Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times  /  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy  speaks on  the Trump Administration’s Africa Policy at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. March 3, 2020. 

By Gary Raynaldo      DIPLOMATIC TIMES

WASHINGTON   –   The U.S. Trump administration is to dispatch a ‘Special Envoy’  to the Sahel region amid the unprecedented Jihadist violence plaguing the  area in West Africa.  The U.S. top diplomat for Africa Tibor Nagy said the administration will remain very engaged in the Sahel. “We are not cutting back,” said Nagy, who serves as the Department of State’s Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.  Nagy made the announcement while speaking at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. last Tuesday on a panel discussion on : “The Trump Administration and U.S. Africa Policy: What has been accomplished and what lies ahead?”  While Ambassador Nagy acknowledged he is not really a fan of  special envoys, the current bloody crisis in the Sahel  warrants more diplomatic engagement on the  part of the  U.S.  Earlier this year, the top UN official in West Africa and the Sahel  described a devastating, “unprecedented” surge in terrorist violence across the region. The UNOWAS chief elaborated on terrorist-attack casualties in Burkina Faso Mali and Niger, which have leapt five-fold since 2016 – with more than 4,000 deaths reported in 2019 alone as compared to some 770 three years earlier.  Ambassador Nagy said the situation in the Sahel is getting worse by the day.

“There are certain situations that are so complicated and require so much coordination that a special envoy makes sense.”

-Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy 

Ambassador Nagy Is A Self-Described  “Afro-Optimist” 

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times  /  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy  at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. March 3, 2020 to explain Trump  U.S. Africa policy.

Ambassador Nagy has often been referred to as  Donald Trump’s  “Mr. Africa” for his constant diplomatic engagement on the African Continent.   “As I often note, I’ve been an “Afro-Optimist” since my first posting on the continent in 1978.  I am even more so now. In this job I have visited over 25 countries and held hundreds of meetings with African leaders, businesspeople, young people, and civil society representatives. And, importantly, Africa is getting the attention it deserves from senior U.S. officials,  Nagy said during his talk at the Woodrow Wilson Center.  “Africa matters to the United States,”  the diplomat added, noting that Secretary of State Michael Pompeo visited Senegal, Angola, and Ethiopia last month, while under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale traveled in February to Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania.  Nagy laid out the U.S. priorities  in Africa: 

“To harness the potential of Africa’s youth as a force for ingenuity and prosperity; To work with African governments to create a level playing field for U.S. companies and encourage U.S. companies to do business in Africa; To advance peace and security through partnerships with African governments and regional mechanisms; To counter China’s narrative and make clear that the breadth and depth of the U.S. commitment to Africa is unmatched.”

ETHIOPIA,  DR CONGO,  SUDAN are Areas where Africa has seen positive change and progress in U.S.-African relations:  Ambassador Nagy 

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times  /  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy  at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. March 3, 2020 speaks on progress in  U.S. Africa relations. 

DIPLOMATIC TIMES Video / U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy  at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. March 3, 2020 speaks on progress in  U.S. Africa relations. 

Ethiopia

“Ethiopia’s reform agenda is breathtaking in its scope and ambition to improve the economic, political, and social life of its citizens, ” ambassador Nagy told the audience. 

“Since coming to power in 2018, Prime Minister Abiy has released political prisoners and journalists. He has formalized peace with Ethiopia’s longstanding adversary Eritrea. He has lifted restrictions on civil society and decriminalized opposition groups. Abiy views the opposition as competition, not the enemy. Coca-Cola is making a new 300 million dollar investment that will create thousands of jobs. Companies like FedEx and Citibank are exploring new opportunities as well.”

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times  /  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy  at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. March 3, 2020 speaks on progress in  U.S. – Africa Policy.

The Democratic Republic of Congo

“For the first time in its history The Democratic Republic of Congo has a chance to live up to its name as both democratic and a republic,” ambassador Nagy said.    “The election of Felix Tshisekedi marked the first peaceful transfer of power from an incumbent President to the opposition since the Congo’s independence in 1960.”

Nagy added that after his inauguration, “Tshisekedi pardoned scores of political prisoners, including opponents of former President Kabila.  He opened political space and welcomed exiled dissidents back to the DRC. Tshisekedi injected a sense of urgency to combating the Ebola outbreak that continues to wreak havoc in the eastern DRC. The country may finally be turning a corner in terms of containment of the Ebola outbreak. I remain optimistic that President Tshisekedi is someone we can work with on trade and investment, countering corruption, and promoting peace and stability in the region. GE just announced a multi-billion dollar investment in DRC hydro and gas power, as well as health care, over the next few years. We are stepping up our support for anti-corruption efforts and prosecutions and investigations.”

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times  /  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy  at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. March 3, 2020 speaks on progress in  U.S. – Africa Policy.

SUDAN

“In Sudan, former President Bashir’s ouster after 30 years in power was an historic moment.  In a matter of months, Sudan transitioned from an adversarial regime to a potential partner. The United States played an important role to bringing about a civilian-led transitional government. Soon after Bashir’s ouster, we dispatched Deputy Assistant Secretary Makila James for an initial round of discussions with all the factions.  We also appointed veteran diplomat Ambassador Don Booth as Special Envoy for Sudan,”  Nagy stated. 

Youth tsunami is hitting Africa:    Ambassador  Nagy 

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times  /  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy.

Youth:

“As I have stressed in almost every speech, a youth tsunami is hitting Africa.  The continent’s population will double by 2050.  This poses a huge problem for governments that do not create jobs and opportunity. These young people are as wired, connected, and savvy as their counterparts anywhere in the world.  They want the same things – a good job, a nice house, and a safe and secure future for their families.”

China in Africa

“With respect to China, we are challenging their narrative and strengthening our own public diplomacy outreach. We are reminding Africans that no one can match America’s contributions.  We are Africa’s primary partner in areas such as health, empowering women, promoting human rights, supporting free and fair elections, combating child labor, and building the capacity of African peacekeepers. China continues to assert itself on the continent.  We must encourage African leaders to choose sustainable foreign investments that employ Africans in good jobs and ensure that skills are transferred to African workers.” –  Ambassador Nagy .

Major Challenges and Problems Remain and Ahead:

“The activities of Violent Extremist Organizations, or VEOs, are spreading from the Sahel, to Burkina Faso.  They are threatening coastal states such as Togo, Guinea, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, and Senegal. While Somalia has emerged from state failure to begin rebuilding the country, instability and VEO activity remain a persistent threat. Cameroon and Zimbabwe have demonstrated little willingness to confront domestic problems or to open up political space. The international community must also remain engaged in CAR and South Sudan to encourage internal peace and stability. We welcome the South Sudan transitional unity government that was agreed to on February 22 by President Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar. I have appointed a distinguished three-time U.S. Ambassador, Stuart Symington, as Special Envoy for South Sudan.” – Ambassador Nagy.

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times  /  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy.

Nagy, a retired career Foreign Service Officer, spent 32 years in government service, including over 20 years in assignments across Africa. He served as the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia (1999-2002), United States Ambassador to Guinea (1996-1999) as well as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Nigeria (1993-1995), Cameroon (1990-1993), and Togo (1987-1990). Previous assignments include Zambia, the Seychelles, Ethiopia, and Washington, DC.

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times /  Monde Muyangwa, the Director of the Wilson Center’s Africa Program, was moderator of the  Trump  U.S. – Africa  Policy panel discussion.

Monde holds a Ph.D. in International Relations and a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford, as well as a B.A. in Public Administration and Economics from the University of Zambia. She was a Rhodes Scholar, a Wingate Scholar, and the University of Zambia Valedictory Speaker for her graduation class.

“For too long, U.S.-Africa relations were defined by Cold War calculations, humanitarian crises, and conflict and insecurity, while economic and development matters were largely on the periphery of U.S. engagement with the continent. Since 2014, there has been an effort to re-position U.S.-Africa relations by bringing business and economic relations squarely into the center of U.S.-Africa relations.”

-Monde Muyangwa, the Director of the Wilson Center’s Africa Program