
This increase in partnership options has strengthened the leverage of African countries to advance their own development plans. At the same time, the emergence of several middle-income countries has opened Africa to a number of alternative economic partners. China has significantly increased its influence on the African continent, with foreign direct investment (FDI) growing at a compound rate of 18 percent per year from 2004 to 2016 and Chinese lending reaching almost 20 times their FDI level.

This global division and political polarization are being further exacerbated as the competition between the United States and China continues to heat up.

The world is dealing with the complex economic and political consequences of the Russia-Ukraine War and the geopolitical divisions it brings, including in Africa where many countries have remained neutral, if not closer to Russia for a minority. The global vie for a closer alliance with Africa
#VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS FREE#
signed a memorandum of understanding to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), signaling a predominant focus on shifting from “aid to trade.” With the momentum rolling after a successful summit, it is critical that the vice president’s visit reiterate these priorities and that the administration continue to find ways to leverage America’s “ core strengths ” in private capital, advanced technologies, and soft power to implement these commitments nationally and continentwide.įurthermore, at the global, national, and local levels, the vice president’s visit comes at a critical juncture in terms of advancing the implementation of the commitments from the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. In addition to the $15.7 billion worth of private sector investments and partnerships reported by Prosper Africa during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the U.S. While the commitments that emerged from the summit span many topics, including partnering on human rights, democracy, and gender inclusion, one topic that Vice President Harris should specifically highlight during her visit is deepening trade and investment between the U.S.

as a valuable partner that reaffirms “African agency.” The summit brought together about 49 African heads of state and resulted in several major commitments from the United States including: a $55 billion pledge to support the African Union’s Agenda 2063 creation of a new Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) initiative intended to invest over $350 million in financing Africa’s digital transformation the appointment of Ambassador Johnnie Carson as the special presidential representative for U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit implementation President Biden’s endorsement for the inclusion of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the G-20 and creation of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement, among others. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, which set the scene for the administration to reposition the U.S. The summit was the first tangible outcome of the Biden administration’s newly announced U.S. Her visit comes in the wake of the progress achieved at the second-ever U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, held in December 2022. United States Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Ghana on March 26 to kick off her weeklong visit to three countries in Africa at a unique time in U.S.-Africa relations.
