2014.07.31. 22:14 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit From A Trans-Atlantic-European View | AFKInsider Page 1 of 4 http://afkinsider.com/66723/part-2-u-s-africa-leaders-summit-trans-atlantic-european-angle/ By István Tarrósy AFKI Original Published: July 31, 2014, 06:51am U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit From A Trans-Atlantic-European View Photo: http://www.whitehouse.gov/us-africa-leaders-summit Following some positive opinions from different African representatives of civil society across Kenya, Sudan and Nigeria , our second article presents a number of more critical European and further African views alongside fresh American observations about the upcoming U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, which undoubtedly is held at a time of ongoing crises in many parts of the continent in need of relevant answers from major powers including the USA. Former Congressman from Connecticut and currently Senior Adviser at national law firm Mayer Brown LLP Toby Moffett thinks that, “other countries with a long history on the continent are amused that it has taken the U.S. so long to send strong signals indicating a greater focus on Africa.” “I also believe that they are probably somewhat impressed that President Obama has had the foresight and courage – after all, this is a move that is not easy – to put this summit on. It is certainly very relevant to the crises raging across the rest of the world,” said Moffett in an interview with AFKInsider. While other heavy and emerging actors of world politics, such as China, Japan, India, or Turkey held many high-level summits in Africa to boost business, the U.S. so far has failed to use summit diplomacy in Africa to handle international relations. According to some European Africanists, the upcoming event is merely a late answer to these previous summits. Concerning the question whether or not the U.S. wants to counterbalance China with the summit, Moffett thinks that “despite some U.S. stumbles in Africa, it is true that many Africans would more look forward to working and partnering with U.S. leaders than with the Chinese, and so the summit helps emphasize that point for the U.S.” “China’s influence in Africa is on Washington’s mind, but I do not think it is the driving force of this summit,” said Sandor Balogh, President of the African-Hungarian Union (AHU) in an interview with AFKInsider. “The U.S. Africa summit is a sign for the marginal role of Africa in U.S. foreign policy. The problem with it is that the expectations on President Obama have always been very high. I think the summit is a kind of last attempt to turn Obama’s, at times uneven, relationship with Africa,” told AFKInsider Political Scientist Alexander Meckelburg, Ph.D. Candidate at the Hiob Ludolf Center for Ethiopian Studies, University of Hamburg, Germany. When Barack Obama was elected as President of the USA, people in the streets of many African cities were dancing to celebrate the first Afro-American president in history.