By Jonathan Moak, Defense Opinion Writer.
Earlier this year, a dam at a copper mine in Zambia controlled by Sino Metals – part of state-owned China Nonferrous Mining Corp. – failed, flooding local communities and the Kafue River region with over one million tons of toxic waste.
In the months since, water contamination and health side effects have been reported, as have allegations of China’s efforts to suppress coverage of the disaster. The Wall Street Journal reported that Sino Metals approached victims with as little as $100 offer in exchange for signing a nondisclosure agreement.
While this instance represents an abuse of human and resource rights on its own, it’s not an isolated event. There are reports of illegal Chinese mining operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, economic and environmental degradation from China’s gold mining in Ghana and human rights abuses by China in cobalt mining, also in Congo.
These are symptoms of a longer story unfolding on the African continent with China, and increasingly Russia, making most of the moves, but a massive opportunity for the U.S. to mobilize its U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) to change the course.
One of 11 combatant commands, AFRICOM oversees operations and exercises on the continent, covering 53 states and 800-plus ethic groups. With intimate knowledge of the geographic, demographic and security nuances of the region, AFRICOM is uniquely positioned to forge and strengthen the partnerships essential for building long-term stability and prosperity.
Race for resource dominance
Competition over critical mineral production is front-page news, shaping global trade negotiations and spurring a race to invest in domestic mining – with the “Smackover Formation” most recently attracting the likes of Chevron, Halliburton and Exxon.
While these may seem like new developments, they come as no surprise to players like China, which have been slowly but steadily amassing control of global rare earths at the expense of far less visible communities on the African continent.
Africa is undeniably rich in natural resources, holding some 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, 90% of the world’s chromium and platinum and the largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds and uranium, according to the United Nations. Africa also commands a 28% U.N. voting bloc and by 2050 is expected to account for 25% of the global working-age population.
Despite this impressive and growing influence, many African nations still face entrenched economic challenges, with high unemployment and inflation, pervasive poverty, political instability and Islamist terrorism. Cue China and Russia.
The short end of the stick
Far from Beijing, China’s long game for resource domination has been playing out in the resource-rich regions of Africa. China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” laid the long-term blueprint for building intractable ties to African nations.
The explosion of trade, construction of 180-plus government buildings, 14 telecom networks and the “gifting” of technology to dozens of African governments are moves designed to cement China’s influence. And with investments attached to strings of debt, Beijing has secured a vice-like grip on the continent’s resources.
At the same time, Russia is pursuing its own influence campaign across Africa, trading arms and security support for undue resource and political access. A growing network of private military contractors and rapid trade expansion in the region are noteworthy, as are the more than a dozen African nations that have abstained from or remained neutral on key UN votes concerning Ukraine.
A different approach
The U.S. has historically offered a different model for engaging the region, and it’s time to revisit that approach. Not only through the lens of national security and critical mineral scarcity, but also with a vision to empower Africa with economic partnership and investments that counter the strings-attached power grabs by Russia and China.
Throughout the 20th century, the U.S. provided aid and strategic investment to Africa aimed at overcoming agricultural and public health challenges, but in recent years the focus of U.S. adversaries has shifted to other priorities.
This has created an imbalance in economic investment. In 2023, for example, China invested over $8 billion in mining in Africa compared to $300 million from the U.S. More importantly, however, it creates an imbalance of values and outcomes, with greater Chinese investment tipping the scales and spilling over into humanitarian, economic and environmental consequences for African nations.
The case for a stable AFRICOM budget
AFRICOM represents only about 0.3% of the U.S. defense budget and reporting suggests that it could be folded into the larger U.S. European Command. But a narrow scope doesn’t match the scale of what’s at stake on the continent.
The U.S. should at a minimum maintain its current resourcing and consider modest increases to counter adversarial actions.
With vast resources and a growing population, Africa’s own trajectory will not only reflect but also influence the global order of the 21st century.
By investing in AFRICOM, the U.S. can reinforce partnerships rooted in cooperation, rather than coercion, that protect mutual interests, safeguard critical minerals and help African nations chart their own economic and security futures.
This is also a moment for foresight. Others are moving quickly to fill any gaps left open by the U.S., often with different values and different outcomes. Strengthening AFRICOM is a lever to strengthen U.S. security and Africa’s stability.
A former combat veteran and Department of the Army official, Jonathan Moak is a senior vice president at Exiger, a software company based in McLean, Virginia.
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