Trump’s Attitude Toward US-Africa Relations Is Appalling

Over the last decades, relations between the United States and African have been that of cordiality and reciprocity. This is a significant improvement since the colonial era where the relationship between the US and Africa was one of a master-servant relationship. Many US presidents have gone the extra length to solidify relations between the US and Africa by visiting various nations in Africa.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama during their respective tenures made state visits to various nations on the continent and used their visits to deepen bilateral relations between the US and African states.

Apart from state visits by these presidents during their tenure, the US government has over the years extended financial and technical assistance to African states with the intent of promoting the socio-economic wellbeing of the people of Africa.

One of the most historical trade opportunities for African states under the auspices of US-Africa relations is the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 2000. The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, which was signed into law by President Clinton gave trade preferences to eligible African countries to export certain goods to the United States without any quota or tariff impositions.

These singular trade privileges consolidated the strong ties that existed between the United States and Africa. In addition to the African Growth and Opportunity Act, there is also the story of President Barack Obama, who historically ascended to the presidency of the United States. It is a fact that he has strong ties to Africa through his father who was a Kenyan. It was therefore symbolic when Obama was elected to occupy the office of the President of the United State of America.

US-AFRICA relations could be termed as solid until President Donald Trump took over the leadership mantle of the US. Trump campaigned primarily on the ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan. What many of us did not expect was the fact that ‘Make America Great Again’ agenda would be political rhetoric, setting the center stage for xenophobic and protectionist policies that trump sort to push forward.

Trump's grand agenda of derailing US-Africa relations came to limelight when he placed a travel ban on some African States in the name of national security. Nigeria, Tanzania, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya and Somalia were all victims of Trump's decision.

One would have expected the president of the United State to be on top of diplomatic issues. It was, therefore, mind-boggling when trump mispronounced Namibia at a meeting between him and some African heads of state in 2017. That was not the only thing Trump did to derail US-African relations. At a closed-door meeting in 2018, some senators who were at the meeting reported that Trump called Haiti and African countries shitholes. Trump’s attitude towards Africa and its people is highly reprehensible and does not augur well for US-Africa relations.

Over the last couple of decades, Trump is the only US president who has not visited or probably refused to visit Africa to extend a hand of friendship to the people of Africa. His wife and daughter, who do not represent the American people have visited the continent to promote their private initiatives. With COVID-19 putting the world on the relative blackout in addition to impending the 2020 US presidential election, it is unlikely that Trump will visit the continent in the foreseeable future.

African countries depend heavily on the World Health Organization for financial and technical assistance for the development of their healthcare sector. It was therefore historical when an African Tedros Adhanom was elected in 2017 as Director-General of the World Health Organization.

Under the competent leadership of Tedros Adhanom, the world has mustered enough courage to fight COVID-19 with all its might. It is therefore surprising that Trump in the name of so-called ineptitude of the World Health Organization decided to pull the U.S. out of the organization.

Considering that through the World Health Organization, the US has over the last couple of decades been able to help improve the health care sector of many African states. Trump’s decision to revoke US membership of the world health organization is sending unpleasant signals to African states that the US does not value US-Africa relations.

With the impending presidential election, Trump must reconsider his stance on US-Africa relations under the remaining period of his tenure. The world does not revolve around his egotistical tendencies. His actions must be guided by the wellbeing and future of the people of the US and Africa.

Authored by King David Dzirasah. King David Dzirasah is a Population Health Analyst and Teaching Assistant at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.