Cheikh Tidiane Gadio: “Trump is not predictable, it will be a problem in his relations with Africa”

RFI: What is your assessment of President Biden’s African policy?

Sheikh Tidiane Gadio: I believe that Biden still succeeded in certain things which were very, very positive for Africa. One of the big problems that Africa had with American leaders was that, in general, they were not very interested in Africa. There were a few breakups. George Bush, who is a Republican, launched the MCA [Millennium Challenge Account, NDLR] and had shown real interest in a new partnership with Africa. But what Biden achieved, in my opinion, went much further. He, for example, brought back [en décembre 2022 à Washington] the United States-Africa summit that Obama had established. Then, he recently fought for Africa to be given a permanent seat on the Security Council, but without the right of veto, which is absolutely up for discussion, of course. Overall, I believe that he is a great statesman who truly has a sense of service to his country and a little to humanity. I find that he has a lot of empathy too, and I think he is anti-racist. He had a great collaboration with Obama and then he had a good collaboration with Kamala Harris. So, all in all, he helped Africa a lot.

Also readUnited States/Africa Summit: Joe Biden marks the diplomatic return of the United States to the continent

On the security front, American military personnel in Africa have fallen from 5,000 soldiers in 2017 to 1,500 soldiers today. Is it because Americans want to leave or because Africans no longer want Americans?

So, paradoxically, I don’t think it’s the Africans who no longer want Americans. But the Africans want a much more assertive, much more present and real form of cooperation in terms of intelligence,intelligencesatellite equipment for example, monitoring the movements of jihadists and others. Many things on which Africans have expressed a lot of interest and need and unfortunately they have not had a favorable response. And indeed, there is the big debate now about the presence of the West in Africa, but I do not believe that the United States is particularly targeted. What is happening with France, the European Union and all that is still linked to a rather special past which is not the same as the relations we had with the Americans.

In Niger, after the putsch of July 2023, the Americans hoped to be able to keep their military bases, unlike the French, but ultimately, last March, they too were driven out. Is this a sign that their security offer is not as competitive as that of the Russians?

Absolutely. I think the Russians found themselves at a time, in Africa, where what I call populism and certain forms of sovereignism brought about a certain number of new policies. And the Russians knew how to take advantage of it. But for me, Africa should not seek, let’s say, in quotes, to break with the old trusteeship because we have negotiated a new trusteeship, it is not good for Africa. And I hope that Africans will get their act together from this point of view. So, for the Americans, as you know, Africom, the different initiatives they have in terms of security, it is not very inclusive. They control almost everything. I have information on their relations with Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram, it was quite distant, it was advice. Very little equipment or funding. But the commitment that could be expected from the United States as a world power which has suffered heavy losses due to terrorism and which has a global coalition of more than 60 countries, this commitment, we have not frankly seen in Africa, and that, I believe, is an open breach into which the Russians have rushed.

Also readThe United States takes stock of its military strategy in West Africa

Don’t you see any other West African countries on which the Americans could rely on in terms of security, such as Nigeria, Ghana or the Ivory Coast?

And even Senegal, eh. There are forms of cooperation that the Americans do not publicize much, but there is still a certain closeness. I know they work a lot with Nigeria because it is the power not only in West Africa, but perhaps the most important continental power. And Nigeria is experiencing an extremely dramatic situation with Boko Haram – 40,000 dead is still a lot – and this organization remains very active. The Islamic State also remains very active. Ghana, of course, has always been a partner country of the United States. Ivory Coast interests the Americans both economically and in terms of security. And Senegal too, of course, is a country that is generally targeted by America as being a model country, especially in terms of democracy and others.

And you think that relations between the United States and Senegal will continue on the security level despite the arrival of Pastef to power in Dakar?

That is indeed a big question. Pastef claims to be sovereignism in which they are putting content. So, I believe that all traditional partners are on the lookout, trying to understand to build a new relationship. You know, in diplomacy, as the other said, constructive ambiguity is a good thing, what is annoying is when you are not predictable, when you cannot predict the immediate future a little. . And this is precisely what is happening with Mr. Trump, which is really not predictable at all. And I think that’s going to be a problem in its relations with Africa.

How do you see the future of United States-Africa relations, depending on whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump wins tomorrow?

So if it’s Kamala Harris, I have a lot of hope that things will go much better than if it’s Donald Trump. The reasons are simple, I am a pan-Africanist African, who does not count on the United States or on Europe or on Asia for the renewal of Africa or for the African Renaissance. Not at all, on the other hand, I always thought that, for example, the case of Obama is a big misunderstanding. Many Africans began to dream, to hope that Obama would do great things for Africa. I said that Obama was not elected to serve Africa, he was elected to serve the United States. So, Kamala will do the same thing. Her country will be an absolute priority for her. On the other hand, Trump has already shown himself through absolutely incredible behavior in relation to Africa. The insults against Haitians, Haitians are a symbol for all Africans, for all Pan-Africanists. It is truly a founding country in the reconquest of our dignity as black and African. So, calling them dog eaters, domestic cat eaters, et cetera, is extremely serious, and I think he knows that what he is saying is not true, but it is important to him for populist reasons and campaign reasons. And then he made an absolutely extraordinary claim that Kamala Harris was going to Venezuela and the Congo to collect the worst, bloodiest prisoners and import them to the United States to destroy their country. So, someone cannot make these kinds of comments and have very good relations with us. And his allusions to Kamala’s very low intelligence quotient go back to racist colonial anthropology against blacks. There are so many texts that have been written about the fact that we have a very, very low intelligence quotient, et cetera, which is absolutely false. That, basically, is the fact that I don’t have much hope that, if Trump triumphs, relations will be warmed up and move in the right direction. And the battle, for example, for the seat of permanent member on the Security Council, led a little by Joe Biden, will Kamala take up that? Without a doubt. But I’m not sure Trump is interested in that. He almost never mentions Africa in his speeches. And there you have it. And, if that’s the case, if he wins, some Africans say that’s a good thing, that he minds his own business, and we mind our own business, and life is beautiful for everyone. And therefore, the expectations…

Also read“Cat or bird eaters”: the unfounded rumor of a Trumpist anti-Haitian migrant campaign

Expectations…

The expectation from Trump is that everyone is holding their breath, it’s a kind of global anxiety, global stress. People have a lot of questions about what he will do if he returns to power, which is possible. But a lot of people I know wish it was more Kamala, a female leader. And so, we, the feminist men, are completely in tune with her, we wish her good luck.

One of the Americans’ fears is the future installation of a Chinese naval base on the Atlantic coast of the African continent. Do you think Donald Trump and Kamala Harris share this concern?

Necessarily. During the Obama administration, I spoke with friends about such a device. By telling them that you have decided to make what you call a pivot, a pivot to go towards the Pacific Ocean, and you say that it is there where the major geopolitical and other strategies of the world will be played out with the China, Australia, Japan, et cetera, Korea. Now that you have decided that, you are going to abandon the Atlantic, and here we think that you are making a big mistake because the Atlantic will always be very, very important, because it borders Europe and Africa which does not are still nothing in global geopolitics. So, I think it was a mistake on their part to look anywhere other than Africa. And there, if an African country is preparing to host a Chinese base, in this case, I always ask myself the same question: what is the objective of this country? Is this country ready or has it understood that the defense of Africa, the way of helping Africa to meet security challenges, will be between Africans and that it is the Africans themselves who will take their destiny in hand and defend the continent?