Finally, after a brutal election battle between President Donald Trump and Vice President, now President-elect Joe Biden, America has made its choice between two very different visions for the United States and the broader global world order. In an election, whose results were closer than what political pundits predicted, the Democrats prevailed over a Republican party that must reckon with its own choices and path. 

However, as I stated in my previous article, America is no longer a city on a hill as described by President Ronald Reagan in 1980. The fact is Trump has not conceded defeat as has been the tradition for the past 60 years, He continues to cry foul, arguing that this election was stolen from him. He may well be the first president to not attend the inauguration of his successor on 20 January 2021. Nonetheless, this was expected, as Trump is no ordinary leader and he has certainly not governed as one! History will have its chance to reflect on the legacy of Trump and what his time in office reveals about the America project and where America finds itself in this time as the world faces difficult times with covid-19, geopolitical challenges in the Middle East, Sino-US tensions, North Korea and a global economic order that continues to face challenges. 

However, Biden has the added task of restoring hope in America not only from the domestic perspective but also from the global perspective. This he needs to do with his allies across the Atlantic Ocean, who would have felt hard done at times by Trump’s America first stance. Secondly, he will need to restore America's leadership in the ongoing war against ISIS and other terrorist movements across the world that continue to threaten not only American interests but global security. 

For Biden to do this, he will need to affirm American leadership in NATO, place more pressure on Russia to end its cosy relationship with Syria’s Bashar al-Assad but also he will need to honestly reflect on Saudi Arabia’s role in fuelling the war in Yemen. Moreover, on the global economic front, while China may be America’s biggest competition, the two nations have strong economic links that can not be ignored. America controls the global financial system, but China owns most of the American public debt. There is therefore greater need for cooperation rather than the kind of hostilities that derail economic growth and development. 

Biden’s got his work cut out for him but with a strong administration where he surrounds himself with people who will give him honest counsel and people who will at times challenge him where needs are. Unlike Trump who built an authoritarian system in the White House where either you toe the line or are fired via Twitter or resign. Biden must not seek to govern via social media but use social media to reach out to Americans to keep them abreast of America domestic and foreign policy, rather than use the platform to settle political scores. 

In many ways Biden must do what has always been required of a true leader, he must lift the standard of decorum in all he does. Just by being decent and restoring order in the systems that be, Biden may well be able to restore hope in America once more. 

Let me now turn my attention to Africa and how it needs to leverage these latest events. Africa certainly has a better opportunity to build a partnership with America with a Biden presidency than under Trump. However, unless we get our own house in order it will be impossible to truly gain much out of what should be warmer US-Africa relations under President Biden. Africa needs a clear developmental strategy, a strengthening of the AU as the authority on African interests but more the major powers in the continent, namely South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia must sing from the same hymn book rather than pursue narrow unilateral interests that pull Africa and their respective regions into different directions. The USA like China can play a critical role in Africa’s development agenda not only from an economic perspective but also from the security and building of democratic institutions and Africa cannot disregard US leadership and expertise in such areas. 

Let me end by saying that the past few days have asserted in my mind that while America is no longer a city on a hill it is still an important player and one, we can never ignore, certainly not in the 21st century. What is key now is to give Joe Biden a chance but to not fall for the Big Man politics that continues to leave us more disappointed but more importantly Africa must take up its space in the ordering of human affairs. Neither Biden nor Trump must determine our temperature or resolve to pursue the African dream and project!