Congratulations President-elect Trump! African leaders rush to send congratulatory and goodwill messages to Donald Trump
Despite the frosty relations between Washington and Harare, President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa was one of the first leaders from across the world who sent a congratulatory messages to President-elect Donald Trump.
After it became apparent on Wednesday that Republican candidate and former United States president Trump had made a historic comeback to the White House, global leaders and influential individuals rushed to social media platforms to congratulate the winner.
Trump beat outgoing Vice President and Democrats’ candidate Kamala Harris in the tightly-contested November 5 elections, to become the the 47th president of the United States of America.
In his congratulatory message posted on social media platform X, Mnangagwa said he is willing and ready to mend fences with the Washington administration.
“Congratulations to President-elect (Donald Trump) on your victory. The world needs more leaders who speak for the people. Zimbabwe stands ready to work with you and the American people to build a better, more prosperous and more peaceful world,” Mnangagwa’s official @edmnangagwa shared on X.
By Thursday night, the post had garnered 800 comments and almost 900 reposts.
In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa also sent a congratulatory message to Trump after the results of the tightly-contested November 5 elections became apparent.
“Congratulations to the United States President-elect (Donald Trump) on your return to the presidency. I look forward to continuing the close and mutually beneficial partnership between our two nations across all domains of our cooperation. In the global arena, we look forward to our presidency of the G20 in 2025, where we will work closely with the US who will succeed us in the G20 presidency in 2026,” Ramaphosa’s X account, @CyrilRamaphosa.
President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema said he looked forward to strengthen bilateral cooperation and work closely with with Trump.
“Warmest congratulations to the people of the USA, on the election of Mr Donald J Trump as 47th President. This historic achievement demonstrates the people’s freedom to choose their leaders. We look forward to strengthening our bilateral cooperation & deepening our ties,” said Hichilema.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, in his congratulatory messages said Trump’s message has been clear.
“President-elect (Donald Trump) I warmly congratulate you on behalf of the government and people of Rwanda for your historic and decisive election as the 47th president of the United States.
“Your clear message has been that the United States should be a partner of choice that attracts by the force of its example, rather than by imposing its views and ways of life on others. I therefore look forward to working with you for the common benefit of both our countries in the years ahead,” said Kagame.
On the other hand, President Samia Suluhu of the United Republic of Tanzania added her voice to the many voices congratulating Trump.
“On behalf of the government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency (Donald Trump), President-elect of the United States of America on your election victory. Mr. President-elect, you have my best wishes,” said Suluhu.
“I am looking forward to working together to strengthen the bilateral relations between Tanzania and the United States.”
However, Trump's crushing presidential victory has ushered in a new era of uncertainty in terms of Africa-US relations, as international relations analyst Dr Gideon Chitanga told IOL on Wednesday.
In an interview, Chitanga who is a researcher at the Centre for Africa China Studies at University of Johannesburg, said a second Trump presidency brings uncertainty.
“The immediate aftermath will be uncertainty, until a clear picture of the new Trump Africa policy can emerge. Africa was not a major issue in these elections, and a lot has changed since the last Trump presidency,” said Chitanga.
“However, there is a sense in which Trump will continue with his America first nationalist policies which seek maximal realisation for American interests.”
Chitanga said under President Joe Biden, US foreign policy towards Africa was shifting towards emboldened re-engagement, with Biden still expected to visit Angola before he winds up his tenure.
“I believe Trump’s business interests-driven foreign policy may not prioritise Africa among the many global challenges at play,” said the seasoned academic and international relations analyst.
“However, I expect him to continue with AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) — not much change in that regard.”
Chitanga said the United States elections happened at a time when Western nations are seeking ways to outpace China in its unprecedented efforts in growing ties with Africa. He added that the Western nations have not shown a coherent plan to court Africa, as Beijing has done.
IOL