To confront terrorism and stop the influence of the bear and dragon: US aid package for Africa

The United States of America is seeking to consolidate its presence in the African Sahel region, despite the increasing military and economic influence of China and Russia in the area.

On Thursday, April 13, Washington announced the provision of long-term aid to Benin, Togo, and Ivory Coast, in an effort to reduce the spread of terrorism and extremism in the region.

Michael Heath, the US Assistant Secretary of State for West Africa, described the threat of terrorism as a source of concern for Washington due to the capabilities of existing governments that have not previously faced such a threat.

In March 2023, US Vice President Kamala Harris pledged to provide $100 million over ten years to combat the spread of extremism and rebuild the armies of the region during her African tour. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also visited the Republic of Niger and announced the provision of $150 million in financial aid to the Sahel region to combat terrorism.

Mohammed Rabie El-Diehy, a researcher in international relations, says that the issue of terrorism remains one of the priorities of US foreign policy in Africa, but Washington's announcement of providing an aid package to African countries to confront terrorism comes at a very sensitive time, with the decline of French influence in the face of the rise of Chinese and Russian influence. This is especially true in light of the possibility of an increase in the number of Russian Wagner forces in African countries.

El-Diehy emphasized, in a special statement to "The Reference" news outlet, that the change of many political elites and the popular rejection of French presence, in contrast to the welcome given to Russian presence, is a cause for concern for the United States, and that is why Washington is keen to provide such aid in order to squeeze the Russian presence, as well as to establish a foothold for the United States in Africa amid a race for influence on the continent.

The researcher in international relations added that the United States is seeking to gain new alliances in the face of the reshaping of the international system, and the departure of some African countries from cooperation with Washington.

On his part, Nasser Maamoun Issa, the African affairs researcher, says that the African Sahel region occupied the largest part of the Global Terrorism Index report, where Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are among the top ten countries affected by terrorism, with Burkina Faso contributing to 17% of terrorism deaths in the world, followed by Mali with 14%, and then Niger with 3%, which are very high percentages despite Niger's calmness in 2022.

He confirmed in a special statement to " The Reference" that the number of deaths reflects the strength and activity of these terrorist groups in the region and their impact on social patterns of life, which naturally affects pastoral and agricultural activities as the vast majority of the region's people depend on these activities.

He added that the growth of terrorist operations is natural due to the governments' inability to provide security, as well as the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which led to the exacerbation of the food crisis, especially in areas suffering from instability and desertification due to climate change, all of these factors contributed to the spread of hunger and poverty in the African Sahel region.

The African affairs researcher pointed out that there are more than five million people in this region suffering from severe food shortages due to the lack of wheat and fertilizers, because of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the absence of regional security, and the growing repercussions of climate change, in addition to the inability to reach humanitarian aid and the theft of what is being passed on by terrorist groups, depriving vulnerable populations of this necessary aid. Also, humanitarian workers are increasingly exposed to security risks.