Publications
Partners
- Africa has considerable reserves of critical minerals needed in the manufacture of arms.
- Without secure and reliable supply or access to these resources, it exposes the US and its allies to security vulnerabilities, a think tank points out.
- The US National Defense Authorisation Act of 2024 seeks to address this potential crisis by looking for more critical minerals from partner countries, most of them in Africa.
The US could be forced to revisit its relations with African states where critical minerals used in the manufacture of weapons are sourced.
This while the US and its allies are supplying arms to war-torn Ukraine, and more recently Israel which faces open warfare with Iran.
Last December, the US pledged to supply arms worth the equivalent of about R4.8 billion to Ukraine alone.
Those include anti-aircraft missiles critical to neutralising Russian air power, which are due to be drawn from stockpiles that will require replenishing.
Last month, it was revealed the US had a funding shortfall of almost R190 billion to replace arms already sent to Ukraine.
Last month the US agreed to transfer new weapons worth R47.5 billion to Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas.
Israel too is highly dependent on advanced missiles; the short-range Iron Dome air defence system built to intercept rockets was on show during Iran's weekend attack.
It was developed by state-owned firm Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, with US support.
Africa's critical minerals
At the heart of such missiles was a number of critical minerals, many of which were found in Africa and which "are especially important to US national and global security interests", a senior study group from the US Institute of Peace, a non-partisan think tank, argued last week.
The most notable one is cobalt, with the main source coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
South Africa too is the source of a critical mineral, antimony, which is found in the Murchison greenstone belt that is in the northern parts of Limpopo.
Antimony is used to produce ammunition and flame-retardant material.
The study group said:
A shortage of critical minerals would hold back the US in its arms race with China.
"An accessible and reliable supply of these minerals is especially important to the defence industrial base.
"Critical mineral shortages can significantly degrade US military capability and place national security at risk," the group said.
Already, drone technology aided by artificial intelligence has hinted at the future of warfare that speaks directly to the need for mineral resources from Africa used to manufacture drones and other instruments of war.
READ | 'Willing to exercise restraint': China shows support for Iran after Israel missile attack
Besides antimony, the US has yet to find stable sources of graphite, which is used in military hardware.
The mineral is in abundance in some parts of Africa such as Tanzania, Guinea, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa.
Currently, China is the biggest market for graphite.
Fully aware of this challenge, the US National Defense Authorisation Act of 2024 states the superpower has to "expand secure sources of supply of critical minerals in the United States and in countries that are allies or partners".
In its policy towards Africa, the US has shown renewed interest in the DRC and Zambia through the rebuilding of the Lobito Corridor, a rail and road network that will link the two countries to Angola, and straight to the Atlantic Ocean.
U.S. economic and national security depends on a reliable supply of critical minerals that underlie an array of products and services important to ever-changing modern economies. Our new report explores the role Africa can play in that supply: https://t.co/yRXYcMLtE8 pic.twitter.com/vBWF8nMEyN
— U.S. Institute of Peace (@USIP) April 14, 2024
The US is also directly involved in the facilitation of an agreement between Zambia and the DRC to produce lithium batteries.
Such initiatives could keep China at bay in the resource race.
"Developing partnerships with these [the DRC and Zambia] and other African countries could help the United States safeguard its national security interests and, at the same time, bring added development benefits to African communities if mining and processing activities are managed openly and responsibly," the study group said.
Two weeks ago, International Relations and Cooperative Minister Naledi Pandor said the US could not afford to damage South Africa, in part because it required minerals found in the country.
READ | The US can't afford to cripple SA, says Naledi Pandor in UK op-ed
"… South Africa is a significant supplier of critical minerals to the US," Pandor wrote in the Financial Times.
"In the global fight against climate change, demand for critical minerals has become a significant factor.
"In 2021, the US imported nearly 100% of its chromium from South Africa, as well as over 25% of its manganese, titanium, and platinum.
"We also supply 12 of the 50 mineral products identified by the US Geological Survey as critical for US interests," she said.The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
