US and AU Joint Launch Strategic Investment Working Group

On 28 January 2026, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Mahmoud Youssouf met at African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to reinforce the strategic US-Africa relationship.

The US reiterated its interest and willingness to support the AU to advance its #Agenda2063, implement projects under the Program for Infrastructure Development for Africa (#PIDA), and realize the single market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). To structure the partnership, the USA and AU agreed to establish a Strategic Infrastructure and Investment Working Group (SIWG).

#SIWG will serve as a platform for exchange between senior officials and technical experts on both sides in order to bolster the US-Africa economic agenda. It will allow the US private sector to engage with the AU to finance and deliver AU-backed infrastructure projects across various regional economic communities (REC). Areas of cooperation include health care, digital infrastructure, energy networks, as well as regulatory harmonization.

In that regard, the US is already in the process of financing and implementing the #LobitoCorridor in the Southern Africa Developing Countries (SADC). This economic corridor could serve as a model for other regions as it streamlines the flow to #CriticalMinerals, agricultural produce, and other commodities. Generally, #EconomicCorridors have the potential to serve as a catalyst for development growth and socio-economic progress.