President Joe Biden told dozens of African leaders gathered in Washington on Wednesday that the United States is “fully committed to the future of Africa,” deploying billions in promised government funds and private investment to help the growing continent in health, infrastructure , business and technology.
During a White House dinner, Biden and African Union Chairman Macky Sall, Senegalese President, raised their glasses in a toast to the US-Africa friendship and partnership.
“Together, we can create a world that is healthier, safer, more equitable, more just, more prosperous, and more full of opportunity for all,” Biden said.
The president also spoke about the ties that “will forever unite Africa and the United States.”
“We remember the stolen men, women and children who were brought to our shores in chains, subjected to unimaginable cruelty.”
“We honor their descendants who for generations helped build this country and propelled it to greater heights, leading the charge, blazing new trails, and forging a better future for all of America,” he said.
Biden noted that he served as vice president under Barack Obama, America’s first black president, who convened the first African Leaders Summit in 2014.
Biden, who portrays the US as a trusted partner in promoting democratic elections and driving critical growth in healthcare and energy, said Friday that committed investments of $55 billion over the next three years, announced Monday , were “just the beginning”.
It has also announced more than $15 billion in private investment and trade commitments and partnerships.
The United States has lagged far behind China in investment in sub-Saharan Africa, which has become a key battleground in an increasingly tense competition between major powers. The continent remains crucial to world powers due to its rapidly growing population, significant natural resources, and sizeable voting bloc at the United Nations. Africa also remains of great strategic importance as the US recalibrates its foreign policy with a greater focus on China, the nation the Biden administration considers the US’s most important economic and military adversary.
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