Obama, America And Africa Today

The United States and Africa. What we see in and beyond President Obama’s big visit.

President Obama, wrapping up his Africa visit today with a speech to the African Union in Ethiopia. But the numbers on Africa almost speak for themselves. A population set to double, to two billion in the decades ahead. Country after country where China has become the leading trading partner, investing $100 billion in Ethiopia alone in the next few years. And then there’s that 100 percent of the vote that Ethiopia’s rulers won in their last election. A sham, that’s been called. But Africa is moving. This hour, On Point:  President Obama and the United States in Africa.
-- Tom Ashbrook

Heidi Vogt, East Africa correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. (@heidivogt)

Gregory Warner, East Africa correspondent for NPR News. (@radiogrego)

Amadou Sy, senior fellow for global economy and development at the Brookings Institute, where he is also director of the Africa Growth Initiative. (@asybrookings)

The Wall Street Journal: In Kenya, Obama Uses His Story to Push for Economic and Political Progress — "President Barack Obama’s long-awaited return to his father’s homeland over the weekend marked a belated attempt to use his personal story to impel economic and political progress in Africa. But with his trip to Kenya coming so near the end of his time in office, Mr. Obama’s outreach leaves his legacy on the continent in question, and his policy hopes unlikely to bear fruit until after he leaves the White House in January 2017."

NPR News: Obama's Roots A Source Of Pride — And Discord — In Kenya — "Obama's father, Barack Senior, had public disagreements with Kenyatta's father, Jomo Kenyatta, the first Kenyan president. It was seen as a political dispute exacerbated by their ethnic differences. Or one could go back to the scholarship Barack Senior was awarded in 1959 to study economics in the United States, where he would leave behind a son in Hawaii who would grow up to become president — the first sitting U.S. president to visit Kenya. Homecomings are complicated."

Brookings Institute: A conversation on President Obama’s trip to Kenya and Ethiopia -- "When I think about President Obama’s relationship with Africa, I think about two words. One is catalytic and the second one is partnership.  I think it’s really clear and he said it publicly that he’s seeing Africa as a partner. And it is very timely because this is coming at a time when the Africans themselves are having … a common African position when it comes to what to do in the future, when it comes to sustainable development goals, financing for development, and even the COP21 in Paris."