow up on our priorities from the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, including combating climate change; shine a spotlight on humanitarian issues, particularly famine; and continue our consultations on UN reform to ensure the UN is fit for purpose.
“In Ghana, I met with Foreign Minister Shirley Botchwey, thanked her for Ghana’s strong partnership on the Security Council, and discussed prospects for UN reform. We also discussed regional security issues and UN peacekeeping.
“In Mozambique, I met with their minister of foreign affairs and cooperation to discuss Mozambique’s historic first term on the Security Council, as well as shared priorities like climate change, women, peace, and security issues, and regional security. I also met with UN officials working to build a safer, more peaceful region as well as members of civil society, entrepreneurs, students, activists, and members of my beloved YALI exchange program. I even had the opportunity to volunteer alongside local environmental activists at the last remaining coastal mangrove forest in urban Maputo, an important natural defense against the effects of climate change that we must protect.
“In Kenya, I met with President Ruto. I expressed my deep appreciation for Kenya’s leadership on the Security Council during its two-year tenure and discussed ways we can partner on food security and counterterrorism in the Horn of Africa. I also visited the UN office in Nairobi and met with officials from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian assistance, the World Food Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNHCR, and UNICEF, to discuss refugee assistance in Kenya. And I delivered remarks along with a representative from Church World Service about the value of the newly launched Welcome Corps, and how kind-hearted Americans can now welcome refugees to the United States. I also visited a state-of-the-art manufacturing and assembly hub for electronic vehicles in Kenya. I was impressed with Kenya’s efforts to accelerate a just energy transition and tackle the climate crisis.
“Finally, in Somalia, I met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to discuss the severe drought and potential for famine in Somalia, as well as a wide range of issues, including political reconciliation, how to sustain the offensive against al-Shabaab, and how to develop security forces who can assume responsibility for ATMIS. I also met with ATMIS as well as local UN humanitarian and NGO groups to discuss how we can improve their safety and security while they risk their lives to deliver therapeutic feeding to remote communities despite the terrorism threat.
“At the end of my trip, I made a speech in Mogadishu on how the international community must come together to end famine forever. When I heard – what I heard and saw in Somalia is that because of the combination of COVID, conflict, and climate, the threat of famine is back. The word “famine” should be an anachronism. We have the tools to banish it to a bygone era. I announced $40 million in new, additional funding from the United States to Somalia to save lives, stave off famine, and meet humanitarian needs. But the truth is the United States can’t do this alone. My call is for the international community to step up and do more. Those countries with the means to give more must heed the call of humanity. There is no reason – none at all – that we cannot get resources to the people in acute need. So let’s be ambitious; let’s end famine forever, together.”
READ ALSO a question and answer session that followed:
MODERATOR: Okay, thank you very much, Ambassador. And we’ll go directly into the question-and-answer portion today. So the first question comes to us from Christine Holzbauer of Financial Afrik in Senegal. She asks: “A big international summit to improve food resilience just took place in Dakar. The African Bank for Development made announcements to this purpose. Therefore, your visit to the continent, as well as those of other American officials, seems redundant. Do you have any new, concrete items to announce to compensate for the shortages and suffering for their populations that many countries in Africa must endure because of the war between Russia and Ukraine?”
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Thank you for that question. And I am honestly extraordinarily pleased with the conference that was held in Dakar, the leadership that African countries are taking to deal with this issue. But we’re also there as partners. As I just said, we just announced 40 million new dollars to this effort to fight the effects of food insecurity, to fight climate change. We have given close to if not more than $2.3 billion to these efforts across the Horn of Africa. I was in Ghana earlier last year and spoke about the issues of food insecurity. I met with farmers. I heard their concerns. And we are working with these countries as well as others to address those concerns. And we’re asking other donors to join those efforts.
So our work is not redundant; it’s complementary to what is taking place on the continent of Africa.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Ambassador. I’d like to go for the next question to Dylan Gamba of Agence France-Presse in Kenya, and he asks: “What is the current situation of the war against al-Shabaab in Somalia? Would you say the government is winning, as it appears the al-Shabaab have a strategy of tit for tat when a city is recaptured? What is the situation regarding the famine?”
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: On the fight against al-Shabaab, the fight continues. The government is making progress against al-Shabaab, and we’re working side by side with them to support their strategy. We’re working with ATMIS to also support their efforts to support the government. And those efforts will continue until they have been able to destroy al-Shabaab’s ability to terrorize the people of Somalia, to terrorize the region, and to terrorize the world.
The situation on the famine remains dire. We luckily averted the famine announcement the last time around, but still hundreds of people died from starvation, and the work needs to continue on that. We’re not out of the woods yet. What I heard when I was in the region is that they have had five failed rainfalls over the course of the past year. The sixth one is upcoming in the March-April timeframe, and if we don’t ramp up our efforts then we stand another chance of reaching famine-like conditions, if not an actual famine.
So we are working very, very closely with the humanitarian organizations, with other donors, with the countries involved, and with communities to do everything possible to ensure that we save lives and that we avert a famine a second time around.
MODERATOR: Okay, thank you, Ambassador. I know that your time is very limited. If we could squeeze in one more question we’d be very grateful, from Christopher Alvin of the Alvin Mokaya Media Center in Kenya, asks: “What is the role of the U.S. in ensuring a stable, secure, and peaceful nation in Kenya after the divisive 2022 election?”
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Look, let me just say we are a strong partner with the Government of Kenya. That partnership spans over six decades. It’s a deep and broad relationship of shared values: democracy and good governance and respect for human rights. And we’re committed to supporting Kenya’s vision for its development journey through locally led initiatives and strengthening institutions. We have worked very closely with the Kenyan Government to address food security issues, and we’re working very closely with them to address the issues of terrorism and insecurity in the region.
Kenya has been a strong partner for us in addressing some of those regional concerns. It was the efforts of Kenya that contributed significantly to the ceasefire that took place in Ethiopia, and they are continuing those efforts to address the situation in DRC.
So again, more work needs to be done, but Kenya is in a good place at the moment and we’re hoping to continue to strengthen the partnership that we have with them.
MODERATOR: Thank you, Ambassador. And I know that food insecurity was one of the major themes of your trip. There have been a few other questions about food insecurity. But knowing that that’s one of the major themes of your trip, I’d like to just sort of wrap it up now, knowing that you have very limited time, ask you if you have any final comments to make.
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Thank you very much, and let me thank all of you in the press who are on this line. It is important that you, too, focus on food insecurity to make sure that the messages are delivered to people that we have to tackle this issue, we have to tackle it today, and that every country has a role to play, and to encourage more donor support, as I did in my speech in Somalia and will be speaking to when I return to New York, encouraging others to contribute to this worthy effort. This is about humanity, and we all have to ramp up our efforts.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Ambassador, and thank you to all of our participants today. I regret we didn’t have more time to spend. However, the Ambassador’s trip to Africa and her other ongoing work is extremely important and extremely urgent, and we have to let her go and get on to her next responsibilities. So I really do appreciate your time, Ambassador, and all of our participants today.
Please be reminded that a transcript and recording of this briefing will be available to you. You can contact us at any time at the Africa Regional Media Hub, follow us on Twitter and other social media platforms, and stay in touch with us, and I hope that we’ll be seeing you all again. Thank you very much and have a good day.
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Thank you.
Biden’s plans for Africa
During his remarks at the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC last December, President Biden announced new investments focused on boosting infrastructure and trade and countering the growing influence of China and Russia.
He said that the U.S. will support innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa, and that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation is investing $370 million in the continent to increase access to clean energy and supply farmers with fertilizers and help companies that bring water to communities.
In addition, Biden announced a new initiative to allow Africa participate in the digital economy that would include collaborations between Viasat and Microsoft to bring internet access to at least five million people in Africa.
He added, “I proposed this initiative together with the rest of the G7 to help fill the need for quality, high-standard infrastructure in Africa and in low-income and middle-income countries around the world. And at the G7 meeting earlier this year, we announced our intention to collectively mobilize $600 billion in the next five years.
“Today’s announcements joint — join a portfolio of Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment projects already underway in Africa, including mobilizing $8 billion in public and private finance to help South Africa replace coal-fired power plants with renewable energy sources and develop cutting-edge energy solutions like clean hydrogen; a deal worth $2 billion to build solar energy projects in Angola; $600 million in high-speed telecommunications cable that will connect Southeast Asia to Europe via Egypt and the Horn of Africa and help bring high-speed Internet connectivity to countries all along the way,” added Biden.
In Washington on Tuesday, responding to concerns and perceptions that Africa is again being used as a battlefield for a proxy war between East and West, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the U.S. partnership in Africa is not about other nations.
She said, “As demonstrated by our commitments at the U.S.- Africa Leaders’ Summit, the United States sees African countries as genuine partners and wants to build relationship based on mutual respect. That’s what you saw at the summit. And that’s what the President has been consistent on, and that’s what we want to see.
“Our focus is on Africa and our efforts to strengthen these partnerships across a wide range of sectors spanning from businesses to health to peace and security. Building on those efforts, we’ve had Secretary Blinken and Secretary Yellen travel to the region very recently.
“And as you noted, we have Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s upcoming travel to Ghana, Mozambique, and Kenya. And that’s going to be from January 25th to the 29th.
“The Ambassador’s — this is going to be the Ambassador’s third trip to the Sub-Saharan Africa. And since she took up her position as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, she’s gone three times under this current tenure that she’s currently doing.
“And you will continue to see us following through the President’s commitment and to step — and to step up our engagement across Africa this year and beyond.
“And, look, this is a commitment. We saw it when we put the summit together with 49, 50 heads of states who were here, right here in D.C. And that was over three days.
“And the President participated in the summits, his team participated in the summit, and we talked about issues that really mattered to the continent and issues that really mattered to us as well.”
Long reading, just full of American propaganda and lies