Day: December 15, 2022

Washington – US President, Joe Biden, presented Wednesday in Washington his country’s new strategy to re-launch economic, commercial and diplomatic cooperation with Africa.

Speaking at the Business Forum, which marked the high point of the second day of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the US statesman introduced the priority areas for new investments in the continent, having highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership with Africans.

Joe Biden spoke to his counterparts about the resources available and needed to support projects in Africa, particularly in the agriculture, health, energy and water, climate change, entrepreneurship, and telecommunications sectors.

According to Joe Biden, the US has collectively mobilized 600 billion US dollars to invest over the next five years, underlining that a 100 million US dollars investment is to be channeled for Sub-Saharan Africa to increase access to clean energy.

According to the American President, at least 370 million US dollars will be invested in new projects, of which 20 million will be used to finance the production and purchase of fertilizers.

The US leader added that another 10 million will be made available to support small and medium-sized businesses, and improve access to clean water.

Regarding innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa, President Biden said his country intends to invest at least USD 350 million to secure the digital transformation process.

President Biden also announced that Sisco Systems and Saubastian, a small diaspora company, have set aside 800 million US dollars for new contracts with African countries.

Mr Biden added that the multinational Visa has set aside a billion dollar to expand its operations in Africa, including more cell phone services for small and medium-sized businesses over the next five years.

GE Extended Bank, meanwhile, will provide 80 million US dollars to improve healthcare services and access to top-of-the-line clinical equipment.

In concrete terms, the American President stated that his country estimates to invest 15 billion dollars in new businesses to improve the living of Africans, long-term investments that, from his point of view, will bring benefits to local populations.

Benin and Niger sign regional agreement

The second day of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit was also marked by the signing of a regional agreement between Benin and Niger “sponsored” by U.S. companies.

This is the first regional program of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), focused on the transportation sector, with an overall investment of 504 million US dollars.

The Benin-Niger Regional Transport Compact is designed to reduce transportation costs along the corridor between the Port of Cotonou in Benin and Niger’s capital, Niamey.

To this end, MCC will invest 202 million US dollars in Benin and USD 302 million in Niger, with each of these investments supported by contributions of USD 15 million from the governments of Benin and Niger.

The investment is estimated to benefit nearly 1.2 million people.

The initiative integrates two main projects: the Corridor Infrastructure Project and the Corridor Efficient Operations Project.

The Infrastructure Project aims to reduce vehicle operating costs and increase travel speeds by improving 210 kilometers of roads, leading to faster and more efficient transit of goods between markets and along the corridor.

This includes the rehabilitation and upgrading of approximately 83 kilometers of roads between the cities of Bohicon and Dassa in Benin, and the rehabilitation and upgrading of approximately 127 kilometers of roads between the cities of Niamey and Dosso in Niger.

The project also includes the implementation of policies and institutional reforms needed to help each of the governments better perform regular road maintenance

The Efficient Corridor Operations Project, meanwhile, aims to reduce transportation costs along the transport corridor from Niamey to Cotonou by implementing reforms designed to impact and improve the efficiency of operations in the truck freight sector.

This entails approach load management, regulatory review and capacity building, freight vehicle regulation and the organization and establishment of a corridor authority.

The agreement was signed in the presence of the presidents of Benin and Niger, Patrice Talon and Mohamed Bazoum, respectively, MCC Executive Director Alice Albright, as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

According to Mr Blinken, the pact marks a significant advancement in bilateral trade between the United States and West Africa. He then stressed that the American government is excited to launch new partnerships with Africa, further highlighting the agreement involving Niger and Benin , stressing that it is a strong foundation for business and livelihoods.

According to the US Secretary of State, the projects will have American partnerships and be transparent with high quality to benefit the people.

When completed, these projects will make it faster and safer to transport goods along the roads and across the borders, connecting Benin and Niger to larger markets of greater opportunity to mobilize this kind of investment.

The Benin-Niger border crossing is, according to available data, one of the busiest bustling places between coastal and landlocked countries in the region, averaging approximately 1,000 vehicles per day.

According to the head of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Alice Albrigt connecting vibrant African regional markets is a key part of a broader, inclusive strategy to create sustainable economic growth.

She went on to state that countries can grow faster, create more jobs and attract additional private sector investment when they are part of dynamic regional markets. She stressed that nowhere is this more applicable than in West Africa.

Along with MCC bilateral and regional investments, Benin and Niger will also participate in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), founded in 2018.

This is the largest free trade area in the world, with a market of over 1.3 billion people, although considered smaller regional economic communities, which can impact each country’s economic growth and influence the effectiveness of the AfCFTA.

In this regard, Benin’s President Patrice Talon said at the Business Forum that this pact is a major innovation in international corporation and cooperation between the United States, Benin and Niger, stressing that it represents a major contribution in the strategy to attract new investors and customers.

It will help bring the two neighboring countries closer, he said, explaining that it will make the space more attractive for business investors.

Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum on his turn, said Benin is a strategic partner for Niger’s development since the port of Cotonou is the closest port to Niamey, and hailed the U.S. partners for understanding this and ensuring that they have quality infrastructure between the two countries.

The US-Africa Leaders Summit ends Thursday.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Washington – The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit ends Thursday, after several forums that addressed the impact of U.S.-African cooperation.

One of the highlights of the agenda, provided by the organization, will be the Summit of Heads of State, which will discuss strategic partnerships for Agenda 2063, that is, the planning of the African Union.

The agenda also includes other thematic panels, which will address the topics “Multilateral Partnerships with Africa to Meet Global Challenges” and “Promoting Food Security and Food Systems Resilience.

Also scheduled for today are two press conferences, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, the latter to discuss the results of the Business Forum held Wednesday.

The forum took place on the second day of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, which began Tuesday (13) in Washington, D.C., with the participation of more than 49 African heads of state and influential U.S. and African businesspersons.

The initiative, which counts on the participation of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, is an initiative of the US President Joe Biden.

On the table have been issues that mark the world today, such as peacekeeping, good governance, democracy and security, climate change, energy and food security.

At this summit, the US seeks better responses to meet the challenges of Africans in the areas of sustainable health and conservation, climate adaptation and energy transition, inclusive community growth, and information technology.

During the first two days, several events were held, most notably the Youth Forum and the Eximbank Annual Congress, which had more than 100 participants.

On Wednesday, the Business Forum took place, a meeting in which the President of Angola intervened in the panel related to the theme “Building a Sustainable Future: Partnerships to Finance African Infrastructure and Energy Transition”.

In his speech, João Lourenço talked about Angola’s investments in the energy field, having assured that the country depends less and on energy production from thermal power plants.

The Head of State said that the country is partially abandoning polluting production sources and is investing heavily in hydroelectric energy.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Washington – Angolan president João Lourenço held on Wednesday, in Washington, a high-level meeting with the participation of his counterparts from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

According to the official page of the Presidency of the Republic, the meeting took place on the sidelines of his participation in the US-Africa Leaders Summit, which ends Thursday in Washington, US.

According to the same Facebook page, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was represented at the meeting by its prime minister.

At the time of this posting, no further details were given about the issues discussed at the meeting mediated by João Lourenço.

The Angolan President, African Union mediator for the conflict in the East of the DRC, has carried out an intense diplomatic action to normalize the situation in the East of the DRC, in order to find a peaceful solution to the crisis involving Kinshasa and Kigali.

Tension between the DRC and Rwanda had increased in recent months after fighting resumed in March between the DRC army and the M23 rebel movement.

As part of a summit in Luanda in November of this year to advance the normalization of diplomatic relations, the DRC and Rwanda agreed on a ceasefire and the withdrawal of the M23 from areas recently conquered by the rebel group in the province of North Kivu (eastern DRC).

The Luanda meeting also decided to continue the full deployment of the regional force and its intervention against the M23, should it refuse to cease hostilities and withdraw from the occupied territories.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of his participation in the summit, Lourenço was at the White House on Wednesday to attend a dinner hosted by President Joe Biden for African leaders.

The Head of State was accompanied by the First Lady of the Republic, Ana Dias Lourenço.

In Washington, Lourenço also participated in the closing ceremony of the Business Forum organized as part of the U.S.-Africa summit.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – Angolan Parliament on Thursday definitively approved the draft Amnesty Law with 120 votes in favour, none against and 82 abstentions.

The global final vote of the Bill, a legislative initiative of the head of Government, occurred during the 1st Extraordinary Plenary Meeting of the 1st Legislative Session of the 5th Legislature of the National Assembly.

With the approval of this Diploma, all common crimes with prison sentences up to eight years, committed by national or foreign citizens in the period between 12 November 2015 and 11 November 2022, will be amnestied.

Military crimes punishable by prison sentences of up to eight years will also receive amnesty, except for intentional crimes committed with violence resulting in death.

Offenders who are not covered by the Law and who have been convicted by a final judgment will have their sentences reduced by a quarter.

Intentional crimes committed with violence, money laundering, corruption and embezzlement, trafficking in people and arms and aiding illegal immigration, will not benefit from the amnesty Law.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – Angolan president João Lourenço Thursday appointed Manuel António Tiago Dias and Pedro Rodrigo Gonçalves de Castro e Silva as deputy governors of the National Bank of Angola (BNA).

Also Thursday, the Angolan Head of State named Maria Juliana de Carvalho Van-Dúnem de Fontes Pereira and Miguel Bartolomeu Miguel as directors of the National Bank of Angola

The appointments take place under the proposal of the governor of the central bank, states a press note reached ANGOP Thursday, adding that the measure is due to the fact that the BNA governing bodies have ended their previous term.

Functions of the BNA

As Central Bank and issuer, the BNA’s main functions are to ensure the preservation of the value of the national currency and to participate in the definition of monetary, financial and exchange rate policies.

The BNA is responsible for implementing, monitoring and controlling monetary, exchange rate and credit policies, managing the payment system and administering the currency within the scope of the country’s economic policy.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Washington – Angola’s First Lady Ana Dias Lourenço Wednesday in Washington DC, United States, considered crucial “the mobilisation of more resources for the investigation and prevention of cancer in girls and women in the African continent ”.

Angolan First Lady launched that appeal during a panel chaired by the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, dedicated to the African First Ladies.

Ana Dias Lourenço said that there was a need for support for African countries to implement research programmes and epidemiological surveillance, create a database ( Population-Based Cancer Registry), for the definition of strategies based on scientific evidence, with a view to controlling the disease.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit, addressed the theme “Breaking down barriers to cancer treatment for women and girls”.

Also addressed the meeting Pepfar, pharmaceutical company Roche and BHE Group physician and CEO, Melissa Clarke Bruce.

The participants spoke about risk factors, preventive measures, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, especially breast and cervical cancer.

Held at the Kennedy Center, the event brought together First Ladies of Angola, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Namibia, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon, Liberia, Madagascar, Ethiopia, and the husband of the US Vice President Doug Emhoff.

In her address, the US First Lady reaffirmed her commitment to the fight against cancer.

According to her, the United States will promote initiatives to reduce the “burden of cancer” in Africa, with support from the Government and private sector partners.

Source: Angola Press News Agency