Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / © Diplomatic Times /   Major General Christopher E. Craige, U.S. Africa Command, speaks at the Africa Symposium 2020, “Advancing Africa’s Governance, Peace, and Security,” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. March 11, 2020. 

By Gary Raynaldo      DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

WASHINGTON D.C. –  Despite the presence of thousands of  UN peacekeeping troops and French soldiers in the African Sahel, the region remains fragile and continues to deteriorate with regular jihadists attacks and ethnic violence occurring every week.  For nearly a decade, the Sahel nations of Mali, Niger,  Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania have been on the front line  in the war against Islamist militancy.   Terrorist-attack casualties in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have leapt  five-fold since 2016 – with more than 4,000 death sreported in 2019 alone as compared to some 770 three years earlier.   U.S. Department of State  Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. Ambassador Nagy recently remarked that  the situation in the Sahel is getting worse by the day.  The  U.S. military strategy is evolving from from trying to degrade, or reduce the effectiveness, of the extremist groups to keeping them from growing their membership and spreading into new areas. The U.S. is currently stepping up its diplomatic engagement in the Sahel.  Last week, the Institute for Defense Analyses and the Wilson Center Africa Program co-hosted the Africa Symposium 2020, “Advancing Africa’s Governance, Peace, and Security,” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., which addressed the situation in the Sahel among other issues impacting Africa. The day-long symposium featured policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts from across the government, academia, and non-profit sectors speaking to some of the most critical issues facing Africa and U.S.-Africa relations in the governance, peace, and security domains.

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo /  General Norton A. Schwartz (USAF, Ret.), Institute for Defense Analyses, gives opening remarks at Africa Symposium 2020, “Advancing Africa’s Governance, Peace, and Security,” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. March 11, 2020. 

 American Commitment To SAHEL “Is Second To None”:   U.S. Department of State Whitney Baird

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo /    Whitney Baird, Deputy Assistant Secretary for West Africa and Security Affairs, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State, speaks on the Sahel at the  Africa Symposium 2020, “Advancing Africa’s Governance, Peace, and Security,” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. March 11, 2020. 

Whitney Baird, Deputy Assistant Secretary for West Africa and Security Affairs, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State, said the Sahel  is in a state crisis.  Baird said it is a danger the longer the crisis in the Sahel continues. She pointed out that the U.S. is increasing its diplomatic presence in the Sahel amid the growing instability. “David  Hale,  United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, addressed the Senate yesterday on the Sahel. He testified that we will continue to support (the United Nations)  Mali MINUSMA (peacekeeping mission)”.  She also noted that Secretary of State Michael Pompeo appointed Dr. J. Peter Pham as the first-ever U.S. Special Envoy for the Sahel region to maximize American diplomatic efforts in support of stability amid an unprecedented surge in terror attacks.

“The U.S. Commitment to the Sahel is second to none. The U.S. has provided hundreds of millions of dollars for food and security assistance . In the coming  months, the U.S. looks forward to escalating our diplomatic engagement in the Sahel to  ensure a stable and prosperous Sahel.”

-Whitney Baird, Deputy Assistant Secretary for West Africa and Security Affairs, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

She said research suggests that predatory and corrupt defense forces are a leading cause of radicalization.  The U.S. has a comparative advantage in providing security assistance that benefits citizens, Baird stated.

“We will continue to invest in mutual partnerships with governments who share our vision of a free, stable, and prosperous Africa,” Baird added.  She also highlighted that the U.S. wants more business engagement from U.S. companies in Africa. “The government encourages African leaders to speak with business leaders to bring awareness about investment environments in their respective countries.”   Baird underscored  U.S. priorities for Africa:

1) working with African governments to create a business-friendly environment for U.S. companies

2) harnessing the potential of Africa’s youth

3) advancing peace and security

4) countering China’s narrative

Military Efforts Alone  Will Not  Solve Africa’s Problems Of Instability, Rule of Law…

It was also noted by speakers at the symposium that Africa faces chronic instability, high birth rates, and problems with the rule of law. These are not problems that can be solved solely through military and security efforts, they said. 

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo /    Pete Marocco,  Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, U.S.  Department of Defense

“We cannot look at Africa like a monolith”.

-Pete Marocco,  U.S. Department of Defense.

“The DOD’s national defense strategy enforces partner-centric initiatives, including capacity building training, education, exercises, and military sales,” Marocco said.   However,  Marocco noted that defense efforts are not the only measure of U.S. security initiatives in Africa.

AFRICA  Facing Multiple Threats Including Coronavius 

“Current threats include organized crime, pandemics like Ebola and Coronavirus, environmental stresses and natural disasters, and cybersecurity issues that include responding to disinformation, misinformation, and digital authoritarianism,”  said professor Paul D. Williams, from the George Washington University.

 Security Underpins U.S. Global Engagement

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / © Diplomatic Times /   Major General Christopher E. Craige, U.S. Africa Command,  keynote speaker at the Africa Symposium 2020, “Advancing Africa’s Governance, Peace, and Security,” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. March 11, 2020. 

“The enduring relationships the U.S. has built with African countries while developing capabilities help build long-term alliances.”

-Major General Christopher E. Craige,  U.S. Africa Command.

VIDEO DIPLOMATIC TIMES /  Major General Christopher E. Craige, U.S. Africa Command,  keynote speaker at the Africa Symposium 2020, “Advancing Africa’s Governance, Peace, and Security,” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. March 11, 2020. 

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / © Diplomatic Times /   Major General Christopher E. Craige, U.S. Africa Command,  speaks at the Africa Symposium 2020, “Advancing Africa’s Governance, Peace, and Security,” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. March 11, 2020. 

VIDEO DIPLOMATIC TIMES /  Major General Christopher E. Craige, U.S. Africa Command,  keynote speaker at the Africa Symposium 2020, “Advancing Africa’s Governance, Peace, and Security,” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. March 11, 2020. 

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo / © Diplomatic Times /   Major General Christopher E. Craige, U.S. Africa Command.

U.S.-Africa Relations Altered From Cold-War Dynamics To Business and Economic Relations at the Center 

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo /  Dr. Monde Muyangwa , Director of the Wilson Center’s Africa Program, gives welcome remarks.

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo /  Dr.  Dorina  Bekoe,  Institute For Defense Analyses,  gave introductory remarks during the Africa Symposium Panel 2: The Democratic Dividend. 

Clean Elections Crucial To Prevent Reversal Of Democratic Advances

Credit: Gary Raynaldo /   Professor  E.  Gyimah-Boaidi,  Co-Founder and Executive Director,  Afrobarometer

“There is a supply challenge for democracy, it is about the unfulfilled aspirations of democracy. In most places there is support for democracies, according to Afrobarometer.   African people want democracy.”

– Professor  E.  Gyimah-Boaidi,  Co-Founder and Executive Director,  Afrobarometer

Factors that help reduce the possibility of reversal of democratic advances:

Clean elections , Low levels of official corruption, Low levels of official impunity,  High levels of governmental transparency , Greater economic opportunity.

“A full supply of democracy is when citizens (1) see their country as a full democracy or a democracy with minor problems, and (2) citizens are satisfied with the way their democracy works.”    – Professor  E.  Gyimah-Boaidi.

Credit: Gary Raynaldo /   Professor  E.  Gyimah-Boaidi,  Co-Founder and Executive Director,  Afrobarometer.