Delegates from forty-nine African countries and the African Union were in the United States from the 13th to the 15th of December 2022, to attend the US-Africa Leaders Summit (ALS). The ALS was welcomed as a sign of the end of “benign neglect” of Africa beyond concerns about China, Russia and countering-violent extremism. This summit was a start, however, much more
needs to be accomplished to meet the commitments outlined during the ALS.
Senior administration officials said the ALS was convened, ‘to focus on deepening and expanding the long-term US-Africa partnership, advance shared priorities, and amplify African voices to work together to meet this era’s defining challenges.’
Four of the key ALS deliverables included: 1) US support for making the African Union a member of the G-20; 2) a U.S. commitment of $55 billion in assistance to Africa over the next three years; 3) President Biden’s promise to visit Africa in 2023; and 4) the appointment of former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, as the new Special Presidential Representative for U.S.-Africa Leaders; Summit Implementation, to coordinate implementation of commitments from the summit. Increased private sector investment and civil society engagement also were emphasized during companion venues.
The ABAA strongly supports the commitments made during the ALS and recommends several other specific priority objectives in Africa, to include:
∙ Additional resources to obtain gender equity and equality in governance, economic growth and development assistance.
∙ Balanced settlement of the crisis in Ethiopia, renewed engagement with Eritrea and harmonization of relations with Somalia and Somaliland.
∙ Renewed emphasis on resolving the situation in Eastern Congo and The Great Lakes including fair treatment and infrastructure support for artisanal miners and their families.
∙ Multilateral coordination and collaborative approaches to stability and peace in West Africa focused on regional priorities.
∙ Increased economic growth and development assistance in Southern Africa including a reassessment of engaging Zimbabwe and security assistance for Mozambique.
∙ Recognizing African governments’ agency in determining methodologies that sustain infrastructure modernization and implement artificial intelligence modalities to increase human security.
Authors: AMB Charles Ray/AMB Steven McGann
