Africa: The AU and the United States create a strategic framework
The United States and the African Union announced the creation of a Strategic Investment Task Force, in a joint statement issued on January 28, 2026, aimed at channeling American capital to Africa's fastest-growing markets. This initiative reaffirms the common objectives of economic growth based on cooperation in infrastructure, trade and investment.
The President of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and the American Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau launched a working group on strategic investment on January 28. This new working group will prioritize the quality of trade, in line with Africa's development vision as set out in Agenda 2063. US imports from Africa jumped 24% in the first half of 2025, reaching $23.4 billion, despite changes in tariff policies, underscoring strengthening trade ties. Combined with other trade and infrastructure agreements, these figures demonstrate growing U.S. economic interest in African markets.
Furthermore, Africa has also attracted the attention of other global players like Russia. Russia's trade with Africa reached around $24.5 billion in 2024, with exports jumping 43% from 2023. Although Russia's investment stock in Africa remains far lower than that of the United States or China, Moscow continues to court its African partners through partnerships in mining, energy and trade.
The African Union-United States Strategic Investment Working Group marks a shift toward deeper economic policy, moving away from traditional aid to mutually beneficial investment partnerships that expand infrastructure, markets and regional growth and make Africa not only a trading partner, but also a strategic hub of the global economy.
