The United States national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday announced that his county was bringing “resources to the table” during the US-Africa summit which convenes in Washington later this week.
The “resources to the table” are some US$55 billion in the next three years, Sullivan said, adding that the US commitment to invest in the African continent compared favorably to other countries.
Sullivan also said Biden will host a dinner on Wednesday night for about 50 African leaders and announce US support for the African Union to join the Group of 20 (G20) major economies.
Biden will also push for a permanent member from the African continent on the United Nations Security Council, a song the Africans have been singing for ages.
While Biden has made trips to visit US allies in Asia, Europe and the Middle East since taking office, he has yet to visit Africa since becoming president — and the event will be his most comprehensive look at the complexities of the continent.
Part of Biden’s diplomatic efforts so far have focused on promoting Western democracies as a counterweight to China, but US officials have insisted the Africa summit was not all about discussing Beijing’s influence in Africa.
Former president Barrack Obama visited the continent in his first term office and attended late Nelson Mandela’s funeral in Johannesburg, while his successor, Donald Trump, never did, deciding that it was not worth it.
NM/as/APA