The White House is planning to host a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit later this year, signaling a strategic shift in Washington’s engagement with the continent.
The summit aims to emphasize trade, investment, and mutual prosperity over traditional aid-based models.
According to Yahoo News, this was made known by the US State Department’s senior official for African affairs.
“‘Trade, not aid,’ a slogan we’ve seen thrown around for years, is now truly our policy for Africa — a shift I know you have long sought and one that I am committed to strengthening,” Troy Fitrell said in a speech at an American Chamber of Commerce event in Abidjan on Wednesday. Fitrell, addressing a separate event on Tuesday, said that “commerce, migration, and peace,” would be Washington’s priorities in its relationship with Africa. He later placed an emphasis on “commercial diplomacy,” with all US ambassadors in Africa now being evaluated on how effectively they advocate for American business.
Fitrell, previously an ambassador to Guinea, did not immediately provide further details of the summit, but it is an idea that many Africa watchers in Washington had pushed for ahead of the incoming administration. The last US-African leaders summit was hosted by President Joe Biden in December 2022.
