TUNISIA, TUNISIA (AP) — African heads of state, representatives of international organizations and private business leaders are in Tunisia this weekend for the eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development. Africa.
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, food crises exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine, and climate change are among the challenges facing many African countries and are expected to define the two-day conference. is part of the topic. Starts Saturday.
The event, which will be held in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, will be attended by 30 African heads of state and governments, but the meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has tested positive for COVID-19, preceded the summit. Many important meetings will be held remotely, including:
The Japanese government founded and hosted the first TICAD Summit in 1993. The conference is currently co-hosted by the United Nations, the African Union and the World Bank. Since its first meeting, the summit has produced 26 development projects in his 20 African countries.
Discussions are expected this year on increasing Japanese investment in Africa, with a particular focus on supporting start-ups and food security initiatives. Japan says it plans to provide support for rice production, along with a pledged $130 million in food aid.
The African Center for Strategic Studies, an academic arm of the US Department of Defense, compared the format of the conference to the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
But this weekend’s summit has sparked controversy in Tunis, which is facing serious economic crises of its own, including the recent surge in food and petrol shortages.
Critics have spoken of the city’s “whitewashing” by the organizers, which saw cleaner streets and infrastructure improvements in preparation for the conference’s summit. One local commentator said the North African capital appeared to wear makeup to impress the participants.
Meanwhile, the Tunisian journalists’ union released a statement on Friday condemning the restrictions on coverage and information about the summit.
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