PublishedSeptember 17, 2022, 01:56
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United StatesJoe Biden is in charge of the “essential partnership” with South Africa
Traveling to the United States, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was warmly welcomed by Joe Biden at the White House.
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Joe Biden and Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House in Washington on September 16, 2022.
–Getty Images via AFP
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US President Joe Biden praised the “essential partnership” between the US and South Africa on Friday when he received his counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa, without dispelling all differences over Ukraine.
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“We really need to make sure we fully understand each other,” said Joe Biden, seated next to the South African president in the Oval Office, before their meeting began. “The United States is an important partner of South Africa,” said Cyril Ramaphosa, referring to the hundreds of American companies established in his country.
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He said he wanted to “extend” these economic relations, and said his conversation with the US president will also focus on “international stability and security”, referring to the jihadist attacks in Mozambique, a border country.
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Offensive Charm
No mention in this brief exchange in front of Ukrainian journalists, while South Africa has remained neutral since the beginning of the Russian invasion, and has repeatedly indicated that it will not submit to any Western pressure to condemn Vladimir Putin’s regime.
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Like her, many African countries had decided in early March not to vote on a UN resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine. This growing influence of Russia on the continent, coupled with the close ties between China and several African countries, prompted the United States to embark on the diplomatic offensive in Africa.
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Joe Biden, who has not yet visited the continent, is organizing a large summit in Washington in December with African leaders. And South Africa, an economic heavyweight, occupies a prominent place in this alluring offensive. Rarely, the American president accompanied his guest to his car as he exited the Oval Office.
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Russian influence
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the South African president called him “very fruitful and positive”, while recalling that his country did not intend to depart from its position of neutrality. He also criticized on this occasion a bill which is currently running its course in the US Congress, and which aims to “counteract Russia’s harmful activities in Africa” (“Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act”).
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If this law were finally adopted, “it would give the impression that Africa is being punished because it has Russia as a partner. Most African countries are not aligned and we made it clear that it would not be right for the United States to punish “African countries that have relations with Moscow,” she said.
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Another delicate issue for the partnership between the United States and South Africa: China, with which South Africa has excellent relations, but whose influence Washington wants to counter.
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Coal
The discussion was undoubtedly more consensual on the issue of climate. The White House had indicated that the two presidents would discuss in detail the aid promised by the West for the energy transition in South Africa.
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The country, where coal plays a very important role, has been offered $ 8.5 billion by several developed countries to wean itself. But South Africa fears that this funding pledge, which comes through loans, will increase its debt.
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“We need to talk about climate change,” Cyril Ramaphosa said Friday, indicating that in his country “many people were a little afraid” of how the transition to cleaner energy would take place.
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(AFP)
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