United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2014

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For the 2022 event, see United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2022.
US–Africa Leaders Summit 2014
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The United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2014 was an international summit held in

Washington D.C. from August 4–6, 2014. Leaders from fifty African states attended the three-day summit, which was hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama. The summit primarily focused on trade, investment and security of the continent.[1]
Leaders from 50 of the 54 existing African sovereign nations were invited to attend. After the summit, the White House produced a number of Fact Sheets that summarized major outcomes.

Background

In 2013, President Barack Obama made his three-nation tour of Africa, in which he announced his plans to host a summit of leaders from across Africa.[2] America's annual trade with the continent is about $85 billion compared to China's $200 billion.[3] According to an interview with The Economist, Obama welcomed foreign investment in the continent saying "the more the merrier" and advised African leaders to ensure that local workers benefit from the infrastructure projects and that the roads shouldn't "just lead from the mine, to the port, to Shanghai."[4]

On July 31, 2014, four days before the beginning of the summit, there was an On-the-Record-Conference Press Call released by the

Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications; (2) Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; and (3) Gayle Smith, Senior Director for Development and Democracy at the National Security Council.[5]

Agenda

The summit focused on trade and investment and underlined the United States' commitment to the continent's people, democracy and security. It facilitated the discussion on how to deepen these partnerships. US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said that new deals worth about $900 million would be announced at the summit.[6]

A number of organizations have written to President Obama to draw particular attention to the rights of

punishable by death in four countries: Mauritania, Nigeria (states under Sharia law), Somalia and Sudan; and up to life imprisonment in Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Only South Africa grants full marriage equality and constitutional protection against discrimination.[10]

A Program of Events was released on the White House website.[11] Even though the first ever U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit was held from Monday August 4 to Wednesday August 6, there were a great number of side events around the Summit.[12] On Friday August 1 a Signature Event – Faith works: Honoring the contributions of the Faith Community to Peace and Prosperity in Africa took place. This included religious leaders, faith-based organization, African leaders and U.S. Government officials. The role the faith based community plays in promoting peace, prosperity and development all over Africa was discussed. The U.S.-Africa Leaders were given opportunities to contribute.[13]

August 4 Signature Events – (1) Civil Society Forum; (2) Investing in Women, Peace and Prosperity; (3) Investing in Health: Investing in Africa's Future; (4) Resilience and Food Security in a Changing Climate; and (5) Combating Wildlife Trafficking.[13] Other events included The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum which was discussed in order to pursue efforts to renew legislation.[14] A Capital Hill Reception was held by the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees to welcome African Leaders in the afternoon.[11]

US–Africa Business Forum

Obama Delivers remarks.
Secretary Kerry delivering his remarks at the World Bank.

On August 5 the

Secretary of Commerce and Michael Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Bloomberg L.P. and the 108th Mayor of New York City
. The Business Forum was divided into four moderated sessions.

Session 1: Expanding Opportunities: The New Era For Business in Africa. Session 1 explored the U.S.-African partnerships and identified new ways to strengthen business ties and enable greater economic progress.

Andrew N. Liveris, President, Chairman and CEO The Dow Chemical Company, Phuti Mahanyele CEO Shanduka Group and Doug McMillon President and CEO Walmart Stores Inc.[15] Prior to the second session, remarks were given by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.[15]

Session 2: Open Markets: Financing The Africa of Tomorrow. Session 2 explored the trends guiding successful and good governance in African countries, reduction of risks, strengthening investor confidence and increasing availability of U.S. capital to African and U.S. firms intending to partner on the African continent.

Equity Bank Group, David Rubenstein, CEO The Carlyle Group, Sim Tshabalala, Joint CEO Standard Bank and Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation.[15]

Session 3: Powering Africa: Leading Developments in Infrastructure. Session 3 explored public-private partnerships, technological innovations and financing tools that are transforming energy, transport and digital infrastructure in Africa.

Joseph Biden, Vice President of the United States.[15]

Session 4: Game Plan: Shaping The Future Of A Fast-Growing Continent. Session 4 featured the African Heads of State. The assembled leaders represented the continents five regions. The discussion entailed policies that enable economic growth, intelligent infrastructure and successful private and public partnerships for the present and all the future years ahead.

Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, President of the Republic of Tunisia.[15] Remarks were delivered by President Obama[16] and Vice President Biden [17]
during the U.S.-Africa Business Forum.

Penny Pritzker and Michael Bloomberg co-wrote to a Forbes Opinion article where they stated that the inaugural U.S.-Africa Business Forum was expected to stimulate $14 Billion worth of business.[18]

In the evening, President Obama and the First Lady hosted a Dinner Reception at the White House for the African Leaders, government and select guests.[19][20][21] Among the attendees at the dinner was former President Jimmy Carter. [22]

Summit Leaders Meetings

A session in progress
President Obama participates in a family photo with African leaders.

On August 6 the Summit Leaders Meetings took place. President Obama and African Leaders engaged in dialogue in three action-oriented sessions that addressed issues of shared common interest and mutual concern.[23] Session 1: Investing in Africa's Future – inclusive sustainable development, economic growth and trade and investment were discussed. Session 2: Peace and Regional Stability – a working lunch centered around long-term solutions to regional conflict, peace keeping challenges and combating transnational threats. Session 3: Governing For The Next Generation – the focus was on how to enhance governance in order to deliver services to citizens and to attract and prepare for increased domestic and foreign direct trade and investment.

The Summit concluded with President Obama holding a press conference.[24] He called the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit "an extraordinary event" [25]

Other events of the final day were: (1) A Spousal Program accompanied by the tag line "Investing in Our Future at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit" hosted by First Lady

43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush made an appearance, he sat with the African First Ladies and drew applause when he said "If you're worried about your husbands' political future, taking care of women is good politics." As a father and grand father he "is concerned about the future, not less" when it comes to freedom, economic empowerment and health of girls and women around the world.[28] Jill Biden delivered remarks earlier on [26][29] and also spoke about creating opportunities for young women leaders.[26][30]

(2) A Dialogue with African CEO's hosted by Congressman

Gregory W. Meeks and the Congressional Black Caucus Africa Task Force entailed panel discussions and networking with African business and political leaders, U.S. private sector representatives and members of congress.[31][32]

Participants

Kerry with the Chairperson of the African Union, Abdel Aziz
The map of the countries that participated in the summit
Kikwete and First Lady Salma Kikwete

Africa consists of

Heads of State.[38]

Dignitaries

Country Title Leader
 Algeria Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal
 Angola Vice President Manuel Vicente
 Benin President
Yayi Boni
 Botswana Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani
 Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaoré
 Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza
 Cape Verde President Jorge Carlos Fonseca
 Chad President Idriss Déby
 Cameroon President Paul Biya
 Comoros President Ikililou Dhoinine
 Cote d'Ivoire Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan
 Congo–Brazzaville President Denis Sassou Nguesso
 Djibouti President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
 DR Congo President Joseph Kabila
 Egypt Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab
 Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
 Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn
 Gabon President
Ali Bongo Ondimba
 Gambia President Yahya Jammeh
 Ghana President
John Dramani Mahama
 Guinea President Alpha Condé
 Guinea-Bissau President José Mário Vaz
 Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta
 Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane
 Liberia Vice President Joseph Boakai
 Libya Prime Minister
Abdullah al-Thani
 Madagascar President Hery Rajaonarimampianina
 Malawi President Peter Mutharika
 Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta
 Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
 Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam
 Morocco Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane
 Mozambique President Armando Guebuza
 Namibia President Hifikepunye Pohamba
 Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou
 Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan
 Rwanda President Paul Kagame
 São Tomé and Príncipe Prime Minister Gabriel Costa
 Senegal President Macky Sall
 Seychelles President James Michel
 Sierra Leone Foreign Minister Samura Kamara
 Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
 South Africa President Jacob Zuma
 South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit
 Eswatini King Mswati III
 Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete
 Togo President
Faure Gnassingbe
 Tunisia President Moncef Marzouki
 Uganda President Yoweri Museveni
 Zambia Vice President Guy Scott

Non–attendance

Country Head of State Reason
 Algeria President Abdelaziz Bouteflika[39] health reasons
 Angola President José Eduardo dos Santos[39]
 Botswana President Ian Khama[40]
 Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi[41]
 Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf[42] due to an
Ebola outbreak
 Lesotho King
Letsie III[43]
 Morocco King Mohammed VI[44]
 Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma[45] due to an Ebola outbreak
 Zambia President Michael Sata[39] health reasons
 Cote d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara

Exclusions
Temporary

At the time of the announcement of the summit in January 2014, the following three states were suspended from the African Union due to their political situation. They have since been re-admitted following the restoration of democracy and rule of law:

Controversies

The list of invited leaders included the following long serving African

strongmen:[57][58]

Compaoré and Jammeh
.
Country Leader In power since
 Angola José Eduardo dos Santos 1979
 Burkina Faso Blaise Compaoré 1987
 Cameroon Paul Biya 1982
 Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso 1997
 Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo 1979
 Gambia Yahya Jammeh 1994
 Uganda Yoweri Museveni 1986

Equatoguinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's human rights abuses in his country.[59]

The

"illegally" occupy Western Sahara.[60]

Outcome

President Obama delivered a personal, six-minute toast at the U.S.-Africa Summit Dinner in which he invoked his African heritage, saying, “I stand before you as the president of the United States and a proud American. I also stand before you as the son of a man from Africa. The blood of Africa runs through our family. And so for us, the bonds between our countries, our continents, are deeply personal.”[61] He announced $20 billion of investment in energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa.[62]

Through the Office of The Press Secretary, the White House released a number of Fact Sheets pertaining to the outcome of the United States–Africa Leaders Summit. On August 4, 2014, FACTSHEET: Investing in African Trade for Our Common Future was released. It clarified strategies pertaining to the renewal and update of the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA), synergies through aligning assistance, improving infrastructure to enhance competitiveness, strengthen trade capacity and creation of new African markets.[63] On August 5, 2014, FACTSHEET: The Doing Business in Africa Campaign (DBIA) was released. The emphasis was on the United States' commitment to strengthen its ties and commercial relationship with Africa. The Fact Sheet clarified this new commitment to expand the Doing Business in Africa Campaign: "At today’s U.S.-Africa Business Forum, President Obama announced $7 billion in new financing to promote U.S. exports to and investments in Africa under the DBIA Campaign. U.S. companies announced new deals in clean energy, aviation, banking, and construction worth more than $14 billion, in addition to $12 billion in new commitments under the President’s Power Africa initiative from private sector partners, the World Bank, and the government of Sweden. Taken together, these new commitments amount to more than $33 billion, supporting economic growth across Africa and tens of thousands of U.S. jobs." In addition, the Fact Sheet emphasized the President's Executive Order to create a Presidential Advisory Council on DBIA and new U.S. Government resources to support U.S. exports and investments in Africa.[64]

Other Materials, Outcomes and Fact Sheets directly related to the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit were: (1) U.S.-Africa Cooperation in Advancing Gender Equality [65] (2) U.S.-African Cooperation on Global Health[66] (3) Shared Investment in Youth[67] (4) U.S.-African Cooperation on Food Security [68] (5) U.S. Engagement on Climate Change and Resilience in Africa [69] (6) U.S. Support for Democratic Institutions, Good Governance and Human Rights in Africa [70] (7) U.S. Support for Combating Wildlife Trafficking [71] (8) Powering Africa: Increasing Access to Power in Sub-Saharan Africa [72] (9) Investments Announced at Symposium for African Spouses Hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Former First Lady Laura Bush. "More than $200 million committed to programs that will empower more than 1 million people in Africa."[73] (10) U.S. Support for Peacekeeping in Africa [74] (11) Security Governance Initiative [75] (12) Partnering to Counter Terrorism in Africa [76]

The White House Press Office released a Statement by the Chair of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. Topics covered were the Summit's Background; Investing in Africa's Future; Advancing Peace and Regional Stability; Governing for the Next Generation; Investing in Women for Peace and Prosperity; and, Providing Skills and Opportunities to the Youth. In closing, it was duly noted that President Obama announced that the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit would be a recurring event.[77]

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External links

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