As presidents, prime ministers, and other policymakers from across the continent gather in Washington, DC, this week for the first-ever U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, what are the issues to watch?

Monde Muyangwa, director of the Wilson Center’s Africa Program, sat down with ECSP’s Roger-Mark De Souza to discuss why the summit is important right now.

There are three broad objectives that the United States and Africa should work more closely on achieving this week, she said: broader economic development, peace and security, and youth engagement.

Against the backdrop of West Africa combatting its largest outbreak of Ebola, stability is a prime concern. Violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Nigeria, and South Sudan has become more entrenched in recent years, and human security remains a major problem elsewhere.

“I think those of us who have worked Africa for many years were quite happy to see a decline of conflict in Africa in the 1990s and early 2000s,” Muyangwa says. “Unfortunately, what we’ve seen recently is that conflict is increasing in some African regions but we also see that conflict is becoming quite intractable in others.”

“I think this will be an opportunity for the U.S. and Africa to review what can be done to better enhance the ability to manage and address conflict and enhance stability on the continent.”

“Governing for the Next Generation”

Economic development that benefits a greater proportion of Africans than it currently does is a critical component of such stability. Africa receives the most U.S. aid of any continent, but Muyangwa sees an opportunity to promote growth that isn’t dominated by the top earners and is driven more by private sector engagement.

“Africa accounts for six of the fastest growing economies in the world,” she says. “The key issue really for Africa and the United States is to figure out how you translate that economic growth into sustainable development and human security that benefits Africa’s citizens. That translation could provide engagement opportunities – business, trade, and investment – for American companies.”

Expanding the base for development will mean engaging Africa’s young people. Africa is the youngest continent in the world – more than 40 percent of the population is under 15, and 60 percent is under 25.

“How can we further entrench democratic governance to benefit Africa for the long term? … How do you empower youth so Africa’s youth bulge actually becomes an asset that is used to drive Africa’s growth and development?” These are the questions – “governing for the next generation” – that policymakers need to be thinking about now, she says.

Africa’s role in the global arena is evolving, and the summit should reflect that by focusing on areas of mutual interest, says Muyangwa. “The Africa of today is not the Africa of 50 years ago and continuing to look at Africa through that lens I think causes us to lose opportunities.”