Monday December 12, 2022
Washington DC (HOL) - Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in the US capital Washington DC on Monday ahead of a
two-day US-Africa Summit hosted by President Joe Biden.
Dozens of African leaders are expected to
attend the summit, which the US hopes will reboot relations with the continent. It will be the largest international gathering in Washington since the onset of the COVID pandemic nearly three years ago.
US officials have unreservedly said that the conference will be pivotal in countering growing Chinese influence in the region.
Over the past two decades, China has invested billions into African energy and infrastructure projects.
"This summit is an opportunity to deepen the many partnerships we have on the African continent," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said when asked about the shadow that China and Russia cast on the meetings. "We will focus on our efforts to strengthen these partnerships across a wide range of sectors spanning from businesses to health to peace and security, but our focus will be on Africa next week."
According to the White House, economic trade, climate change, COVID recovery and the ongoing war in Ukraine will dominate the agenda.
The US is expected to announce several "major deliverables and initiatives" during the summit, including US support for adding the African Union as a
permanent member of the Group of 20 nations (G20). White House analysts expect Biden to announce his first presidential trip to sub-Saharan Africa.
The last time the US held a similar event was in August 2014 when President Obama invited African leaders for a summit that was themed 'Investing in the Next Generation'.