The United States and the African Union Commission have agreed to establish a Strategic Infrastructure and Investment Working Group (SIWG), to advance U.S.-Africa economic partnerships that create jobs, prosperity, and economic security both in America and across Africa.
The announcement was made by the U.S. State Department in a press release issued Wednesday following the meeting held in Addis Ababa between U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
The SIWG will serve as a platform for senior officials and technical experts across the U.S. government and AUC to identify opportunities for U.S. private sector investment and support AU-backed infrastructure projects and related initiatives that advance the shared strategic priorities of the United States and the AU, its member states, and Africa’s Regional Economic Communities – enabling trade and logistics infrastructure, as well as continent-wide digital transformation.
These investments will leverage AU convening authority and expertise alongside U.S. capital and innovative financing tools to develop critical minerals and commodities supply chains, transportation corridors, energy networks, and regulatory harmonization, as well as to increase two-way trade, secure digital infrastructure, and improve health security that will make Americans and Africans safer and more prosperous.
As the United States and Africa seek durable, profitable investments to drive economic goals in place of foreign assistance, the SIWG will provide a foundation for strategic economic cooperation that will grow and shape the relationship for years to come.
Alongside their shared commitment to protecting peace and security on the Continent, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and AUC Chairperson also agreed that economic growth forms the foundation of a peaceful and prosperous Africa.
They are convinced that the development of quality, trade-enabling infrastructure is a critical next step in advancing that growth, the AU’s Agenda 2063 and its flagship priorities, including the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) priority corridors, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
