US vs China

US – Africa: Why Washington is driving Africell’s revival

By Quentin Velluet

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Posted on November 5, 2021 18:04

Firefox_Screenshot_2021-11-04T15-20-02.182Z In order to gain a foothold in Angola, a market of nearly 33 million inhabitants which is now considered a priority, Africell has made the strategic decision to leave Uganda © Vincent Fournier/JA
In order to gain a foothold in Angola, a market of nearly 33 million inhabitants which is now considered a priority, Africell has made the strategic decision to leave Uganda © Vincent Fournier/JA

Telecoms operator Africell, which wants to relaunch itself in the DRC and break into Angola, is receiving strong support from the US. This is just the latest example of Washington and Beijing’s struggle for influence on the continent.

A photo shows two men sitting side by side in the living room of the suite where DRC’s President Félix Tshisekedi stayed during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly at the end of September. The one on the left is Ziad Dalloul, the American-Lebanese founder and boss of the telecommunications group Africell. His hands are clasped and he has a somewhat withdrawn expression. On the right is Peter Pham, former ambassador to the Trump administration. He sports a collared shirt, adorned with an irremovable bow tie, and is engaged in a conversation with the Congolese president.

READ MORE DRC: At the heart of the fibre-optic battle

The picture, available on the Twitter account of the ex-ambassador, speaks volumes about Africell’s new relationship with the US government. President Joe Biden’s administration seems to have decided to make the telecoms group one of its tools of economic influence on the African continent.

Translation: DRC

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