Washington DC, 14 December 2022 (TDI): The United States & Africa leaders summit started in Washington after a gap of more than eight years. Fifty heads of state and various delegations gathered to attend in Washington.
The Conference has a range of sessions on topics from trade and investment, to health and climate change, to peace, security, and governance, to space cooperation.
The summit commended with a focus on the vital role of civil society and the strength of African diaspora communities in the United States.
Also read: US-Africa Leaders Summit: Focusing on shared values.
Peace, Security, and Governance Forum
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attended the peace, security, and governance forum.
The President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, and the Somalian President, Hassan Mohamud, were also present. The President of Djibouti, Ismail Oguelleh, also participated in the meeting.
Blinken appreciated the leadership of Africa in tackling the challenges of governance in the region. In this vein, he added, “The challenge for governance is to deal with them effectively. America is dedicating resources to building a stronger foundation in Africa.”
The Secretary underscored the current crisis going on in the world and the African region. He stated, “We’re dealing with a massive food insecurity crisis. It’s the product of climate change. It’s the product of COVID.”
“We have initiated an immediate emergency response in different places, including Africa. The Feed the Future program is driving a lot of the work we’re doing worldwide.” Blinken affirmed.
Also read: Biden announces US-Africa Leaders Summit
African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum
The forum on African and Diaspora Young Leaders was held in the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Presidents of Liberia, George Weah and Sierra Leone, Julius Maada, were also present.
Addressing the event, Secretary Blinken talked about the opportunities available to African youth in America. He also praised the African diaspora in the United States for contributing to the country’s economic growth.
In this vein, he stressed, “We’re investing in young people. There are now 700,000 young Africans who are part of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) virtually.”
“Similarly, the Mandela Washington Fellowship (WASH) is incredibly powerful because it’s building connections between young people to make a difference in their communities.” He reiterated.
You can read further about the US-Africa partnership document and details here
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