4. Implications of China–US Rivalry on Africa

This chapter looks at the role of Africa’s elites in constraining the continent’s development prospects. This discussion considers Africa’s position in the early years of decolonization and against the backdrop of the Cold War. It makes an observation that at the height of decolonization, Africans placed too much faith on the postcolonial elites and their ability to turn ideology into practice. These elites promised a political kingdom that would create an economic nirvana, but never had to account for its failure to materialize. Much of the focus in this chapter is on Africa’s failure to bolster its agency during the Cold War. The chapter also traces the United States and China’s engagements on the African continent, and points to the lessons African countries could draw from this history in reorienting their relations with major powers on better terms.