“In a strong signal of renewed U.S. engagement in West Africa, Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Cape Verde and pledged an additional $45 million to combat instability in the region. This investment brings the amount of U.S. assistance to West Africa to $300 million over the last two years, reflecting concerns that broader problems in combating terrorism in the Sahel overall will also likely affect coastal West Africa.
“With U.S. attention and the lion’s share of its resources focused elsewhere, the Biden administration must make the most of its modest investment and engagement in West Africa. Bolstering security assistance is certainly necessary. Yet to tackle the roots of these problems, robust support for democratic governance is the linchpin. A good place to start ramping up diplomatic and development attention is in the four West African countries slated to hold national-level elections this year: Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, and Mauritania. …”
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