On Thursday, President Joe Biden backed an expanded role for Africa in the globe while simultaneously pledging that the US will not back down from advancing democracy.
Biden assured the almost 50 African leaders gathered in Washington for three days that “the United States is all in on Africa.”
When discussing global issues, Biden remarked, “Africa belongs to the table in every chamber and in every institution.”
In September, Biden called for an African permanent seat on the UN Security Council. He also supported a permanent African Union role in the Group of 20 economies and announced he was planning the first trip to sub-Saharan Africa by a US president since 2015.
Without giving dates or locations, Biden said, “We’re all going to be seeing you and you’re going to see a lot of us.
The African Union was the first on the red carpet as Joe Biden pulled out all the stops for the first such summit since Barack Obama launched an initiative in 2014. The following night, Biden invited African leaders to a gala White House dinner.
Obama’s successor Donald Trump made little secret of his lack of interest in Africa, where in the ensuing years China — seen by the United States as its top global competitor — has become a key player through major investment.
At the summit, the United States announced $55 billion in projects that will be completed over the next three years. These projects include investments in green energy, healthcare worker training, and the modernization of internet networks.
Additionally, $15 billion in acquisitions led by investments by US companies in digital technology were made by the private sector.
Even while Biden still hosted leaders that were viewed as authoritarian, the United States has made a point of highlighting democracy in contrast to China, which has been delighted to do business with all African regimes.
Biden assured the African leaders that “the United States will always lead with our ideals.”
Support for democracy, adherence to the law, dedication to human rights, and responsible government are all ingrained in our DNA.
While offering $100 million for security, Biden also stated that the US would provide $75 million to halt “democratic backsliding,” particularly by bolstering civil society and election authority.
In order to secure assurances of free elections, Biden met on Wednesday with the heads of six countries, including Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which are the most populous and largest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, respectively.
Former congressman and current head of the US Agency for International Development Mark Green claimed that while China sought to “reinforce aid dependency,” the United States was committed to helping Africa become more self-sufficient.
