By Prof. Nassir Hussein Kahin, Executive Managing Editor with files from media and agency reports
As the world is desperately searching alternative solutions to transition into clean green energy, China is taking the lead over America in the competition for Africa’s critical minerals, by giving its “fly-by-night” green energy tech companies a license to make billions of U.S. dollars profits per year, in many poor African countries, according to industry analysts.
Both the U.S. government as well as globally respected companies and corporations are concerned that Americans might have to, in the future, buy solar energy panels from China if America falls far behind in this critical competition with the Chinese, if the status quo is maintained.
According to think-tank technology reports, China now dominates in green energy exports to the world of electric vehicles and solar cell, among other related products from critical minerals abundant in Africa, such as graphite, manganese, and not to mention, cobalt which is necessary to manufacture electric vehicle batteries.
It seems, that the U.S. is standing by just planning theoretical strategies or just signing MoU with some African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo while the Chinese are deeply entrenched building and running gold and other minerals including lithium refineries in critical mineral rich African countries. An in the geopolitical chessboard game in the Horn of Africa’s, strategically located Somaliland is been offering America a military base and airfield, to counter wondering, growing Chinese influence in the Red Sea, and time is just ticking away, while America has been frozen debating about its defunct “One Somalia” outdated, and useless foreign policy which ignores the realities on the ground.
With President Trump now in the White House, and his “transactional deals”, perhaps its not too late , not only to catch up, but to get ahead. It is worth mentioning, that the U.S. has already started an effective flagship multibillion dollar project “Lobito Corridor”, a construction project of over 360 miles of rail connecting Africa’s copper belt from Zambia through the cobalt rich areas of the DR leading to Angola’s port of Lobito (hence the name of the project) for exports to global markets.
A similar strategy is long over due in the geopolitical scheme of projects for the U.S. to recognize Somaliland, and establish a military naval base in Berbea, and open a full diplomatic embassy in Hargeisa, to monitor and counter balance, the threat of growing Chinese activities if its to to win this fierce competition with Beijing’s “Sneaky Tigers” in Africa that are so far leading the game.
It remains to be seen, if Donald Trump will put to rest “Sleepy Joe’s” sleepy foreign policies towards Africa, meanwhile….the clock is ticking fast…..
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