US seeks stronger ties with Africa in summit amid China clout
- Rolling red carpet to Africans, US warns of ‘destabilising’ China and Russia
- The US-Africa summit is the first since Barack Obama invited leaders in 2014
A three-day US-Africa summit began on Tuesday in Washington, with President Joe Biden’s administration planning to commit US$55 billion over the next three years to support the continent, where China is increasing its economic clout.
A total of 49 countries and the African Union have been invited to the event for talks on cooperation on a range of issues such as trade and investment, security, health and climate, and space.
On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced the expansion of Washington’s space partnerships by welcoming the first African signatories – Nigeria and Rwanda – to the Artemis Accords laying out principles toward peaceful exploration and use of outer space, bringing the total participants to 23 nations.
The accords also support activities of the Artemis project, a US-led international effort aimed at advancing lunar exploration and eventually sending astronauts on missions to Mars. Other nations that have joined the accords include Japan, South Korea, Australia and France.
A senior State Department official stressed the need for space cooperation, citing how a Nigerian satellite became the first to deliver urgently needed first images showing the scale of damage when Hurricane Katrina hit southeastern United States in 2005.
Upon announcing its hosting of the US-Africa Leaders Summit, the White House said the gathering will “demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa, and will underscore the importance of US-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities”.