From op-ed:
On Tuesday, Barack Obama spoke to the delegates of the African Union at the organization’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Standing at the podium in Mandela Hall, the U.S. president declared that “The world must recognize Africa’s extraordinary progress. Today, Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world. Africa’s middle class is projected to grow to more than 1 billion consumers.” As president, he said, “I’ve worked to transform America’s relationship with Africa—so that we’re truly listening to our African friends and working together, as equal partners.”
But much of the rest of Obama’s time in Ethiopia and Kenya in recent days suggested otherwise—that the U.S. government still views the region like a benefactor views a difficult charity case. At the moment, China is a far more significant source of economic engagement in Africa. That engagement may be hard-nosed, but it is providing needed imports and infrastructure to a region growing at 4.5 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. The U.S. government is right to push for security and human rights as well as provide aid and humanitarian assistance focused on the region’s most impoverished. But it has lagged in building the trade and investment ties that could benefit both American firms and African development.