The United States "will not dictate Africa's choices, neither should anyone else," Antony Blinken said in the South African city of Pretoria on Monday.

The US secretary of state is on a three-nation Africa tour to promote his country's new strategy for sub-Saharan Africa, which seeks to counter the influence of China and Russia in the region.

"It's a strategy that reflects the region's complexity, its diversity, its agency; and one that focuses on what we will do with African nations and peoples, not for African nations and peoples,'' Blinken said during a speech at the University of Pretoria.

His visit comes hot on the heels of an extensive tour of the continent by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Blinken stressed that "too often, African nations have been treated as instruments of other nations' progress rather than the authors of their own."

His tour of Africa will also include stops in Congo and Rwanda.

United States seeking partnership with Africa 

The top American diplomat said the US wanted to work with Africa as "equal partners."

The new US strategy is focused on supporting open and transparent societies, democratic governance, economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, and efforts to mitigate climate change and expand clean energy.

"Our strategy is rooted in the recognition that sub-Saharan Africa is a major geopolitical force — one that has shaped our past, is shaping our present, and will shape our future,'' Blinken said.

In a policy paper released ahead of Blinken's speech, the US said the new "strategy reframes the region's importance to US national security interests."

The paper suggests China sees the region as an "arena to challenge the rules-based international order, advance its own narrow commercial and geopolitical interests ... and weaken US relations with African peoples and governments."

It says Russia views the region as a "permissive environment" for actors, including "private military companies, often fomenting instability for strategic and financial benefit."

Blinken specifically mentioned Russia's Wagner group, "which exploits instability, pillages resources, and commits abuses with impunity."

The US hopes its sharpened focus on sub-Saharan Africa will culminate in a US-African summit in Washington in December.

Ukraine remains a sticking point

Earlier on Monday, Blinken met his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor.

The two countries' relationship has been strained in recent months as South Africa, like many other African countries, remained neutral over the war in Ukraine and avoided public criticism of Russia.

At a media conference after their meeting, Blinken said if Russia were allowed to bully Ukraine, invade and take territory without being opposed, then it would be "open season, not just in Europe but around the world." 

But Pandor shot back and said no one in South Africa supported war and the country was also concerned that the prescripts of international law were not being applied evenly.

"We should be equally concerned at what is happening to the people of Palestine, as we are with what is happening to the people of Ukraine," she said.

lo/nm (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)