U.S.-Africa Summit Strengthened Relationship but Didn’t Revolutionize It

Senegal's President Macky Sall, Chairperson of the African Union, listens while US President Joe Biden makes a toast during the US-African Leader's Summit dinner in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 14, 2022. Brendan Smialowski / AFP

As the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit wraps up today, one is struck by a paradox: while several notable new deals were announced, the summit as a whole has been slightly underwhelming. 

The United States seemed determined to combat two interrelated narratives. First, that it lost interest in Africa and is disengaged from the many dramas of African development, and second that it’s only re-engaging with the continent out of concern about China’s growing influence there. 

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by Cobus van Staden

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