by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – RELATIONS between the United States and Africa were strained during the first term of Donald Trump as the president of the world’s most powerful nation from 2017 to 2021.
Today, hopes are high in Africa that the controversial 78-year-old politician will end the conflicts ravaging the continent, the Middle East (Israel, Gaza and Lebanon) and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Africa, which has largely maintained a non-aligned stance on these conflicts, is bearing the brunt of these conflicts, especially the Russo-Ukrainian fallout, on local economies.
The war has been felt across Africa through trade disruptions, commodity price increases and tighter financial conditions since 2022.
In the continent, responses to the emergence of the Republicans’ Trump as the winner ahead of his Democrat rival, Kamala Harris, was unprecedented, with some leaders offering congratulatory messages before the official announcement of the result.
Ruling and opposition parties as well as analysts are upbeat that with Trump at the helm of the US, wars could be a thing of the past.
He has been elected at a time the US administration of the outgoing Joe Biden is propping Israel in its war with militants in Palestine and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Fears are that these conflicts, and America’s meddling, could lead to a third world war.
Bola Tinubu, president of Nigeria, the world’s largest Black nation (with a population of 234 million people), hailed the election of Trump, amid calls by Africa for global peace.
“Acknowledging the US’ influence, power and position in determining the trend and course of global events, the Nigerian leader trusts that President Trump will bring the world closer to peace and prosperity,” said presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.
Like Trump, who has won back power after his defeat in 2020, in Zambia, former president, Edgar Lungu, is also aiming to bounce back to office following his loss in 2021.
“For example, we sincerely hope that President Trump will help to mediate and resolve the Gaza-Israel conflict as well as the Russia-Ukraine war,” Lungu said.
Zambia-based political expert, Mark Simuuwe, is upbeat of a Trump presidency.
“Trump is likely to end the Ukraine war given his international posture with Russia and President (Vladimir) Putin,” he said.
Simuuwe believes Trump is likely to end the Israeli-Palestinian war, even if he previously recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
He reminded that Trump and Republicans got along with Netanyahu, hence it would be easy to persuade Netanyahu to relent from the war.
“This is why it was easy for the Republicans to host Netanyahu a few months ago,” Simuuwe said.
He believes this term, Trump may approach African politics differently by recognising the continent as a significant partner in trade and industry.
In South Africa, the continent’s largest economy, However, is at the helm of America’s tricky affair and the government faces yet another juggling act around its foreign policy.
It is discreetly aligned to Russia in the war with Ukraine and is openly against Israel’s onslaught against Palestine.
Thus, in both conflicts, South Africa and the US support different rivals.
Sifiso Mkhize, the South African-based analyst of global politics, also foresees the election of Trump spearheading the end of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
“Trump is going to cut support for Ukraine because Zelensky refused to sign a deal giving America access to Ukrainian natural gas,” Mkhize forecast.
“So, he will pull the troops out of Ukraine and let Ukraine be battered to submission and surrender to Russia. That will be the end of Ukraine as a country as it will be part of Russia.”
Trump is to be sworn in this coming January, completing a spectacular political comeback.
– CAJ News