US-Africa Leaders’ Summit set for December 

The United States-Africa Leaders’ Summit due in Washington DC December 13-15 will aim at creating a market for African exports as well as investment opportunities.

Dana Banks, the special assistant to the U.S. President, said the summit will allow African business people explore investment and trade opportunities in the United States.

Forty-five African Heads of State, including President Museveni have so far been invited to attend the summit.

“The goal of the summit is rooted in the fact that the continent is a global player. We intend to, and as the Biden administration indicated on day one, engage in a mutually respectful manner that highlights our priorities,” Ms Banks remarked.

According to U.S. state department officials, the summit will also create inter linkages for Africa-American business, trade and investment.

“Africa will shape not just the future of the African people, but of the world,” Banks said.

“Business relations will be a major focus for the summit. Over 100 African companies will have a chance to meet and match-make with US companies,” Banks said, noting that the Africa-US diaspora forum is the other added interaction to the summit. 

“Africa will make the difference in tackling the most urgent challenges and seizing the opportunities we all face,” she added.

She also revealed that the US President will spend quality time with his guests on a number of bilateral issues.

The U.S. deputy assistant secretary for the African affairs bureau, Robert Scott, said the President of the U.S. will have “robust” bilateral meetings with invited heads of state from the African continent.

“We expect some of the outcomes to be a deepening and expanding reflection of our long term US-Africa partnership while we advance our shared priorities to amplify African voices,” said Scott.

The first US-Africa summit was held in 2014. It came after President Barack Obama announced in 2013 during a speech at the University of Cape Town in South Africa that there was a need for the U.S. to launch a new chapter in U.S.-Africa relations.

The United States gives Uganda nearly $1 billion dollars each year, mainly for health and security support.