President Obama Invites 4 African Leaders to Join G-8 Summit at Camp David

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
May 3, 2012

President Obama has invited 4 African Leaders to join Leaders at the G-8 Summit at Camp David on May 19 for a discussion session on accelerating progress towards food security in Africa. The African Leaders who have been invited to participate in the Summit are:

Chairperson of the African Union and President of Benin H.E. Yayi Boni
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi – Ethiopia
President John Mills – Ghana
President Jakaya Kikwete -Tanzania

The Group of Eight (G8) is a forum for the governments of eight of the world’s largest economies. The forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought together representatives of six governments: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thus leading to the name Group of Six or G6. The summit became known as the Group of Seven or G7 the following year with the addition of Canada. In 1997, Russia was added to group which then became known as the G8. The European Union is represented within the G8 but cannot host or chair summits.

The annual G8 leader’s summit is attended by the heads of government. The member country holding the G8 presidency is responsible for organizing and hosting the year’s summit.

Camp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States and his guests. It is located in low wooded hills about 100 kilometers (62 mi) north-northwest of Washington, D.C., on the property of Catoctin Mountain Park in unincorporated Frederick County, Maryland, near Thurmont.

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