Changing Course? The US Biden Administration and the Promotion of Peace and Counter-terrorism in Africa

Since the electoral campaign and throughout his presidency, President Biden promoted a restructuring of the US Africa policy, framing democracy promotion and civilian-centred programmes as key pillars of the new security strategy. This article explores whether and how the policies of the Biden administration marked a shift from post-Cold War US efforts in promoting peace and security in the continent. The article shows that, while placing democracy issues at the core of diplomatic dialogues with African leaders, Washington continued to prioritize longstanding practices of remote interventionism, through airstrikes and the provision of security assistance to local actors, to tackle emerging threats and restore stability on the ground. However, this continuity exposes the US to substantial risks depending on the socio-political environment of African states. As the article concludes, a more context-sensitive approach would enable the US to strengthen security efforts while effectively building conditions fostering peace on the ground.