U.S. Interests in Africa

Africa has 1 billion consumers. It has a huge potential as a trading partner and as a U.S. job creator. Some of the fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa, including six of the top 13 countries that grew the fastest over the last 3 years. This makes our economic engagement on the continent critical. But according to a recent news report, Chinese engagement with the continent "may be the largest global trade and investment spree in history." Simply put: The U.S. cannot get caught watching from the sidelines here. Our efforts to combat Islamist extremism is not confined to the Middle East. ISIS affiliates and Al Shabaab in Somalia, Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, and the al-Qaeda affiliate throughout the Maghreb have to be addressed head-on through counterterrorism initiatives in support for our partners in Africa. Critical situations require immediate leadership and direction from the U.S. Government. With three famines looming on the continent, deliberate deprivation of humanitarian aid by South Sudan's political leaders, and ongoing political instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the U.S. must remain active and remain engaged. U.S. engagement with Africa is in the strategic interest of the U.S. not only to address urgent humanitarian needs there in Africa across the continent, but also to advance our critical economic interests, our political interests, our security interests.