AFRICAN leaders have welcomed the incoming US president on his electoral victory, expressing hope that Joe Biden’s win will boost trade and other relations between the continent and the US.
“We congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and the American people on your election. We look forward to working with you and deepening our bonds of friendship and cooperation,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote on Twitter late Saturday.
Ramaphosa said South Africa and the United States enjoyed historic relations.
“The United States contributed to the liberation struggle in South Africa and continued to provide support to help consolidate democracy after South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994.
Bilateral cooperation between the two countries spans a range of areas, including trade and investment, health, education, energy, environment, science and innovation, safety and security, as well as regional cooperation to support the African Union’s objectives for peace, security, and development,” said Ramaphosa.
“More recently, the United States Government provided generous financial and technical support to help South Africa’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, thus building on the highly successful platform of health cooperation under the PEPFAR framework.”
Biden, 77, defeated incumbent Donald Trump Saturday, making him the first former vice president to win the Oval Office since George H. W. Bush, who won in 1988 after eight years under Ronald Reagan.
ANC secretary general Ace Magashule also congratulated Biden, saying the governing party hopes to see the country revere other nations and refrain from giving other states unconstitutional orders.
“America must learn to respect that every country, every nation is sovereign and they must respect the independence and they must also understand that they can’t be telling the world what to do,” said Magashule.
“That is why I said Cub important, Palestine important and they must actually respect and lift sanctions against Zimbabwe.”
The Nelson Mandela welcomed the defeat of President Donald Trump in the US presidential election, saying the organization celebrated the fact that it won’t have to watch him undermining democratic institutions and listen to him bringing the most powerful office in the world into disrepute for another four years.
“We congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President elect Kamala Harris on what has been a successful but punishing election campaign. We look forward to seeing the White House occupied by a leadership team which understands the central importance of human dignity. We take special pleasure from the fact that Mz Harris is the first woman in US history to fill the position of Vice-President,” said the foundation’s spokesperson Luzuko Koti in a statement.
“We wish Mr Biden and Mz Harris well in what will be a difficult transition. We call on Mr Trump to embrace the democratic process, support the transition, and begin contributing to the healing of a deeply fractured society. As Nelson Mandela often used to say, a good leader knows when to step down. And how to do so appropriately. It’s not too late for Trump to embrace dignity, for himself and for others.”
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari also congratulated Biden “on his election at a time of uncertainty and fear in world affairs.”
“President-Elect Biden’s remarkable track record gives us hope that he will add value to the presidency and world affairs. We look forward to greater cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, especially at economic, diplomatic, political, and security levels,” Buhari tweeted.
Also Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa offered his “huge congratulations” to Biden and wished success in leading the American people and growing cooperation between the two nations.
Zimbabwe has been facing the US sand EU sanctions for years over rights abuses and irregular elections during the leadership of late President Robert Mugabe. Zimbabweans now hope the new US administration might lift the sanctions, allowing it to benefit from trade deals and international assistance.
In his congratulatory message, President Macky Sall of Senegal said his country looks forward to continuing its excellent relations of friendship and cooperation with the US.
Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba also took to Twitter to congratulate US president-elect and vice president-elect over election win. “Our countries have always been staunch allies,” Ondimba said, adding that he is looking forward to growing the bilateral relations much stronger.
Relations between the US and some African countries have not been at their best under incumbent Donald Trump, with experts hoping the new administration might bring in hope.
Experts say Trump ignored Africa for much of his rule, occasionally blasting its leaders. They hope Biden could adopt policies that would restore cooperative links that prevailed under the Obama administration with the continent and the rest of the world.
The Sierra Leone president joined his counterparts to congratulate the “historic” win of Biden.
“Sierra Leone looks forward to a more strengthened relationship,” said Julius Maada Bio.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also congratulated Biden and Harris on their “historic” election win. “Ethiopia looks forward to working closely with you,” Abiy said.
Relations between Ethiopia and the US have been at its lowest recently. The Trump administration announced blocking a $130 million aid that had been earmarked to support Ethiopia’s defense and anti-terrorism efforts.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed the cut in aid, ostensibly to build pressure on Ethiopia, a rugged landlocked country in the Horn of Africa.
Trump was noticeably irked by Ethiopia’s withdrawal from Washington-sponsored Nile Dam talks late February after his administration came up with a document for signing, which Ethiopia rejected saying it favors the interest of Egypt. Sudan also did not sign that agreement.
African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat also sent his congratulatory message.
“The AU Commission looks forward to a new, stronger US-Africa relations based on mutual respect and shared values of international cooperation,” he said.
(SOURCE: AGENCIES)
