In his address at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, President Biden declared that the United States was “all in” when it came to Africa’s peace, security and development. The summit itself did feature a number of ambitious initiatives for expanding U.S. engagement on the continent — but the United States now must follow through on its implementation, and the question of what “all in” will look like in practice looms large for African leaders. USIP’s Andrew Cheatham spoke with Ambassador Johnnie Carson — the newly named special presidential representative for U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit implementation — to discuss the Biden administration’s post-summit goals, what African leaders hope to take away from the talks, and why this moment offers a unique chance to reframe the U.S. approach toward Africa.
