The White House said on Monday, ahead of the US-Africa Leaders summit, that the US government has committed $55 billion in economic, health, and security assistance to Africa over the next three years.
A day before President Joe Biden visits 50 African heads of state as Washington competes for influence on the continent, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the United States wants to assist African governments in achieving their goals.
To address "the essential concerns of our day," Sullivan told reporters that the United States would invest $55 billion in Africa over the following three years in various areas.
Sullivan declined to provide specifics, saying that the upcoming three days of bilateral and multilateral talks and a dinner hosted by Biden at the White House for his African counterparts will reveal all.
He highlighted that the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a strategy for the continent’s long-term socioeconomic growth, will serve as the event’s overarching subject.
Sullivan told reporters, “the president will chair the full first substantive session at the summit on Agenda 2063.”
“That is not an American document. It is not an American Vision. It is the African Union’s document . . . So we are lifting African voices and priorities in what we are doing in this summit,” he told reporters.
The United States is fighting to maintain its formerly dominant position in Africa as rival superpowers China and Russia vie for influence and economic gain.
However, Sullivan stressed that the summit’s focus was not on other nations.
He emphasised that there would be no attempt at comparative analysis.
“This is going to be about what we can offer. It will be a positive proposition for the United States and its African partnership.
“We are bringing the resources to the table in significant numbers,” he added.
The United States, he added, will inform the visiting leaders that it backs making room for an African nation among the UN Security Council’s permanent members and will extend an invitation to the African Union to join the G-20.
Furthermore, Biden plans to appoint veteran US diplomat Johnnie Carson to work round-the-clock with African governments to implement the goals set at the summit.
He explained that the spirit of the summit was not what the international community would do for Africa or its people but rather what they would do together.
In addition, Biden has scheduled a separate meeting with African leaders who will have to run for office in 2023.
“We would like to do everything we can to support those elections being free, fair and credible,” said Sullivan.