Latest Dakar Stories

By Alistair Thomson DAKAR (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice used her first trip to Africa on Wednesday to show top level commitment to a U.S. preferential trade deal for the poorest continent. On a trip set to be dominated by efforts to stem bloodshed in the Middle East and Sudan's Darfur, Rice renewed Washington's backing for its African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) at a meeting with the 37 eligible countries in Dakar, Senegal. "Development assistance can be catalytic....

By Alistair Thomson DAKAR (Reuters) - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced a new program to boost African farm produce exports on Tuesday as part of efforts to widen the range of products the poorest continent sells onto global markets. Johanns made the announcement at a meeting in Senegal with the 37 beneficiaries of the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) whose impact in the poorest, non-oil producing countries has so far focused largely on textile exports. He said...

By Alistair Thomson DAKAR (Reuters) - U.S. and African trade experts and businessmen will try to get more out of a deal which aims to help African nations trade their way out of poverty during a meeting in Senegal's capital which starts on Monday. Few concrete decisions are expected from the 3-day meeting in Dakar, but U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to drop in on the last day to show top-level commitment to boosting trade under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)....