President Obama visited Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. The Obama administration selected one country from the west, one from the south and one from the east of the continent –all three countries that fit more neatly into the democracy and good governance- during his weeklong trip which commenced on 26th June until 3rd July.



Incidentally he did not visit Kenya, the birthplace of his father and home to many of his relatives. The recent victory of Uhuru Kenyatta as the President who has been charged by the ICC in the Hague for alleged crimes of murder and torture of his opponents after the 2007 presidential elections, made it politically impossible for Obama to visit Kenya.



Speaking in Dakar on 27th June, Obama praised Senegal for having “one of the most stable democracies in Africa”. After Senegal he went to South Africa where hundreds of protesters demonstrated against the US war in Afghanistan, its policy towards Cuba, global warming and a string of other foreign policy issues.



His visit took place at a time when one of “his heroes” Nelson Mandela was taken to hospital and Obama decided not to visit Mandela for fear of disturbing his “peace and comfort”. However he has met the family of Mandela. The two men reportedly met only once, in a 2005 encounter in Washington, when Obama, was a rising Democratic senator.



Obama addressed the young people at the Cape Town University and announced his African policy with applause: “We are moving beyond the simple provision of assistance, foreign aid, to a new model of partnership between America and Africa… I am proud to announce a new initiative- Power Africa- that will double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa. We’re going to start by investing $7 billion in U.S. government



In Tanzania, President Obama arrived on 1st July and held a meeting with President of Tanzania Jakaya Kikwete and later spoke with young people at a town hall meeting. He announced a new initiative — Trade Africa — to boost trade starting with the East African Community. And as part of this effort, a regional investment treaty was signed with the EAC.



On 2nd July, President Barack Obama and coincidentally his predecessor, George W. Bush, jointly honoured victims of a U.S. Embassy bombing in Tanzania. To combat extremist elements, the US Africa Command, or Africom, has been pumping considerable resources into training forces throughout West Africa. When extremists brought instability in Mali, US drones reportedly kept a stealthy vigil from bases in Ethiopia, Niger and Djibouti.



Geopolitically, Africa is emerging as an economic and political powerhouse. Several countries including Rawanda, Zambia and Mozambique are expected to outstrip global growth at least for the next three years. By 2018, five of the world’s fastest-growing economies will be in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the International Monetary Fund.



On a trip to Senegal last August, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged U.S. businesses’ “sustainable partnerships in Africa that add value rather than extract it,” a thinly veiled reference to Chinese companies, which largely are focused on resource-related investments to support China’s economy.



U.S. officials for years have urged American corporations to pursue opportunities in Africa to keep pace with the Brazilian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Iranian and Turkish companies already in Africa.



China has been the biggest investors in Africa. Since the founding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000, the two sides have been making headway in deepening their cooperation in a variety of fields, and China overtook the United States to become Africa’s largest trading partner in 2009.



By the end of 2012, it is reported that China’s direct investment in Africa had accumulated to nearly $20 billion, with 75% percent going to sectors such as finance, processing and manufacturing, trade-related services, agriculture and transportation. To date, more than 2,000 Chinese enterprises have invested in 50 African countries,



China’s new president, Xi Jinping, visited three African countries—Tanzania, South Africa and Republic of Congo (Brazaville) from 24th to 30th March this year .The fact that African countries were on Xi’s first overseas trip as president manifested the importance China’s new leadership attached to Sino-African partnerships.



Turkey has played its role by focusing attention on post-conflict reconstruction over Somalia, a country which is strategically important. Iran too has made inroads in Eritrea, Sudan and Zimbabwe Japan unveiled a new and more aggressive strategy in Africa and Brazil reportedly cancelled $900 million African debt.



The primary aim of the trip of President Obama is not only to restore its influence but also to expand its economic opportunities through US trade and investment. The Obama administration is to ensure that U.S. companies are more aggressive looking for market access and share in Africa.



How far he succeeds will depend on how much President Obama was able to convey to the African leaders that the US would continue to remain engaged with Africa which is now proving itself to be a “must-have” partner in the years to come.



Barrister Harun ur Rashid, Former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.