The US-Africa Summit: An Opportunity to Deepen Democratic Governance

The research paper assesses the 2014 US-Africa Summit and the 'US strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa', arguing that while economic growth in Africa is rising, democratic governance remains a 'chronic twin-deficit' alongside peace and security. It notes that the rise of emerging powers like China, which saw trade with Africa grow from 'US$3 billion in 2002 to around US$192 billion in 2012', has provided African states with financial alternatives that may 'corrosive impact on the pace of the democratisation agenda'. The author suggests the US should move beyond supporting 'minimalist electoral outcomes' and instead support the African Union's African Peer Review Mechanism and African Governance Architecture to foster robust, accountable institutions.

• The emergence of new partners such as China, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia has reduced African reliance on traditional Western partnerships for economic growth, but this shift may negatively affect democratization efforts.
• While more African leaders are attaining power through competitive elections and the African Union has reduced unconstitutional government overthrows, the 2012 collapses of Mali and the Central African Republic demonstrate that elections alone are insufficient for stable democratic governance.
• The author proposes a three-part strategy for the US to promote democracy: committing to governance beyond 'minimalist electoral outcomes', supporting African Union initiatives like the African Peer Review Mechanism and African Governance Architecture, and creating a high-level initiative for democracy similar to existing US-Africa programs for health and trade.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2014). The US-Africa Summit: An Opportunity to Deepen Democratic Governance. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-us-africa-summit-an-opportunity-to-deepen-democratic-governance/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The US-Africa Summit: An Opportunity to Deepen Democratic Governance. 2014. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-us-africa-summit-an-opportunity-to-deepen-democratic-governance/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The US-Africa Summit: An Opportunity to Deepen Democratic Governance |date=1 August 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-us-africa-summit-an-opportunity-to-deepen-democratic-governance/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2014usafrica, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The US-Africa Summit: An Opportunity to Deepen Democratic Governance}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-us-africa-summit-an-opportunity-to-deepen-democratic-governance/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }