By Ajong Mbapndah L
Washington, D.C. — At a pivotal Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing titled “East Africa and the Horn: At a Turning Point or Breaking Point?”, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the committee’s Ranking Member, delivered a sobering message: the United States is stepping back in Africa, while China is stepping in—with force, strategy, and deep-pocketed investments.
“Africa is not a distant concern,” Shaheen declared. “What happens there doesn’t stay there.” Her voice carried the urgency of a seasoned lawmaker watching years of bipartisan diplomatic gains unravel under the weight of funding cuts and disengagement. She painted a vivid picture of lost ground and lost opportunities—both humanitarian and strategic.
Shaheen highlighted what she called the devastating fallout from the Trump Administration’s deep cuts to foreign aid. While the State Department maintains that lifesaving assistance is still in effect, her firsthand evidence presents a different narrative.
“My staff was in Africa three weeks ago. What did they see? Shuttered HIV prevention centers. Empty hospital shelves. Children’s clinics turned to ghost towns,” she said, holding up photos from the trip. “This isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet—these are lives lost and futures erased.”
She didn’t hold back when naming the stakes. “Rationing HIV drugs? That’s how you breed drug-resistant strains of the virus,” Shaheen warned. “It’s not just a tragedy there—it’s a public health threat here.”
Shaheen also zeroed in on China’s growing influence across the continent, flashing a 2023 map showing an unmistakable sea of red, representing areas where the People’s Republic of China has gained significant ground. “They are eating our lunch,” she said flatly. “And they’re doing it through strategic infrastructure, military presence, and diplomatic persistence.”
She highlighted the contrast through two parallel mega-projects: the U.S.-backed Lobito Corridor versus China’s railway in Tanzania. “One opens access to the Atlantic, the other to the Indian Ocean. Only one of them furthers our values—and it’s not the one backed by Beijing,” she said.
But it wasn’t just criticism—Shaheen offered a clear example of policy that works: the Women, Peace, and Security Act, passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by President Trump.
“This isn’t some DEI initiative, as Secretary Hegseth has carelessly labeled it,” Shaheen said. “This is boots-on-the-ground strategy. Through WPS, we gather intelligence from women and families, we build community resilience, we counter extremism, and we win trust. AFRICOM knows it. Our troops use it. And yet, this administration is walking away from it.”
With a sense of urgency and personal investment, Shaheen reminded the committee of Africa’s tectonic shifts. The fragile peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo was one such example. “It took decades of steady diplomacy to bring them to the table,” she said. “It’s not done—but it’s progress. And we’re about to squander it.”
Her parting call to action was a rallying cry for smart, sustained engagement.
“We have the tools—economic, diplomatic, legislative. What we lack is political will,” she said. “If we fail to lead, others will fill the vacuum. And the cost—for Africans and Americans—will be steep.” In Shaheen’s hands, this wasn’t just a committee hearing—it was a wake-up call.
