The United States is trying to strengthen its influence in Africa

US Air Force General Charles Brown will travel to Africa to discuss keeping US troops on the continent after Niger decided to scrap US military bases in favor of a partnership with the Russian Federation. Reuters news agency reports that Washington is looking for a ,,plan B’’ to strengthen its presence in Africa, amid Moscow’s successes.

          ,,I really see opportunities. And there are countries in West Africa that we work closely with’’, Brown said.

           According to him, the development of these relations could give Washington an opportunity to exploit some of the military advantages it had in Niger.

          At the same time, the agency’s source mentioned that the administration of US President Joe Biden has already held initial negotiations with countries such as Benin, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

          For his part, James Stavridis, former commander of NATO’s Allied Forces in Europe, believes that Russia and China are rising powers on the African continent.

            ,,With 60% of arable land and 30% of the planet's mineral reserves, Africa is an increasingly important continent for global security. Unfortunately, the United States is not adapting to rapid geostrategic changes. The final blow was the withdrawal of American troops from Niger’’, Stavridis said.

          Currently, Russian paramilitary forces operate in Mali, Congo and the Central African Republic and other states. China is active in all 54 countries of the continent and is seeking to establish naval bases in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, as well as in the Gulf of Aden.