Africa – 15 August 2014

US counters Sino-African trade boom
President Barack Obama took a swipe at China in a speech to a summit of African leaders in Washington this week, claiming that the United States is interested in the continent for more than just its minerals and oil.
“We don’t look to Africa simply for its natural resources. We recognise Africa for its greatest resource, which is its people and its talents and its potential,” he told the largest gathering of African leaders ever held in Washington. “We don’t simply want to extract minerals from the ground for our growth. We want to build partnerships that create jobs and opportunity for all our peoples, that unleash the next era of African growth.” Mail and Guardian

African spy chiefs warn of poaching link to terror groups
African intelligence chiefs have red-flagged wildlife poaching as a security risk, saying proceeds from the crime are being used to fund terror groups.
Heads of 25 intelligence organisations, which included South Africa, Angola and Nigeria, met in Harare recently to discuss the escalation of poaching and trafficking activities across the continent, and are mulling over joint operations with military and wildlife management authorities. Mail and Guardian

Russia’s investment in Africa: New challenges and prospects
Wiki Russia’s presence in Africa remains marginal, largely due to historical reasons. But this could soon change. Several delegations from African states have visited Moscow in recent months and the Russian government appears determined to strengthen ties with Africa
By ‘resetting’ some strategies, Russia and Africa have entered a new phase of growth in their economic diplomacy mainly due to rising interaction by high ranking government officials from some African countries with their Russian colleagues during the first half of 2014. Undoubtedly, Russia’s intensified move to invite delegations has often been interpreted among academics and policy experts as a result of escalating competition and increasing economic influence by many foreign players in Africa. Pambazuka