Today's D Brief: African leaders converge in DC; Russian IO campaign targets right-wing Americans; Erdogan's missile threat to Athens; TikTok bans grow in the US; And a bit more.
Defense OneDec 24, 2022
The Facts
At the US-Africa Summit in Washington, US Pres. Joe Biden on Thursday announced support for the African Union (AU), which represents one of the world's fastest-growing regions, to become a permanent member of the G20 group of major economies.
Noting that African leadership and innovation are critical in tackling some of the world's biggest problems, Biden also advocated Washington's support for reforming the UN Security Council to allow for an African representative.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
It was a strategic mistake on Washington's part to neglect Africa in recent years. This allowed rivals like China and Russia to steadily deepen their ties with the continent. During the summit, the US seized the opportunity to regain some ground. The investments promised by Washington and the support for the AU joining the G20 are significant and long-overdue steps in the right direction.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though Washington pretends that it wants to close the growing trust gap between the US and Africa, the Biden admin. still sees Africa merely as a pawn in its strategic goal of competing with China and Russia. However, African leaders have long known that the US isn't concerned with cooperation for mutual benefit. Africa is unlikely to actually benefit from the summit in a meaningful way.
