The US has a long history of engagement with Africa. Now it needs to broaden its scope to areas like fintech and the digital economy to stay relevant, says President Biden's point man for engagement Johnnie Carson.
A former top Africanist at the State Department, Carson returned to government service in December to serve as President Joe Biden’s point man for delivering on the promises of his US-Africa Leaders Summit. Since then, the former ambassador to Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Uganda has been tapping into his half-century of connections across the continent to help turn America’s lofty rhetoric into concrete results.
caught up with Carson on 4 May just down the street from the State Department at the US Institute of Peace think tank, where he has been serving as a senior advisor since 2013. It has been more than five months since African leaders gathered in Washington for the first time since 2014. What are you hearing from them?
Money is flowing, projects are being supported, programmes are being implemented, and people are working [on following up on commitments] both in the USGet unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
BBC World Service - Africa Daily, What does Russia want from Africa?Why is Russia appearing to be going out of its way to find friends in Africa? What’s the end game here? kasujja speaks to the Russian ambassador to Malawi and Zimbabwe, Nikolai Krasilnikov.
Read more »
Africa: Being Queer in Africa - the State of LGBTIQ+ Rights Across the ContinentAnalysis - In recent years several African countries have decriminalised same-sex relationships. But they're not representative of the continent. In fact, queer rights at times appear to be eroding in much of the continent, with Kenya and Uganda most recently in the news for harsh laws and violence against members of the LGBTIQ+ community. We asked sociologist and queer studies scholar Zethu Matebeni five questions.
Read more »
South Africa: Poachers Pluck South Africa's 'Succulent' Plants for Chinese MarketSouth African customs officials recently became suspicious when they noticed that shipments of "Made in China" children's toys were being sent, oddly, back to China.
Read more »
Property hotspots for young buyers in South AfricaMillennial buyers are incredibly active in South Africa’s property market.
Read more »
South Africa is down, but not out, says Hendrik du ToitEven as the rand gets punished by foreign investors, one of South Africa’s largest investment houses remains positive about the country’s opportunities for investment.
Read more »
How South Africa’s pension system compares to the rest of the worldSouth Africa’s pension systems score bleow average compared to the world.
Read more »