WASHINGTON - President Obama will be welcoming more than 50 African leaders for a three-day to begin August 4 in Washington, D.C.
Not invited are the presidents of four countries with a record of human rights violations: Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Central African Republic. The leaders of Sierra Leone and Liberia have canceled their trips because of the Ebola outbreak in their countries.
At the summit, the U.S. is expected to unveil nearly $1 billion in business deals, more funding for peacekeeping, and commit billions more dollars to food and power programs in Africa.
Administration officials say it’s an opportunity to discuss the future of an economically-growing continent, and address questions about how the U.S. can become a closer partner.
Themed “Investing in the Next Generation," the
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At a time when armed conflict has created a humanitarian emergencies in Central African Republic and South Sudan, and East and West African countries are fighting the spread of radical Islamists, the
Summit participants will discuss how to end violence and ensure both regional and domestic security.
That effort will include reforms to national militaries, says Joseph Siegle, research director for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
"There’s a recognition that part of the challenge is that Africa’s police and military aren’t always very professional, and this can lead to inappropriate or heavy-handed responses, especially when dealing with domestic security threats, which involve [the killings] a lot of innocent bystanders," he said. "This tends to alienate the local population and further fuel grievances."
"The challenge [for Obama and the heads of state] is how do you [separate and address] the domestic issues and then the transnational components of those threats?"
On Tuesday, African leaders will meet with government officials at a business forum to address economic security. The gathering is expected to bring together 200 U.S. and African business leaders in order to find strengthen financial ties by
An important part of U.S. trade with Africa trade is the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), U.S. legislation designed to assist economies of sub-Saharan Africa and improve economic relations.
AGOA gives African countries with a good records of economic management and human rights duty-free access to U.S. markets. Today, Africa sells about seven thousand products to the U.S., worth about $27 billion.
More than 20 countries participate in AGOA, but U.S. officials say more could take part.
Experts such as senior international advisor for Africa at the global law firmCovington and Burling, says to ensure a stable investing environment.
"Another idea being considered by government officials is to enhance USAID trade hubs in Africa," he said, explaing that the hubs, or information centers, help African businesses export their goods to the U.S. market.
Schneidman also says they should be renamed trade and hubs that also help U.S. companies interested in the African market.
"Those trade hubs need to pull together," he said. "We need a whole of government approach so that you have our ambassadors and embassies in lockstep with our commerce and agriculture officials, along with officials from [the Export-Import Bank of the United States] and the [Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries].
"[This way] we can present one face," he said. "A one-stop shop to U.S. companies on how the U.S. government can help them be successful in Africa."
The summit agenad also includes a session on governance, though
civil society forum scheduled for
Adam Shapiro of the human rights group said U.S. emphasis on human rights and good governance is what should separate this gathering from recent Africa investment summits held by China, India, Japan and Russia.
"In those summits, there were very low expectations from Africa that any kind of issues about governance or human rights or transparency would be brought up," Shapiro said. "But when it comes to the U.S., there is an expectation that these kinds of issues would be on the table."
Shapiro, who wants civil society to be a part of all discussions — especially those on security and good governance — also
Teodoro Obian Nguema, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi,
Unlike China’s recent Africa summit, the U.S.-hosted summit will have no one-on-one meetings between the president and the African leaders.