US-Africa Leaders Summit

A development dialogue for Africa — in Africa?

The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit has convened international business leaders, African government delegations and U.S. policymakers, but some argue the behind-closed-doors deals and partnerships exclude most Africans from their own development conversation.

By Jeff Tyson // 06 August 2014

For the first time, nearly 50 African heads of state are convening in Washington, D.C. for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, and development is on the top of the agenda.

It’s undoubtedly a monumental event, but some Africans are wondering why such a summit can’t take place on their own continent.

“We need to be more involved in African development,” Patrick Elat, a Cameroonian consultant for the World Bank, told Devex. “And when I say we, it’s Africans.”

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