Billions of dollars in deals, funding to be announced

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters): The United States will announce nearly $1 billion in business deals, increase funding for peacekeeping and commit billions of dollars to expanding food and power programmes in Africa during a summit this week, US and development officials say. US officials said the Aug. 4 to 6 summit in Washington of nearly 50 African leaders hopes to showcase US interest in the fast-growing region through a series of government-private partnership deals to boost trade and investment.

The spread of the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone is also a reminder of the vast development needs that persist in some of the region's poorest countries despite rapid economic growth and investment.

Administration officials have played down questions over whether the summit is in response to China's growing presence in the region. Instead, they have emphasized American interests go beyond Africa's oil and minerals, where China is focused.

"You will see a series of announcements on agriculture and food, and power and energy," Rajiv Shah, the administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), told Reuters. "We will make big announcements that demonstrate these are big ambitions we can take on with our African partners and the private sector."