Blinken Tours West Africa to Counter China and Russia's Influence

US Secretary of State pitches America as a better security partner for Africa, particularly in the troubled Sahel region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is touring West Africa, aiming to strengthen partnerships and counter the growing influence of China and Russia in the region.
Blinken has pitched the US as a better security partner for Africa, particularly in the troubled Sahel region, over Russia's Wagner mercenary group.
Blinken's visit comes as the US grapples with conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and as anti-Western juntas in Mali and Niger have compelled the US and France to scale back their security presence.
The US is touting a $300 million program aimed at buttressing the region's coastal states along Africa's Atlantic Coast, and $45 million in security assistance to Côte d’Ivoire.
The US hopes to tout a major railway project to transport minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo to an Angolan port, which could help the US keep pace with China's investments in Angola.