President Joe Biden threw his support Thursday behind a larger African role in the world but also vowed the United States would not shy away from promoting democracy, IgbereTV reports
“The United States is all in on Africa,” Biden told nearly 50 African leaders who have gathered in Washington for three days.
“Africa belongs to the table in every room — every room for global challenges that are being discussed — and in every institution,” Biden said.
Biden, who in September called for an African permanent seat on the UN Security Council, backed a permanent African Union role in the Group of 20 economies and said he was planning a visit, the first by a US president since 2015, to sub-Saharan Africa.
“We’re all going to be seeing you and you’re going to see a lot of us,” Biden said, without specifying the dates or destinations.
Biden a night earlier invited African leaders to a gala White House dinner, with the African Union arriving first to the red carpet, as he pulled out the stops for the first such summit since Barack Obama launched an initiative in 2014.
Obama’s successor Donald Trump made little secret of his lack of interest in Africa, where in the ensuing years China — seen by the United States as its top global competitor — has become a key player through major investment.
