Africa – At the Heart of Global South

Through its G20 chairmanship, India sees Africa at the centre of the Global South, which will be recognised as its voice.
The majority of the 54 nations that make up this continent are developing or least developed nations. To accurately reflect the South, one must be aware of the mood and changes taking on in Africa, particularly in its foreign relationships. This will determine how India can help progress the goals of Africa.

Washington hosted the second U.S.-Africa summit recently from December 13 to December 15.
There were 49 participants from African nations, including the AU chair. President of the United States Joe Biden, who has not yet travelled to the continent, was a courteous host and talked about political, security, and economic cooperation with his visitors.
The leaders also discussed how to address the climate problem, enhance food security, lessen the effects of COVID-19 and future pandemics, and strengthen relationships across the diaspora.

A number of significant decisions were made. The U.S. first declared its support for the AU to become a permanent member of the G20.
Second, the US declared that it “completely supports” the UNSC’s change to include permanent representation for Africa.
If the United States and India can get through potential opposition from the European Union and ASEAN, the first assurance can be put into place right now.
The second, however, is ambiguous because UNSC reform is still many years away.
The United States announced additional investments and initiatives, including $10 million for a pilot programme to strengthen the security capabilities of its African partners and $21 billion to the International Monetary Fund to enable access to vital financing for low- and middle-income nations.
Working together with the Congress, the administration stated that it intended to invest $55 billion in Africa over the following three years.

However, American efforts to improve its standing in Africa continue to be patchy and ineffective. Beijing,is the largest commercial partner and the fourth largest investor in the continent of Africa, ahead of the United States, thanks to its consistent diplomacy and extensive economic engagement.
While trade between the U.S. and Africa totaled $44.9 billion in 2021, it was $254 billion between China and Africa.
In contrast to China’s projected $43.4 billion overall investment in Africa in 2020, the United States’ portfolio of investments in Sub-Saharan Africa was $30.31 billion last year.

Source The Hindu

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