Russia’s Ukraine war is putting a drag on Africa’s economy, says Yellen

Dakar — Russia’s war against Ukraine is hitting Africans particularly hard by worsening food insecurity and putting an unnecessary drag on the continent’s economy, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in Senegal’s capital Dakar on Friday.

Yellen said ending the war would be the best thing to help the global economy, but the Treasury estimated that a Group of Seven-led price cap on Russian crude oil and refined products to limit Russia’s revenues could save the 17 largest net oil-importing African countries $6bn (R103bn) annually.

Speaking at the start of a three-country visit to Africa, Yellen said some emerging-market countries were saving even more by using the price cap to negotiate steeper discounts with Russia, and Treasury was encouraging others to follow suit.

G7 countries and Australia implemented the oil price cap on December 5, banning the use of Western-supplied maritime insurance, finance and other services for cargoes priced above $60 a barrel. A further cap on Russian refined petroleum products, such as diesel and fuel oil, is due to take effect on February 5.

Yellen said the US was working with African leaders to mitigate the damage caused by Russia’s “illegal and unprovoked war” in Ukraine, which along withCovid-19 had slowed growth and pushed millions of Africans into poverty and hunger.

Washington provided about $13bn (R223bn) in emergency aid and food assistance last year and was now setting up a US-Africa strategic partnership to address the short-term food needs of more than 300-million Africans, Yellen said. It is also helping to build more resilient and sustainable systems for the future.

Yellen is the first of a number of top US officials who plan to visit Africa this year, including President Joe Biden, as Washington seeks to deepen ties with the continent and provide a counterweight to China, whose collateralised loans have left many nations deeply in debt.

Speaking at a co-working space that helps women and young entrepreneurs, Yellen said US investments in Africa were motivated by “our mutually beneficial, long-term partnership” with a goal of generating positive economic returns.

Yellen met earlier with Senegal’s minister of economy, international planning, and co-operation Oulimata Sarr, who like Yellen is also the first woman to serve in her current role.

The US Treasury secretary will meet later with Senegalese President Macky Sall and finance minister Mamadou Moustapha Bâ.

Yellen said US investments prioritised rigorous technical standards, had high standards for accountability and transparency, and also carefully considered risk to the longer-term sustainability of a country's debts.

Yellen, long critical of the pace of China’s efforts on debt treatments for Zambia and other countries, said it was important to provide “timely and comprehensive” solutions to allow African economies to continue to make important public investments.

“We believe that the international community, including China, needs to provide meaningful debt relief to help countries regain their footing. Timely debt relief is in the interests of both debtors and creditors,” she said.

Reuters