The U.S. announces a $2B financing to help support democracy in Togo and other African countries
Thursday, 11 August 2022 16:34 
(Togo First) - Over the next decade, Togo and other sub-Saharan African countries will get $2 billion from the U.S. under a program aimed at bolstering democracy on the continent. The funding was disclosed by the U.S. State Secretary, Antony Blinken, on Aug 8, during a trip to South Africa.
These funds will be deployed under the "Global Fragility Act," a State Department mechanism that aims to foster "more peaceful, inclusive, and resilient societies in places where conditions are ripe for conflict."
Concretely, in line with the program, the U.S. will provide support in specific areas that it will identify. Washington’s strategy builds on "decades of lessons learned in conflict prevention, such as cultivating good relationships between community leaders, government officials, and security forces, which are essential to defusing tensions before they escalate into violence, and building resilience to the destabilizing effects of climate change, such as more frequent and severe droughts," according to the U.S. Secretary of State.
It should be highlighted that in Togo, America, which is represented by ambassador Fitzsimmons, has been increasingly helping boost security in a context where terrorism expands in the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea regions. For example, the two countries are set to cooperate on a multi-year mission to prevent conflicts in Africa.
Besides Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Guinea are the West African countries to benefit from the facility.
Next December, a US-Africa summit will be held. On this occasion, representatives from Washington and their African partners will talk about issues like food security, amidst the war in Ukraine, and climate change. The move happens as some of the US’ rivals, like Russia, have been seeking to strengthen their cooperation with Africa, in the economic and diplomatic areas.
Ayi Renaud Dossav
