Podcast on Africa and US Elections

 This is a one hour and 15-minute Beyond Africa podcast with me hosted by Bernard Ngalim.  The major issues discussed are the impact of the upcoming election in the United States on Africa policy, Project 2025 and Africa, trade, aid, investment, and the role of the U.S. private sector.  

Would a Harris/Walz Administration Shift US-China Policy?

 World Politics Review published on 17 September 2024 a commentary titled "Harris--and Walz--Could Shift the Focus of U.S. Policy on China" by Mary Gallagher, Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame.

Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, and her vice-presidential running mate, Tim Walz, could shift the way Washington looks at China.  While Harris has relatively little experience concerning China, Walz has had a long relationship with the country.  The author speculates this combination of background could result in a China policy that is tougher on Beijing's human rights record than was the case in either the Biden or Trump administration.    

Ethiopian-American to Head Harris Transition Team

 NBC News published on 23 August 2024 an article titled "Harris Transition Team Takes Shape with a Biden Official in Key Post" by Aaron Gilchrist.

The Kamala Harris campaign tapped Ethiopian-American and current ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Yohannes Abraham, to head the presidential transition team if she wins the upcoming election against Donald Trump.  In 2020, Yohannes was the executive director of the Biden transition team.  He was born in Virginia; his parents immigrated from Ethiopia.  

Podcast on US Elections, Africa Policy, and Horn of Africa

 Tigrai Press posted on 28 July 2024 a one-hour podcast with me hosted by Bisrat Kebede.  The conversation focuses initially on the election campaign between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, implications of the election for Africa policy, and Project 2025.  The remainder of the podcast deals with many of the ongoing issues in the Horn of Africa.   

US-China Competition for African Minerals

 The South China Morning Post published on 9 April 2023 an article titled "China-US Battle for African Influence Shifts to Green Critical Minerals" by Jevans Nyabiage.

The article discusses China-US competition for critical minerals in countries such as Tanzania, Zambia, DRC, and Zimbabwe.   

Podcast on US-China Competition in Africa

 The New York Times posted on 6 April 2023 a 30 minute podcast titled "America Has a Problem in Africa: China" with Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times correspondent in Africa.  

The podcast, which referred to the recent trip to Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia by Vice President Kamala Harris, summarized her visit as sending the message that "China is not your friend, we are."  Of course, the vice president never said those words and the podcast subsequently offered that her goal was to demonstrate that "America is a better partner than China."  Abdi Latif Dahir did make the important point in response to a question whether the US is a viable alternative to China that it will require consistent US engagement with African countries over successive administrations.

Comment:  While making some valid points, the podcast falls in the increasingly common trap of exaggerating China's influence in Africa while understating that of the United States.  See my comments below on 29 March.  

Jill Biden's Visit to Kenya and Namibia

 The Washington Post published on 1 March 2023 a feature titled "Jill Biden Went to Africa, and All Anyone Wants to Talk About Is 2024" by Jada Yuan.

Jill Biden seems to have had a successful visit to Kenya and Namibia in spite of the fact that many wanted to focus on President Biden's political future.  Hers is a precursor to visits to Africa later this year by Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden.