us secretary of state visit to south africa

US Secretary of State Blinken to visit Africa as tension with China and Russia intensifies

Subscribe to africa in focus, landry signé landry signé senior fellow - global economy and development , africa growth initiative @landrysigne.

August 5, 2022

• 10 min read

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his team will be in sub-Saharan Africa from August 7 to 12, paying visits to three countries: South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Rwanda. The visit comes at a critical time given the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which has profoundly impacted the entire continent of Africa. Overall, Blinken’s goal is to build on his visit of last November and foster closer relations between African countries and the United States—to accelerate progress on mutual interests so that both sides can flourish together within a complex global environment. This context includes both intense competition between advanced and emerging powers and the strengthened ability of countries in Africa to contribute to solving global challenges.

To advance the relationship, Blinken will announce Biden’s U.S. strategy for sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, launching the strategy while visiting leaders in Africa is an important milestone in the U.S. relationship with African countries and sends a strong message of respect by recognizing that “African countries are geostrategic players and critical partners on the most pressing issues of our day.” A second key goal of the visit will be to improve bilateral relations by focusing on pressing issues within the three countries he is visiting, issues that will have profound effects on the continent more broadly, as well as on relations between the U.S. and these specific countries.

This high-level visit also comes at a time when the current economic, health, and geopolitical pressures are shaping into a unique moment that will likely realign priorities and further actions. African countries continue to experience severe economic shocks as they attempt both to recover from COVID-19 disruptions and manage crises induced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As agriculture and food exports from both countries have halted, the war in Ukraine is threatening the already-fragile food supply chains in Africa. The war has caused other geopolitical tensions as well: Blinken will be visiting Africa just days after Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov’s visit to four countries in Africa (Uganda, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Egypt)—a trip aimed at expanding Russia’s presence in Africa while vying for support over the war. Blinken’s visit also comes in the wake of the Biden administration’s announcement of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit to be held in Washington, D.C. in December 2022. Blinken’s visit is being shaped by Washington’s desire to reassure African countries and leaders that they are important partners, with each of the countries on the itinerary providing a unique backdrop and opportunity to transform the United States’ relationship with Africa.

South Africa

Blinken’s first stop will be South Africa, one of the United States’ most important partners in the region, particularly in terms of health, education, environment, and the digital economy. During his visit, Blinken will lead the U.S. delegation to the U.S.-South Africa Strategic Dialogue , which focuses on “shared priorities, including health, infrastructure, trade and investment, and climate.”

South Africa is the United States’ largest trade partner in Africa and hosts over 600 American businesses, many of which are headquartered in the country. South Africa contributes 25 percent of all U.S. income from the continent and consistently receives the most foreign direct investment (FDI) from the United States. About half of African companies worth $1 billion or more are in South Africa, which is a gateway to access other African markets. Beyond these economic implications, South Africa has great geopolitical importance. On the continent, it is the regional dominant powerhouse of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and is—along with Nigeria and Egypt—one of the three largest economies on the continent, representing more than 50 percent of combined consumer and business spending. South Africa also plays a key role in decisionmaking related to the African Union and was one of the founding countries of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, now the African Union Development Agency.

South Africa has so far maintained relative neutrality with respect to the Ukraine war—likely due to Moscow’s support for the ANC’s liberation struggle against the apartheid government.  These relations are likely to be a topic of discussion during the Blinken visit given the pressure that Western powers, nongovernmental organizations, and human rights activists are exerting on the country to condemn Russia.

Blinken’s visit, and particularly his leadership in the upcoming dialogue in South Africa, will reinforce that this bilateral relationship is a priority for the United States and reemphasize South Africa’s central role in the subregion and on the continent in actively promoting greater trade integration and continentwide prosperity.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

From South Africa, Blinken will travel to the DRC to discuss topics of mutual interest including achieving peace in the Great Lakes region, supporting future economic relations through trade and investment, promoting human rights and freedoms, and combating corruption. The DRC is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa by land area and is home to immense resource wealth (an estimated $24 trillion worth of untapped mineral resources ), significant hydropower potential, and great biodiversity. However, despite these advantages, the DRC has historically been, and continues to be, subject to political instability, violent conflict, and humanitarian crises.

The March 23 Movement rebel group (M23) emerged after the Second Congo War ended in 2003 and continued to terrorize communities until their defeat in 2013 by the Congolese army and U.N. peacekeepers. Other armed groups have since emerged and are causing widespread human rights violations and extreme violence . The DRC’s resource wealth has fueled violence in the region as armed groups often sustain their operations by raiding mines and collaborating with smugglers. The eastern region alone is estimated to have over 100 different active armed groups. As a result, millions have fled the violence in recent years: There are currently 4.5 million internally displaced persons in the DRC and more than 800,000 DRC refugees in other nations. Weak governance has accelerated the armed conflict, as the leadership does not have control over the entire territory.

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Meanwhile, about 60 million Congolese—about 73 percent of the population— lived on less than $1.90 a day in 2018. It will be critical for the United States and the DRC alike to find a solution for peace and stability as the ongoing violence of rebel groups has managed to stunt development efforts. Despite these obstacles, recent efforts by the state such as public sector reforms and free primary education indicate potential for a new relationship between the state and its citizens. The U.S. should recognize these changes and work to scale up the state’s capacity while also ensuring that the election slated for 2023 will be democratic and safe.

Notably, the conflicts discussed above are factors contributing to low U.S. involvement in the country’s large mining industry—which is a missed economic opportunity. Home to 70 percent of the world’s cobalt, 60 percent of the world’s coltan, and as the fourth-largest producer of copper , the DRC is in a position to achieve prosperity for its people and the continent more broadly. Since cobalt and coltan are key minerals for clean technologies, the DRC’s endowment of these natural resources presents a significant opportunity for U.S. investors. Thus, as the DRC works toward greater peace and stability, the U.S. should also be working toward better positioning of itself as a key player in that mining sector. However, so far, China has been dominating the clean energy technology sector, a trend that will continue if its attempts to secure access to these minerals in the DRC are successful. In fact, according to The New York Times , “Americans failed to safeguard decades of diplomatic and financial investments in Congo, where the world’s largest supply of cobalt is controlled by Chinese companies backed by Beijing.” China’s current dominance in this sector should not lead the U.S. to concede, but rather more aggressively create and implement a model for accelerating investment in the DRC in the mining sector and beyond.

During his trip, Blinken should take the opportunity to start a conversation around how the United States might encourage mining companies to also create value locally in the DRC, thus supporting sustainable development in the long term. Such partnerships would be beneficial for both sides, as creating value locally will help the DRC diversify its exports and economy, providing even greater investment opportunities in other key areas and leading to a competitive edge that will outperform purely extractive models of investment from competitors. Blinken should also take the opportunity to discuss the DRC’s main challenges to overall investment, which include corruption, poor infrastructure, and an arbitrary taxation system .

Blinken’s final stop will be in Rwanda to discuss peacekeeping, Rwanda’s role in reducing tensions in the DRC, and ongoing human rights concerns. Rwanda has evolved as an important player at the subregional and continental level as well as the international level. After a genocide that nearly destroyed the country, and in the context of the international community’s failure to protect them, Rwandans have created a successful example of recovery through the state’s capacity to effectively deliver goods and services and proactive peacekeeping diplomacy on the continent. President Paul Kagame was seen as a stable ally for the United States when he was first appointed in 2000 and he has been successful in easing barriers to doing business, leading to greater U.S. foreign investment. He has also been willing to increase peacekeeping missions, which complements recent U.S. reluctance to be directly involved in such activities, preferring instead to offer countries such as Rwanda support in return for their peacekeeping efforts (especially given Rwanda provides extensive personnel for these missions ).

Despite these positive trends, not all of Blinken’s trip to Kigali will be easy: Tensions between Rwanda and the DRC over increased activity of the DRC-based rebel group M23 (which Kinshasa claims is backed by Kigali—something Kigali denies ) has been bubbling over in recent months, with about 170,000 people displaced in the violence as of early July. Related, Blinken will likely have a number of other sensitive issues to discuss with Kagame. In fact, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who chairs the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote a letter last month calling for a review of the U.S. approach in Rwanda, raising recent human rights concerns. Blinken himself has mentioned that he will be discussing these concerns, including the “ wrongful detention of U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident Paul Rusesabagina ,” along with shared priorities such as peacekeeping.

Blinken’s visit could also highlight the great potential for expanding mutually beneficial economic opportunities between the U.S. and Rwanda. Despite having a small market, Rwanda is an important destination for U.S. foreign investment, thanks to its successful efforts to create a conducive business environment. Kagame has developed relationships with leaders of multinational companies wishing to invest in East Africa, leading major companies such as Volkswagen, Starbucks, and Visa to open factories, buy commodities, and invest in financial growth in Rwanda . Investment and business opportunities will likely grow, to the benefit of both Rwanda and the United States (and, of course, the continent), with a successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) .

Thus, during his visit, Blinken will likely aim to harmonize the strengths of Rwanda—peacekeeping, state effectiveness, its pro-business environment—and work to overcome its accountability and human rights challenges, so that it can expand its reach as a critical player for other countries on the continent.

All in all, while Blinken will be visiting just three countries and the focus will be on advancing U.S. bilateral relations with South Africa, DRC, and Rwanda, these visits are part of the administration’s effort to revitalize U.S.-Africa relations. What ultimately matters, beyond the announcement of the U.S. strategy for sub-Saharan Africa, is that the United States tangibly align the goals, ways, and means to take action and implement this strategy for the mutual, long-term benefits of Africa and the United States.

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US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s visit aims to reset relations with South Africa

Honorary Professor of International Relations, University of the Witwatersrand

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John J Stremlau does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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US secretary of state Antony Blinken has embarked on a five nation tour of Cambodia, the Philippines, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

This is Blinken’s second trip to Africa; he visited Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya last November. The purpose of each national visit varies according to local and regional circumstances .

In South Africa he has two primary objectives, according to assistant secretary Molly Phee . One is to engage in a high-level “strategic dialogue” with his counterpart, international relations minister Naledi Pandor. And in Phee’s words:

Given South Africa’s leadership role, it’s an ideal location for the Secretary to deliver a speech announcing and describing the US strategy toward sub-Saharan Africa.

South Africa has a long, complex, deep and vital history of relations with the US and its people. A series of dialogues at this level started in 2010 , during the administrations of presidents Barack Obama and Jacob Zuma. They were suspended during the Donald Trump administration.

The Blinken-Pandor dialogue will include topics that have been vital to both nations since before the series began in 2010. Today, they are even more important: trade and investment, public health, agriculture, education, climate, water, science and technology, among others.

More Americans than ever visit South Africa. The US recently surpassed the UK and Germany as the source of South Africa’s largest overseas tourism numbers .

Reaffirming priorities now is important, considering domestic and international developments since the last high-level dialogue in 2015 .

A rocky road

Relations between the US and South Africa were of little interest to Trump . He immediately cancelled Obama’s large financial commitment to the Green Climate Fund . The fund was designed to assist African and other nations seriously affected by climate change. This caused consternation in South Africa.

So did his quick announcement that the US would withdraw from the Paris climate change accord , vital to Africa’s well-being, and to which South African scientists have been essential.

President Joe Biden has reversed many of Trump’s actions. But such shifts have raised questions regarding America’s reliability.

In South Africa, financial scandals and state capture – the re-purposing and use of state organs for private gain – resulted in former president Zuma’s fall.

As COVID became a global pandemic, vaccine nationalism and travel bans further strained relations, even into the Biden administration .

Currently both nations face existential political crises, made worse by violence, xenophobia, extreme inequality, and rising voter frustration and apathy.

A question facing Blinken and Pandor is whether their efforts can deepen cooperation on issues of obvious practical importance to both nations, including those on the announced agenda. Reviving the high-level dialogues offers renewed opportunities to set priorities and guidelines favouring greater attention to overcoming inequalities and legacies of racial discrimination in both countries.

The shared goal would be to benefit national integration and support for institutions of democratic governance among chronically disadvantaged groups of Americans and South Africans .

On the margins of the meetings informal exchanges about priorities and commitments can be linked to their common goals to sustain nonracial, nonsexist and more equal and secure democracies. According to American University professor Amitav Acharya , progress on reconciling social divisions in the US can also yield a firmer national foundation for more effective and extensive foreign relations.

Global tensions

Deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman visited South Africa in May to prepare for Blinken’s visit and resumption of the strategic dialogue. She specifically downplayed any differences between the two governments over the war in Ukraine .

The US and South Africa had hoped to hold the dialogue in the first quarter of this year. The invasion of Ukraine temporarily derailed planning on the US side, according to officials with whom I have spoken. One hopes that next week’s high-level discussions can also mitigate persistent tensions that may exist between the two countries. The talks may also help ensure that Africa does not become the victim of a new Cold War in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

South Africa has resisted taking sides in the dangerous and costly war in Ukraine . Likewise, it has consistently resisted being drawn into taking sides on the China-US global competition for influence .

And when Biden invited 16 African leaders to his virtual “Summit for Democracy” in December 2021, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa was the only one to decline .

On the US side, the House of Representatives recently passed by a large bi-partisan majority, “The Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act” . It’s aimed at

countering Russian efforts to undermine democratic institutions in Africa.

I was told by South African officials that they will appeal to the Biden administration to kill this initiative in step with other African governments. Minister Pandor recently publicly described the bill as

intended to punish countries in Africa that have not toed the line on the Russia-Ukraine war.

Perhaps in their meetings Blinken, Pandor and their advisers could ensure there are no misunderstandings about the nature and intent of the act. They also need to ensure that any remaining differences will not negatively affect progress on any of the agreed priorities in their strategic dialogue.

Resetting US-SA relations

The process to reset US-SA relations should begin with a few home truths. Prominent Americans have described their nation as “The Shining City on a Hill” or the world’s “sole super-power” . This seems to many other nations, especially in South Africa with a similar history of racial oppression, as arrogant and ignorant of the US’s own history.

But there are large numbers of progressive Americans willing to listen and learn from others. They are eager for a reset of relations with South Africa. To cite one pertinent example: in the influential journal Foreign Affairs , scholar-diplomat Reuben Brigety II argues that Americans should begin by heeding their own advice to other countries and upgrade their own democracy.

He was recently confirmed to become America’s next ambassador to South Africa .

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Blinken begins Africa tour in Cape Verde, touting the US as a key security and economic partner

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hands with Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, at the Government Palace in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center, Prime Minister of Ivory Coast Robert Beugre Mambe, 2nd right, and President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe, 2nd left, watch the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center, receives a football jersey with his name on from Prime Minister of Ivory Coast Robert Beugre Mambe, second right, as President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe, left, looks on, as they attend the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center, speaks to US Ambassador to Ivory Coast Jessica Davis Ba, second right, Vice President of Ivory Coast Tiemoko Meyliet Kone, right, and Prime Minister of Ivory Coast Robert Beugre Mambe, left, following the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, speaks, during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at the Government Palace in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, speaks to US Ambassador to Ivory Coast Jessica Davis Ba, center, and Vice President of Ivory Coast Tiemoko Meyliet Kone following the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe, left, speaks to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he arrives to attend the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 2nd right, Prime Minister of Ivory Coast Robert Beugre Mambe, right, and President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe, 4th right, watch the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, centre, walks at the Porto da Praia Pier 1 in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and Cabo Verde Foreign Minister Luis Filipe Tavares shake hands before departing at the Nelson Mandela Praia International Airport in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Ambassador to Ivory Coast Jessica Davis Ba, left, welcomes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe, right, attend the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

Ivory Coast’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Kacou Houadja Leon Adom, second from right, welcomes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, speaks to Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, during a meeting at the Government Palace in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a meeting with Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, at the Government Palace in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, poses for a photo with Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, at the Government Palace in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, arrives for a meeting with Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, left, at the Government Palace in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right sits opposite Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, during a meeting at the Government Palace in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a tour of four African countries on Monday, meeting with the leaders of Cape Verde and Ivory Coast and touting America as the continent’s key economic and security ally at times of regional and international crises.

Blinken is visiting Nigeria and Angola next. The tour — which comes as deadly crises and rampant coups threaten the continent’s stability — focuses on trade, security, and democracy promotion.

In Cape Verde’s capital, Praia, he met with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and said the U.S. is committed “to deepening, strengthening, broadening” its partnerships with Africa whose young population of 1.3 billion is set to double by 2050 and make up a quarter of the world’s inhabitants.

Analysts say Africa seems to have been pushed to the back burner under President Joe Biden as his administration is increasingly consumed by other international issues such as the fighting in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, as well as its rivalry with China. Biden also failed to visit Africa last year as he promised.

“As President Biden has said, we are all in when it comes to Africa,” Blinken told the Cape Verdean leader. “We see Africa as an essential, critical, central part of our future. This trip … really does focus on President Biden’s commitment and conviction that the United States and Africa are joined in partnership for the future,” he added.

Silva described Cape Verde as “a longstanding and consistent partner” of the U.S. and said such a visit shows “the Biden administration’s genuine interest in win-win partnerships with Africa.”

“We would like to strengthen our partnership with the U.S. in maritime security and cyber security from a regional, global perspective,” said Silva.

Also Monday, Blinken flew to the Ivory Coast where he met President Alassane Ouattara and senior government officials. They discussed “shared priorities of strengthening democracy, expanding trade and improving local and regional security,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

He also attended a soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast, part of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Follow AP’s Africa coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/africa

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Blinken is in South Africa for talks on a new strategy for the region

Leila Fadel

Michele Kelemen

Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a major speech on U.S. policy in Africa, following his visit to Cambodia, and a trip by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan that drew China's ire.

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US’s Blinken begins four-nation Africa tour amid Sahel worries

Antony Blinken’s tour of West Africa begins as another top US official is on a similar tour within the region.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said the US is committed to deeper relations with Africa despite global crises as he opened a four-country tour of the continent.

Blinken is touring four democracies on the Atlantic Coast – Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola – as security deteriorates in the Sahel and doubts grow about a key US base in neighbouring coup-hit Niger.

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US President Joe Biden welcomed leaders from Africa in 2022 in a show of newfound attention to the continent. But he did not visit Africa last year as promised.

Blinken nonetheless quoted Biden as he vowed, “We are all in when it comes to Africa.”

“Our futures are linked, our prosperity is linked, and African voices increasingly are shaping, animating and leading the global conversation,” Blinken said as he opened talks in Cape Verde.

“The United States is committed to deepening, strengthening and broadening partnerships across Africa,” Blinken said.

He called Cape Verde, a Portuguese-speaking archipelago of around 500,000 people that has cooperated with the US on law enforcement and naval stops, a “beacon of stability” and a “strong, principled voice”.

Much of the continent has been uneasy about the billions of dollars in Western aid to Ukraine, and Cape Verde’s Prime Minister Jose Ulisses Correia e Silva told Blinken that his country “strongly condemns” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Silva also criticised the recent spate of coups in Africa and said that Cape Verde was “guided by the values of liberal democracy”.

Blinken toured the port in the capital Praia, expanded as part of nearly $150m given to Cape Verde through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which grants US aid to countries that meet democratic standards.

The US government body said last month that it would work with Cape Verde on a third package, and Silva invited the Peace Corps to return after a decade-long absence.

Later on Monday, Blinken will head to Ivory Coast, where he will watch the host country take on Equatorial Guinea in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The match will take place at the 60,000-seat Olympic stadium built with support from China, whose own Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited last week.

Along with Russia, China – which is seen by the US as the top global rival – has rapidly expanded its influence in Africa in recent years.

While China has doled out loans for infrastructure projects, Russia’s powerful and ruthless Wagner Group of mercenaries has been deployed to Mali, the Central African Republic, and allegedly Burkina Faso.

A delegation visited Moscow last month from Niger, whose military last year toppled elected President Mohamed Bazoum months after a visit by Blinken aimed at bolstering him.

Niger had been the linchpin in US efforts to counter armed groups who have ravaged the Sahel, with the US building a $100m base in the Nigerien desert city of Agadez to fly a fleet of drones.

The government expelled forces from former colonial power France.

While Niger has allowed the US to keep its nearly 1,000 US troops, General James Hecker, the US Air Force commander for both Europe and Africa, said late last year that “several locations” elsewhere in West Africa were being discussed for a new drone base.

As Blinken opens his visit, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is touring three other West African nations – Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, where she is attending a presidential inauguration and monitoring a peaceful transition of power in a once-turbulent nation.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in South Africa on Africa tour

Blinken's visit to africa is seen as part of a competition between russia and western powers for support from african countries over the war in ukraine..

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his three-nation tour of Africa with his arrival in South Africa on Sunday.

Blinken's visit to Africa is seen as part of a competition between Russia and Western powers for support from African countries over the war in Ukraine. Blinken's trip to Africa follows recent tours by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron.

South Africa is one of many African countries that have maintained a neutral stance on the war and have not publicly criticized Russia.

Also read | Jaishankar meets Blinken, discusses Lanka, ASEAN

On Sunday after an early morning arrival, Blinken is to visit the Hector Pieterson memorial in Soweto township, which commemorates a student killed in 1976 when protesting South Africa's regime of racial oppression, apartheid, which ended in 1994.

On Monday, Blinken will describe the United States' strategies for sub-Saharan Africa in a major policy speech at the University of Pretoria. Africa has been hard-hit by the effect of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the rising food and oil prices caused by Russia's war in Ukraine.

Blinken and Pandor will also hold a press conference Monday in which the two countries' different positions on the Ukraine war are expected to be visible.

Blinken will go on to visit Congo and Rwanda this week to end his international tour which also took him to Cambodia and the Philippines.

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Blinken and Lamola discuss US/SA relationship

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• 5 July 2024, 20:59 [SAST]

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has placed a courtesy call to his new South African counterpart, International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Minister Ronald Lamola, in which they recommitted to expanding and deepening the special relationship between the two countries.

The call was first confirmed by DIRCO.

Blinken’s call follows a similar exchange earlier this week with outgoing Minister Dr Naledi Pandor and a call placed last week between US President Joe Biden and President Cyril Ramaphosa after the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU).

According to a DIRCO readout, Minister Lamola and Secretary Blinken reiterated their commitment to expanding bilateral relations as well as in the area of global peace and security.

Speaking earlier to Pandor, Blinken expressed appreciation for their collaboration during her tenure as chief diplomat. Demonstrating the importance of the relationship, US President Biden called President Ramaphosa on July 2nd to commend South Africa on forming a GNU, vowing future partnerships including during Pretoria’s leadership of the G20 in 2025 and cooperation on economic growth, combating climate change, strengthening health systems and ensuring that democracy delivered for all.

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US Secretary of State Blinken in South Africa on Africa tour

Mogomotsi Magome

Associated Press

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Secretary of State Antony Blinken greets Antoinette Sithole, the sister of the late Hector Pieterson, as he visits the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto, South Africa, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Peaceful child protesters were gunned down by police 30 years ago in an attack that awakened the world to the brutality of the apartheid regime. At top right, is an iconic picture of Antoinette, running with mouth open in a scream alongside a friend carrying the body of her slain brother, Hector. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)

JOHANNESBURG – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his three-nation tour of Africa Sunday by visiting a museum in South Africa commemorating how the country's Black youths helped to end white racist rule.

Blinken’s visit to Africa is seen as part of a competition between Russia and Western powers for support from African countries over the war in Ukraine. His trip to Africa follows recent tours by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron.

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South Africa is one of many African countries that have maintained a neutral stance on the war and have not publicly criticized Russia.

After an early morning arrival, Blinken visited the Hector Pieterson memorial in Soweto township, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, which honors a student killed in 1976 when protesting South Africa’s regime of racial oppression, apartheid, which ended in 1994.

Blinken laid a wreath at the memorial accompanied by Pieterson’s sister, Antoinette Sithole. He also toured the museum, which contains artifacts, photographs and videos of South Africa’s struggle against apartheid.

“Hector’s story is one that really resonates because we have our own struggle for freedom and equality in the United States and South Africa’s story is unique but there are also so many common elements, and that resonates powerfully,” said Blinken.

Sithole, who also participated in the 1976 student protests, said the museum is a highlights the role played by South Africa’s youth in bringing an end to white minority rule in the country.

“The museum is a reminder for generations to come. We must know where we come from and where we are going, and don’t forget that the youth took a stand for us to be better today,” said Sithole.

On Monday, Blinken will describe the United States’ strategies for sub-Saharan Africa in a major policy speech at the University of Pretoria. Africa has been hard-hit by the effect of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the rising food and oil prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Blinken will also hold a press conference Monday with South Africa's Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor in which the two countries' different positions on the Ukraine war are expected to be visible.

Blinken will go on to visit Congo and Rwanda this week to end his international tour which also took him to Cambodia and the Philippines.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

President Ramaphosa to hold talks with US President

President Cyril Ramaphosa will this week be travel to Washington following an invitation by United States President Joe Biden. 

President Ramaphosa accepted the invitation delivered by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, during his recent visit to South Africa.

President Ramaphosa will hold talks at the White House with President Biden on 16 September 2022.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Minister Naledi Pandor, said the President’s visit to the US provides government an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations through engagement and deepen multilateralism through the United Nations (UN), a primary vehicle through which the international community must confront the challenges facing the world.

The two leaders, according to Pandor, will discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest, including trade and investment, climate change, food security, energy, and peace and security.

“President Ramaphosa will reaffirm the importance of the strategic and mutually beneficial relations between South Africa and the United States,” she said on Monday, adding that the First Citizen will emphasise the need for enhanced multilateralism and dialogue, through which the challenges facing humanity can be addressed.

“These include the urgent need to stimulate economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Pandor told media that President Ramaphosa and his delegation will also meet congressional leadership and veterans of the civil rights movements, who were instrumental in lobbying Americans against apartheid and remain loyal to the cause of anti-racism in both countries. 

The US is a major export market for South Africa, a significant source of foreign direct investment (FDI), technology transfer, development assistance and tourism.

“Trade and investment relations take place under the auspices of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants duty-free and quota-free access to the US market for value-added products,” Pandor explained, adding that AGOA has created jobs in both countries.

Over the years, Pandor said the two-way trade between South Africa and the US has been on the surge.

The US is South Africa’s third largest trading partner after China and the European Union, with more than 600 American companies operating locally.

In 2021, the US ranked as the second largest destination for South Africa’s exports globally.

“South African firms have also become significant foreign investors in the US,” Pandor said.

Investments from South Africa into the US are also on the rise, with America accounting for 17.4% of total South African outward FDI to the world.

“South Africa’s foreign policy remains inspired by its history. The country, working with others, strives for the attainment of a just, humane and equitable world,.

“In conducting our international relations, we attach the utmost importance to promoting human rights, democracy, equitable justice and the rule of international law. The said principles place multilateral institutions, specifically the United Nations, at the centre of our foreign policy engagements and objectives,” said Pandor.

United Nations General Assembly

The Minister also announced that South Africa will take part in the high-level segment of the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York from 20 to 27 September 2022.

The meetings will take part under the theme, 'A watershed moment: Unlocking transformative solutions to interlocking challenges', and focus on development matters, specifically health, education and the broader implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“For the global South, the economic and socio-economic impact of COVID-19 has been disproportionately about recovery in the developed North,” said Pandor.

Preceding the general debate, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, will convene a summit on 'Transforming Education', while discussing several climate-related matters and the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

According to Pandor, the various engagements at UNGA will provide the country with an opportunity to highlight matters of national, regional and international importance.

“South Africa’s participation in the general debate of the UNGA77 is a strategic opportunity for the promotion of our national and foreign policy objectives, as espoused in Chapter 7 of the National Development Plan, positioning South Africa in the world.” – SAnews.gov.za

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By Eric Naki

Political Editor

3 minute read

US keen on strong ties with South Africa

Biden and ramaphosa solidified ties, emphasising economic growth, climate action, and shared global leadership..

US President Joe Biden speaks with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa as they attend the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall on 12 June, 2021. (Photo by Leon Neal / POOL / AFP)

The US and South Africa have taken steps to strengthen their ties as the President Joe Biden administration makes post-government of national unity (GNU) contacts with President Cyril Ramaphosa and promises to attend the G20 Summit to be hosted by South Africa next year.

Biden wasted no time to make a cross-Atlantic call to his South African counterpart, not just to congratulate him on his re-election to head the seventh administration, but to go deeper into refreshing the bilateral relations between Pretoria and Washington.

Their discussion was followed by a conversation between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former international relations and cooperation minister Naledi Pandor.

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Observers saw this as a clear message by Biden that South Africa remained on top of the US agenda and that their relationship should go from strength to strength. State department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken expressed appreciation for their collaboration during Pandor’s tenure.

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Areas of cooperation.

He highlighted areas of cooperation between the two, such as global peace and security, expanding bilateral trade, advancing shared health goals and supporting renewable energy sources to address climate change and provide reliable power.

A statement from the US embassy in South Africa confirmed that Biden spoke with Ramaphosa to commend the country for forming a GNU and highlighted South Africa’s legacy as a democracy.

Biden, who is facing an election against former president Donald Trump in November, went beyond the congratulatory message as the two leaders discussed their commitment to a partnership towards a growing economy, better jobs and safer communities.

Against the backdrop of a frenzy of negative reports last year that the US intended to kick SA out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), it became clear the two leaders intended to walk hand-in-hand into the future.

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Instead of isolating South Africa, the country was allowed to host a successful Agoa gathering with assurance that it would stay put in the body.

During the telephone conversation, Ramaphosa and Biden also discussed the US-SA bilateral relationship and areas of future partnership, including leadership in the G20.

“Together, the US and SA are committed to deepening our cooperation and advancing our shared interests, including growing economic prosperity, combating the climate crisis, strengthening health systems and ensuring that democracy delivers for all people,” an embassy statement said.

The strong relations between the two were well articulated by international relations expert, Dr Sithembile Mbete, from the University of Pretoria who said “regardless of the rhetoric and the bluster, US and South Africa are friendly countries”.

Despite what appeared to be tension over how the US saw South Africa’s role regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Blinken, during his earlier visits to South African, spoke “incredibly warmly” about the relationship with South Africa.

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Additional reporting by Wendell Roelf in Cape Town and Kopano Gumbi in Johannesburg; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise

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Tim Cocks has reported from all over Africa for Reuters for the past two decades (aside from a stint covering the Iraq war in 2008/9). In his current role, he covers politics, climate change, diplomacy and human interest. Previously he was bureau chief for West & Central Africa. A story on the environmental disaster of Ghana’s artisanal gold mining won him a SABEW award for best feature in 2019. He is also the author of ‘Lagos:Supernatural City’, an intimate portrait of the life in Africa’s biggest metropolis.

Based in Johannesburg, Bhargav reports on breaking news across Sub-Saharan Africa. He has covered several high-profile stories on the continent, including former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius's parole and release and the BRICS summit. Previously he spent three and a half years in Bengaluru, India, as part of Reuters' Global News Monitoring team. He has a master's degree in International Studies.

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Home » South Africans will now need a visa to visit Ireland – here’s why

South Africans will now need a visa to visit Ireland – here’s why

After a recent announcement from Irish authorities, South Africans and nationals of Botswana will require visas to visit Ireland. Here’s why.

SA to Ireland: new visa requirements

After many years of visa-free entry to Ireland, a new decision by the Irish Department of Justice will now see South Africans and Botswana nationals needing to apply for a visa in order to visit the Emerald Isle.

As per Schengen.News , starting 10 July, nationals from Botswana and South Africa will need to obtain a visa first, before travelling to Ireland.

These two countries will also require a transit visa when wanting to transit through Ireland to another destination.

Why the need for the change?

According to the Minister for Justice of Ireland, Helen McEntee, there has been a significant number of International Protection applications received from nationals of Botswana and South Africa in recent years. 

“This is a carefully considered decision which will bring Ireland into closer alignment with the Schengen Area in respect of both of these countries, and into line with the UK in respect of South Africa,” McEntee said.

“Irish visa requirements are kept under ongoing review, having regard to the need to ensure that effective immigration controls are in place whilst also facilitating those who wish to travel to Ireland for the purposes of a visit, to work, to study, or to join family members.” she added.

Up until now, travellers from South Africa and Botswana have not needed visas to enter Ireland as both have been designated as ‘safe countries of origin’ for International Protection purposes.

VFS TO PROCESS VISAS GOING FORWARD

The Ministry also said that the Dublin Visa Office will establish a dedicated South Africa desk to process applications from South African nationals as well as three Visa Application Centers, which will be located throughout South Africa, with VFS Global .

VFS Global is also the only contractor in charge of processing all UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service centres worldwide, including in Africa and South Africa, with 31 centres already in Africa.

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