World leaders congratulate Trump ahead of confirmed victory

World leaders began sending congratulatory messages to Donald Trump on Wednesday as election results showed he had taken an insurmountable lead to clinch the US presidency.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, his British counterpart Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the first to send their congratulations, pledging to work with the new leader.

“I look forward to working with you in the years ahead,” Starmer said in a statement.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder in the defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.”

Dr Abiy said he looked forward to working with the US “to further strengthen the relationship between our two countries during your term.”

For Ethiopia, the Trump presidency could open a new chapter after a rocky relationship with Washington following the Tigray war. The fighting ended in 2022 after the African Union brokered a solution between the government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Forces (TPLF), but the US and Addis Ababa subsequently sparred over allegations of food aid theft.

However, Trump is seen in Addis Ababa as a bully, particularly during his first term (2016-2020) when he sided with Egypt in the negotiations over the Nile waters usage. Ethiopia built and is filling up the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, which Cairo protested as a threat to water security. Addis Ababa pulled out of the US-sponsored talks in protest.

Republican Donald Trump has claimed victory in the 2024 presidential contest, just an hour after Fox News projected that he had defeated Democrat Kamala Harris. Speaking to a gathering in Florida, Trump described his comeback as unprecedented and powerful.

His presidential campaign was backed by several billionaires, including Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and owner of several technology companies, including X and SpaceX, who helped bankroll the Trump campaigns.

In one of the closest races in recent memory, Trump and Harris had banked on swing states flipping. His victory also defies the pundits who had declared him politically dead after he lost the 2020 election, and then faced various criminal charges related to insurrection and other felonies.

Eyes may now turn to how he upends or maintains some of the policies of outgoing President Joe Biden. Biden already overturned Trump’s when he took office. He cancelled Trump’s announced withdrawal from the 2016 climate pact known as the Paris Agreement, as well as planned pull-out from UN agencies such as the World Health Organisation, the refugees agency UNHRC, and Unesco.

Alice Hill, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the US Climate Crisis Advisory Group, told The EastAfrican: “Trump’s victory presents a real obstacle in the global fight against climate change. Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States will almost certainly step back from global and domestic efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increasing fossil fuel production.

“However, this outcome does not spell the be-all and end-all for climate action in the United States. The power of state-level action should not be undermined, with significant progress made at sub-national level in some states. Local political and regulatory intervention will be critical in the fight for a healthier planet - with or without support from the Trump administration.”

Trump himself has argued the US will not send money to multinational organisations unless other countries pay their fair share of the obligations.

Macron said France will be “ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.” 

Modi on his part, said Trump’s historic election victory offers a chance to “build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership.”

“Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.”