Forty-five African heads of state and government have confirmed their attendance at the U.S. Africa Leaders’ Summit, held in Washington D.C. next month.
Meanwhile, the United States President, Joseph Biden, had extended an invitation to 49 African leaders.
Dana Banks, the Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Advisor for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, confirmed this, yesterday, via a teleconference on the upcoming Summit’s agenda to strengthen U.S.-Africa relations and highlight U.S. commitment to the African continent.
Banks noted that Biden invited 49 African leaders, excluding those from Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sudan, and Mali – the four countries currently suspended by the African Union (AU).
The White House official said Biden used three criteria to invite African governments to the Summit.
“President Biden invited all sub-Saharan and North African governments that have not been suspended by AU, states the U.S. government recognises, and states with which we exchange Ambassadors.”
The gathering aims to advance shared priorities and foster stronger ties between the United States and Africa. It will also provide an opportunity to advance the Biden administration’s focus on trade and investment in Africa, highlight America’s commitment to Africa’s security, its democratic development, and its people, as well as emphasise the depth and breadth of the United States’ commitment to the African continent.
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