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

By Gary Raynaldo      DIPLOMATIC TIMES

“I can say that after a full career living and working on the continent, I am as optimistic as ever that we are not only going to get through this, but that our relationship with the African people will come out of it even stronger.”   Tibor Nagy, the U.S. top diplomat to Africa made the statement to journalists Wednesday during a telephonic press briefing regarding America’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent.   “I say this from experience and from the knowledge that our commitment to Africa will endure,” added Nagy, who serves as the Trump administration’s Assistant Secretary for African Affairs.  Ambassador Nagy said that now is the time to reinforce America’s long-standing partnership “with our African friends.” Nagy said  under President Trump, that partnership has continued to grow ever stronger.  “We are by far the largest donor nation to Africa and our impact is felt across the board.  The United States has committed more than $100 billion over the past 20 years towards public health on the African continent, trained over 285,000 healthcare workers,” the diplomat said. The administration is also actively working to save lives in Africa by fighting Malaria, Ebola, Avian Flu, and Cholera, Nagy stated, adding that the  President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has helped save over 7 million lives.   The ambassador stressed that now, in the fight against COVID-19, that commitment continues.  There are more than 42,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent.

“No other nation is doing more than we are.  Of the more than $780 million the U.S. has pledged worldwide to fight the virus, close to $250 million is geared towards Africa. “

-U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy

Transparency Crucial in U.S. Response To COVID-19 in Africa

“This also is a time to reflect on the importance of transparency.  It’s times like these that show who you can trust and I’m proud to say our African partners have, by and large, been there for us as we have for them.  Unfortunately, there are other actors in this world who have not lived up to that virtue, but rather made it worse through secrecy and deceit,” the diplomat said.  Nagy also said now is not the time for governments to use the disease as a pretext for repression of people or ideas in the media or elsewhere.  “A vibrant, free press is more important than ever to ensure the public receives timely and accurate information about the virus and how to stop its spread.  Government transparency and accountability and freedom of expression, including for members of the media, are critical for an effective response to COVID-19.”

A journalist asked the  American ambassador  what is the United States’ response to African countries welcoming Chinese doctors and medical supplies to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent.

“Well, again, countries are sovereign.  Countries can decide who they are to deal with and in what manners.  Our asking and urging is for transparency, full transparency from all donors, whether it regards assistance on COVID or whether it regards debt alleviation or aid programs in general,”  Nagy said in response.

Impact of President Trump’s move defunding the World Health Organization (WHO)  in Africa now during this pandemic:

Nagy stated:   “In fact, I think the term defunding is not the correct way to say that.  What the United States of America has said is that we are undertaking a 60 to 90-day evaluation of the World Health Organization’s response during this COVID emergency. And as Secretary Pompeo himself had said basically, he said with respect to the WHO, we know they had one job, a single mission:  to prevent the spread of the pandemic.  So that did not happen.  It was not the first time of failure, so that is in effect what we are doing.  And as we have been the largest single funder of the WHO, it’s our responsibility, the government, to look after the interests of the U.S. taxpayers who have been funding that to the tune of $400 to $500 million a year.”

What Is U.S. Reaction to the arrival of Cuban medical teams in Africa, and more specifically, a large contingent in South Africa?,  a reporter asked:

“Yeah.  Yeah, here’s the thing.  On Cubans, government – African governments, I know, have – some of them, especially – a long history of dealing with Cuban medical personnel.  Our view on countries’ use of Cuban medical personnel:  If the countries will pay the Cubans for their services directly, we have been able to accept that.  The problem becomes when countries pay a considerable amount of money to the government of Cuba and that the medical professionals themselves are not paid. Again, unless it’s something that contravenes a United Nations Security Council resolution with certain countries, we do – we respect countries for their sovereignty and their views and their own individual ties, despite how we may feel about somebody.  But Cuba has a long history of sending medical personnel.  Our problem has been on the way that countries pay for those medical experts.” –  Tibor Nagy.  

Ambassador Nagy, a retired career Foreign Service Officer, spent 32 years in government service, including over 20 years in assignments across Africa.  He served as 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).