Trade Bottlenecks for Democratic Breakthroughs

When the container ship MS Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, the world was forced to come to terms with the fragility of global trade. Few could have anticipated such an odd saga: a mega-container ship follows a uncannily phallic-shaped route in the ocean, becomes embedded in the banks of the Nile, the global trade economy is paralyzed, and an infamous tiny bulldozer comes to the rescue. Shipping companies quickly turned to the U.S. Navy to provide safe passage around the most pirate-infested waters off the coasts of Africa. Though the Ever Given was dislodged and the crisis abated, this brief and telling experience should not go to waste. A single ship running aground caused a global panic. The United States must seize this unforeseen and fleeting opportunity to engage with African countries on maritime security to enhance alternatives to bottlenecks like the Suez Canal; strengthen security ties with African countries; demonstrate America’s continued value as the global guarantor of the freedom of navigation; and advance the cause of human rights and sustainable economic development on the African continent. By linking security issues like piracy and trade with development issues like fishing and corruption, America ensures all its objectives are met, including the betterment of people everywhere.

Although Congress continually raised the issue of China's relentless rise to prominence in Africa, America's continued inaction and relative absence on the African continent is obviously short-sighted. Beijing is building a Sinocentric world system “unconstrained by formal rules and procedures” which promotes one-party authoritarian rule, all while America has remained inactive in the world’s fastest-growing continent. This problem of course extends to the U.S. Department of DefenseDefense—whose Africa Command is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany—and specifically to the U.S. Navy. Unlike China’s maritime forces, which bully and intimidate seafaring nations, America’s Navy is the world’s sole guarantor of the freedom of navigation. Unfortunately, as China expands its presence across Africa, the U.S. Navy remains woefully absent. 

Piracy is a critical issue. It is symptomatic of economic difficulties and corruption which push individuals to join seafaring gangs. Piracy destabilizes local economies by hurting coastal countries’ commercial economies, critical for development. Furthermore, the surge in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea (where 95% of crewmembers have been kidnapped) and in  the strategic Mozambique channel heightens the risk of future incidents in sea route chokepoints seriously damaging our fragile global economy. Meaningful engagement with African coastal countries to bolster their maritime security alleviates the risks to global trade and hampers piracy.

 Additionally, the United States must make this a case study in values-driven diplomacy. President Biden’s inaugural address unequivocally affirmed democratic values and justice as the driving forces behind his administration’s policy. Engaging with countries with oft-fraught records on human rights cannot result in the kind of “realist” complacency which has dictated America’s relations with countries like Egypt. While American maritime security assistance is in the best interest of the U.S. government because it benefits the American populace, it would equally servee a broader purpose: initiating dialogue on the policies and conditions of certain countries which exacerbate human suffering and conflict. Chinese fishing companies have desecrated mankind’s collective natural heritage, annihilating African fish stocks. Such conditions and the exacerbation of the impoverishment of Somalia’s fishing communities led to the rise of piracy in Somalia. America’s efforts should not allow Chinese state-backed fishers to freely roam the seas they pillage and worsen these issues. Washington should discuss strengthening local regulations and promoting fishing which prioritize local communities’ needs, as well as empowering regional law enforcement efforts to break up smuggling networks with partner countries.

 The United States should reaffirm its commitment to the freedom of navigation and America’s declared values of human rights and sustainable development and learn from this recent crisis by making a diplomatic push to coordinate maritime security in Mozambique and the countries of the Gulf of Guinea (including Nigeria and Cameroon). A remarkable rise in piracy off their coasts makes this region significantly more dangerous for shipping than the Horn of Africa. This way, America demonstrates its value as a defender of a rules-based order and a benevolent defender of the freedom of navigation. Additionally, future “Suez Crises” can be mitigated by quashing piracy on alternative routes, further securing the safe and orderly flow of global shipping. The United States should offer to increase the presence of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, and provide maritime surveillance tools and training assistance for African maritime law enforcement.

Engaging with African countries on maritime security and sustainable fishing will be neither cheap, nor easy. For one, Congress is quick to criticize China, but slow to push for proactive engagement. Second, many may balk at assisting governments with repressive security apparatuses like Nigeria and Cameroon. Finally, African countries may hesitate to accept assistance, or to discuss enforcing illegal fishing. After all, they are far more used to dealing with Beijing and its no-strings-attached investments than values-driven diplomacy, which we have so often conveniently eschewed. Lest we waste the lesson offered by years of China coasting to dominance in Africa and the week’s events in Suez, we must succeed in engaging with African countries on this on this vital issue to domestic and global security. By drawing a straight line between security issues like piracy and trade bottlenecks and issues like fishing and corruption, we can better ensure that military assistance benefits local African economies and Africans.

Though it is possible that the events in Suez may simply be a freak moment relegated to the Wikipedia page dedicated to odd historical events, we can also choose to use it to write a new chapter in US-African relations. This is a special opportunity to demonstrate the United States’ value as an international partner, our emphasis on the freedom of navigation, and the defense of the environment as a priority. Working together we can create sustainable development that is far superior to China’s mercantile subjugation and despoliation of African countries’ sovereignty and economies.