Pope Francis has said former Pope Benedict XVI is very ill and he has asked pilgrims at the Vatican to pray for him.

Benedict, 95, became the first leader of the Catholic Church to stand down in 600 years in 2013, citing advanced age.

At the end of the Pope’s final audience of the year, he asked people to “pray a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict”.

The Vatican, according to the BBC, then said the ex-Pope’s health had worsened in recent hours.

“The situation at the moment remains under control, constantly followed by doctors,” said spokesman Matteo Bruni.

Pope Francis was addressing a general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall when he looked up from a piece of paper and spoke about Benedict’s declining health.

He then made the short trip from the hall to the Vatican Gardens to see Benedict at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, where he has lived since he stepped down.

Earlier this month, Francis revealed he frequently visited his predecessor.

Speaking of Benedict as a “saint” and a man of high spiritual life, he said the former pope was lucid and had a good sense of humour.

The former Pope has struggled with speech for some time and two years ago a Maltese cardinal said Benedict had told new cardinals that “the Lord has taken away my speech to let me appreciate silence”. “He speaks softly but follows your conversation,” Pope Francis told Spanish newspaper ABC.

Ukraine’s president thanked “every American family” in an emotional but defiant address to the US Congress Wednesday aimed at countering growing skepticism over US military aid as Kyiv’s war with Russia drags into the new year.

It was Volodymyr Zelensky’s first overseas trip since Moscow launched the full-scale invasion on February 24, a ruthless offensive that has upended the global economy and led to widespread destruction and death.

“On this special Christmastime, I want to thank you, all of you. I thank every American family which cherishes the warmth of its home and wishes the same warmth to other people,” he told lawmakers who had given him a lengthy standing ovation as he walked into the House chamber.

The conflict has begun to recede from the headlines in the United States, with no end to the fighting in sight and Republicans who take over the House of Representatives in January showing signs of weakening resolve.

Read Also: Russia Ukraine war: Mass grave site contains torture victims – Zelenskyy

In what was billed by US media as the most important speech of Zelensky’s career, he told a joint meeting of the House and Senate his country would never surrender, adding: “Ukraine is alive and kicking.”

But he urged lawmakers — many of whom were dressed in the blue and yellow of the Ukraine flag — to do more for his nation through the brutal winter months, pleading for more weapons and financial aid.

“We have artillery. Thank you. Is it enough? Honestly — not really,” he said in a frank moment that pierced what had been an upbeat atmosphere, with his words accompanied by several outbursts of spontaneous applause.

Discussing his visit Tuesday to the war’s southeastern front line, Zelensky presented lawmakers with a Ukrainian battle flag signed by soldiers from the besieged city of Bakhmut.

The Washington visit, which came some 300 days after Russian hitmen parachuted into Kyiv in a failed attempt to assassinate Zelensky, underlined Ukraine’s near-total reliance on Washington for its defense.

It coincided with President Joe Biden announcing a first Patriot missile defense system for Ukraine, which has been devastated by air strikes leading to widespread power outages as winter bites.

The Bank of England unveiled its first bank notes featuring King Charles on Tuesday, which will enter into circulation from the middle of 2024 to gradually replace those featuring his mother Queen Elizabeth.

Charles became king in September following Queen Elizabeth’s death after 70 years on the throne.

The new five, 10, 20 and 50 pound polymer bank notes feature a portrait of Charles on the front, as well as a cameo of him in the bank notes’ see-through security window, but are otherwise unchanged from their current designs.

Read Also: UK strikes hit NHS, postal service, rail, others

“This is a significant moment, as The King is only the second monarch to feature on our banknotes,” BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said in a statement.

Queen Elizabeth first appeared on BoE bank notes in 1960, in contrast to British coins which have long featured images of the country’s rulers.

Britain’s Royal Mint began issuing the first coins featuring Charles’s profile into general circulation on Dec. 8.

The BoE does not intend to withdraw bank notes featuring Queen Elizabeth until they are worn out, so the two types of note will both be in circulation for some years.

 

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The maxim ‘Hardwork pays’ aptly fits into the profile of Nigerian-born, UK-based entrepreneur and phlebotomist, Ursula Ohiri.

Ohiri, who is a support worker in mental health, was recently honoured at the House of Parliament, London with the I Am A Superwoman Award under the 1000 Most Influential Women award.

The award is for her contribution to healthcare support work as an entrepreneur and to motivate younger women.

Read Also: Buhari presents environmental award to 16 organisations

She was presented with the award by Dr. Pauline Long, founder of the award and MP, Dean Russell.

Grateful Ohiri, while accepting the award said: “I am ever so grateful to have the opportunity to be among the phenomenal women who are making a difference and are speaking up for the voiceless and making positive change in our world.

“I thank Her Royal Majesty, Florence Okonkwo for her assistance.”

Ohiri is also a member of standbymeglobal/standbymenetwork and CEO, Matachi Couture an African fashion brand.

The migration challenge facing countries of the world has never been this huge. For the first time in recorded history, over 100 million people are displaced globally as a result of conflict, climate-related disruptions, and extreme poverty. Amy Pope, who is the U.S. candidate for Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), at a briefing organised by the New York Foreign Press Centre, discussed her vision to build a new global consensus that enables IOM member states to meet the challenges of today and the future. In response to questions by United States Bureau Chief OLUKOREDE YISHAU, Ms Pope spoke on Nigeria’s migration challenge, which she described as complex. Excerpts:

The migration problem in Nigeria and IOM

The situation in Nigeria is quite complex. It involves all areas of IOM’s work. It is one of our largest missions and it involves responding to the movement of people, the pressures that require people to leave, post-conflict work, disaster response, labor mobility. On every level – counter-human trafficking – on every level, IOM is engaged. The IOM works closely with all of our governments, including in Nigeria, and it’s really a place where it’s critical that we have a multi-stakeholder approach, right – it’s critical that the private sector be engaged, but also the civil society, community groups, and the migrants themselves in order to come up with a sustainable solution.

The situation in Nigeria involves, as I said, every part of IOM’s mandate. We see conflict in certain communities, where people are forced to flee. We see situations where people do not have access to jobs. We see situations where we have persons who have been trafficked. Or this is – it’s a place where the number of pressures on people are significant. And IOM can play a role to better engage communities, to better engage civil society, to better engage the migrants themselves so that we come up with more durable solutions.

It is – this is one of the reasons why, for me, coming to the Africa Leaders Summit was important, because when we look at the range of pressures to migrate across the world, we’re seeing so many of them converge in Africa, especially when we’re seeing the impact of climate change. So for me, this is bringing a whole-of-stakeholder approach to a variety of real pressures that will become more and more acute as time passes.

1. Critical moment

We are at this critical moment in time where we’re seeing more people on the move really than ever before in recorded history. People are being displaced by a range of issues: conflict, income inequality, and of course, increasingly, climate change.

Read Also: How to deepen Nigerian democracy, by Dare, NIIA DG

We’re at a moment where having a strong International Organization for Migration is not only necessary, but it’s critical. The International Organization for Migration provides life-saving humanitarian support to millions of people around the world, but there’s also an opportunity for the organization to do even more when it comes to connecting the dots and creating the opportunities of human migration.

Right now we have 175 member states. We’re operational in 180 countries around the world, with over 400 field offices. We have strong relationships on the ground providing immediate, responsive support to communities, which creates an opportunity for us to really engage better, ensure that opportunities are taken advantage of, and as much as possible engage in much more strategic and predictive approaches to migration.

But in order to do that, I believe that IOM needs to get closer to the people that we serve. And so first and foremost for me is really engaging with people, starting with the migrants themselves. I believe that migrants can bring important insight and perspective to the work that we do, and it’s critical that they be included in the conversations. Whether it’s young people, women and girls, people with disabilities, migrants are not all the same, and so ensuring that we are reflecting the diverse perspectives of the people we serve is critical to having the programming that will make a sustainable difference in their lives.

Secondly, I think it’s absolutely critical that IOM better engage its member states. We are a member state organization, yet sometimes we are not as close to the members as we need to be. It’s critical in order for IOM to come up with sustainable solutions to reflect the priorities of our members, that we’re working much more closely – hand in glove – with them to ensure that the work we are doing is making a difference in the lives of people who are impacted by migration.

Finally, IOM needs to invest in our workforce. Over 50 percent of our workforce is not reflective of our member states. Either there are no nationals from that member state in our organization or fewer than five reflected in our international professional team. I don’t think that’s workable. If IOM is to come up with really meaningful, reflective solutions to migration, to really serve the communities who are most at risk, it’s important that our membership reflect all of our member states. Likewise, it’s important that from a management point of view that we’re really engaging in transparent recruiting, promoting, and hiring practices, ensuring that we are really providing transparency to all of our members.

I’ve spoken to many of our member states while here at the Africa Leaders Summit, and there are three things that I have promised that I will do over the next coming years if I am elected.

Number one is to start with our member states to make sure that our workforce is reflective of all of our members so that we have not only diversity but gender equity, we have different points of view reflected, we ensure that we are coming to the situation with a very, very comprehensive approach.

Secondly, there’s so much more that IOM can do when it comes to using our data. Right now we know that climate change will become one of the greatest displacers of humans into the future. We can often predict where climate change will have destructive impacts. For example, we can use our data about communities that are at risk; we can use – we can work with other agencies to better use their data and to create a better understanding of where communities are most likely to be displaced, and then ensure that our programming is connected to those communities and really is engaging in providing either alternative skills, legal pathways for migration, or options for building resilience in place.

Finally, I believe there is much room for IOM to do – to engage the private sector in our organization. The private sector benefits from well-managed migration. There are tremendous opportunities, especially as demographics around the world change. But in order to make sure that labor migration is not exploitative, to make sure that it is in the best interests of all communities, it’s essential that it be safe, it be orderly, that people are ethically recruited. And there is a tremendous role from IOM to play there, connecting the dots between the private sector, between communities who are looking for increased opportunities, and for those who are in need of other people to do the job.

We’re seeing it across the world that there are labor shortages. The private sector is looking for skilled people, frequently unskilled folks, to do the work. So there’s a strong, strong reason for the private sector to be engaging in IOM in order to make sure that we can create better opportunities for all people. So for me, the organization is at this inflection point. We know that these pressures are coming our way. We know that there are going to be tremendous opportunities in the future. I think IOM is best placed to help connect the dots between the communities of interest and to make sure that, as we move into the future, we are best able to serve all people to achieve the opportunities that migration can offer.

The biggest migration challenges and opportunities globally

I think there are two that I am really focused on. One, of course, is climate change. We know that climate is going to displace people, obviously because if there’s drought, they can’t farm. If they don’t have access to fish if they’re fishermen, if they don’t have access to job opportunities, people will be forced to move as a way to adapt if they have no alternatives. But climate change also can fuel conflict as people either move into new communities or people have conflict over scarce resources.

So it’s critical that when we think about what IOM can and should be doing moving into the future that we really identify the areas that are most vulnerable to climate change and that we proactively engage in providing solutions, even before the people are displaced. So one example is the work that IOM has done in the Philippines, where the number of storms coming through has grown in terms of scale and significance. Rather than just rebuilding every time that a storm comes through, we’ve been working with communities to create more durable shelters so that they can withstand the typhoons that come through.

Now, this is just one tiny example of how we can work with communities to become more resilient. That kind of much more forward-looking thinking and strategic approach needs to be what we’re doing around the world, so that, ultimately, we’re enabling people to make choices about migrating rather than being forced to migrate. So that’s number one, being more predictive, using our data more effectively, engaging with the governments that – who are member states more strategically, so that we’re all well-prepared and can better respond to what we’re being forced to adapt to as a result of climate change.

But the other places really, when we look at shifting demographics and the opportunities that creates, we know across the worlds that there are aging populations, where right now there are not enough people in the workforce to meet the jobs that are needed now, much less the jobs of the future. We also know in parts of the world we have growing youth populations and more and more people who are looking for opportunities.

I think IOM can play a connecting role between governments, between communities, with the private sector, to better match the communities who are – who need migration to survive, to thrive, and those communities that have young people who are looking for opportunities, ultimately, to work. And I think that, in and of itself, creates development within communities. It creates the exchange of skills and ideas. And it enables the growth of populations in positive ways, not just for the communities that host the migrants but the communities that send migrants. And ultimately, that for me, when I think about the future of IOM, is really one of the most exciting and promising places where we can be working more effectively.

Ukraine and refugees

IOM is actually one of the agencies that had the largest presence in Ukraine even before the war and has continued to have one of the largest presences of any UN agency in Ukraine. And it’s because we work so closely with our – with the government itself to provide support to communities who are at risk and who have great need.

The situation in Ukraine has actually revealed a number of lessons that I think are relevant for migration as a whole, and this starts with the private sector. In Ukraine, we saw an outpouring of support from the private sector. Organizations like Airbnb reached out early to say: can we provide housing for people who are being displaced by the war? Other organizations providing goods and services, communities opening their arms to people who are being displaced – that to me suggests that there is real power when we’re working across communities and coming up with comprehensive solutions to migration crises. There is an openness within people when they understand, when the stories are personalized, when there is a sense of community support that is really highlighted and drawn upon.

The other highlight from Ukraine is that you see when people are – really understand the human face of migration, they are often very welcoming of migrants. I think this is an important lesson for IOM and other international organizations: it’s the importance of telling the human story of migration; it’s important of telling the narratives of the communities who’ve opened their arms to migrants; it’s important in demonstrating how the private sector can bring solutions to the table. And for me this is something that can be applied much more globally.

Now, moving forward, the situation in Ukraine is going to require sustained support from many countries and not just those in Europe. And again, this is a place where I see some really important examples of where other countries have offered pathways for Ukrainians to be resettled during the time of the war. And that is – the mechanisms that other countries have used to create those pathways have been innovative. They’ve worked together; they looked for common solutions. That to me suggests that this is a way forward that we can be using, whether it’s a protracted crisis in Ukraine or situations happening around the world.

So this is a place where IOM can really add value, whether it’s a crisis that is going on for many years or one that is emerging – ensuring that we’re on the ground, ensuring that we’re engaging at all levels of a community, ensuring that our work is being done hand in hand with the governments that we’re supporting, and ensuring that we’re bringing the private sector to the table to supplement and augment that support.

Leadership experience and how it will prepare you for the role of director general

I’ve worked on migration issues my entire career. I started as a civil rights prosecutor here at the U.S. Department of Justice, prosecuting human trafficking cases. I’ve worked in the U.S. Congress, writing legislation to protect unaccompanied children, victims of trafficking; working on legislation on border management and on a range of issues involving migration. When I was at the White House working for President Obama and then for President Biden, I worked on issues of refugee resettlement, making sure the refugee resettlement system worked better, more efficiently, using technology to update outdated practices. I worked on responding to the Ebola crisis and responding to other natural disasters.

On every single area in which IOM is engaged, I have experience working over the last 20 years of my career. And in doing so I’ve learned a couple of things. One is that when it comes to migration, it’s absolutely essential that you have a whole-of-community approach. There are stakeholders at every level – those who are impacted by the migration, the migrants themselves, the governments at the local level and the governments at the national level. It’s also critical that you bring those different perspectives to the table so that you really get the buy-in and the support of all who are involved.

This is not a situation where you can just sit in Geneva and come up with some great idea and then hope that it’s implemented on the ground and works perfectly. It doesn’t work that way. In order to achieve workable, sustainable solutions to the real challenges of migration – in order to really take it into creating opportunities for people – it requires creativity, it requires engagement, it requires sustained accountability from all the stakeholders. And I think that’s what I bring to the job. I’ve worked across the range of issues involving migration, some under quite a lot of pressure, some under very difficult circumstances, and time and again I’ve found that having an inclusive approach – having an approach where you’re really getting on the ground, rolling up your sleeves, and putting in the work – is the only way to get the job done.

President Joe Biden hosted leaders from across the African continent in Washington, DC between December 13 and 15 for the second U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. United States Bureau Chief OLUKOREDE YISHAU examines the summit.

They looked at several issues: The Future of U.S.-Africa Trade & Investment Relations, Partnerships to Finance African Infrastructure and the Energy Transition, Partnerships to Strengthen Food Security and Value Chain and Partnerships to Enable Inclusive Growth Through Technology.

Discussants also looked at “An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice, and the rule of law”, “A peaceful and secure Africa”, and “A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development”.

The host, President Joe Biden, showed the seriousness of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit when he said Africa’s success and prosperity were essential to ensuring a better world.

Biden, who was addressing heads of state, leaders of regional and global institutions and representatives of more than 300 companies, said the forum was about building connections, closing deals and ensuring a shared future.

“We’ve known for a long time that Africa’s success and prosperity is essential to ensuring a better future for all of us, not just for Africa.

“I’ve been engaged in these issues going back to my days as a young man in the United States Senate. When I was on the Foreign Relations Committee, I was chairman of the African Affairs subcommittee and got to spend a lot of time in Africa. I’ve visited almost all of your countries.

“When I was Vice President, serving with President Obama, we hosted the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, including U.S.-Africa Business Forum.

“We saw so clearly the enormous potential that we could harness if we did it together. And holding the first-of-its-kind summit in 2014 was a watershed moment to cement new kinds of partnerships between our nations, partnerships not to create political obligation, not — or foster dependence — its dependence, but to spur shared success — I emphasize “shared success” — and opportunity. Because when Africa succeeds, the United States succeeds; quite frankly, the whole world succeeds as well.”

He added that eight years after the first summit, the world has undergone many changes.

“We’re still grappling with a deadly pandemic, facing down war and instability, addressing economic challenges of — with global impact, fighting — fighting rising food prices, tackling the impacts of climate change.

“And each of these crises has only heightened — heightened the vital role African nations and peoples play to address the global challenges that drive our global progress,” he said.

Biden said these challenges cannot be solved without African leadership at the table.

“I’m not trying to be nice; that’s a fact — African ideas and innovation helping to shape the solutions and Africa population contributing to every step.

“So the only question when I took office was not if we’d host another U.S.-African Leadership Summit, but when,” he said.

Biden said his administration’s engagement with Africa and the priority it placed on these relationships began on day one.

He said: “We’ve been working steadily with regional diplomacy and investments to demonstrate our commitment.

“We harnessed decades — decades of cooperation through PEPFAR and President’s Malaria Initiative, and other partnerships on global health security to help save lives and combat COVID-19.

“The United States delivered 231 — 231 million doses of vaccines to 49 countries across Africa, and worked together with you to get the vaccines into the arms to har- — in hard-to-reach communities.

“Critically, we invested in Africa’s capacity to manufacture its own vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics so Africa — Africa can meet its own needs and contribute to the global supply chain.

“And even as we work to end COVID-19, we continue building stronger health systems and institutions, and accelerating efforts to achieve universal health coverage to make sure we’re better prepared to tackle the health challenges, including the next pandemic. And there surely will be one.

“We also advanced our commitment to strengthen food security, including expanding the Feed the Future program to partner with eight additional African countries.

“And I’ll be speaking more tomorrow about this effort to both address the immediate food crisis and strengthen the food system in Africa for the long term.

“We’re taking on climate crisis, prioritizing just — not just energy transition in America but in nations of all of Africa, and meeting the urgent needs to countries to adapt to the climate impacts that are already here.”

He said Africa’s economic transition depends on good government, healthy populations, and reliable and affordable energy.

The United States, he said, is committed to supporting every aspect of Africa’s inclusive growth and creating the best possible environment for sustained commercial engagement between Africa companies and American companies.

He said: “The United States is all in on Africa’s future. And the work we’ve done over the past two years, building on decades of vital investments made under previous American presidents, has helped make possible the critical steps that I’m about to announce.

“First, the United States is signing an historic memorandum of understanding with the new African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat. This MOU will unlock new opportunities for trade and investment between our countries and bring Africa and the United States even closer than ever.

“This is an enormous opportunity — an enormous opportunity for Africa’s future, and the United States wants to help make those opportunities real.

“We’re finally implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area. It will represent one of the largest free trade areas in the world, 1.3 billion people, and a continent-wide market totaling $3.4 trillion.

“And with the new MOU, we’re doing things correctly: enshrining protections for workers both across Africa and in the United States; looking out for small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs and enterprises to make sure they have a fair shot to compete; lifting up opportunity for women-owned businesses, diaspora-owned businesses, and businesses owned by members of historically underserved communities; and supporting and investing in the continent’s vibrant and growing urban economies.

“Together, we want to build a future of opportunity where no one — no one is left behind.”

Deals and more

The Summit was not all about speech-making. Many deals and partnerships were unveiled. For instance, it was revealed that Nigeria and Ghana are strong contenders for a $1 million project for the reintegration of sex workers.

It is to be overseen by the Department of State. Tagged Economic Security for Survivors of Trafficking, the $1 million is the initial investment. “This project will enhance and extend reintegration options for trafficking survivors who choose to pursue entrepreneurship by developing tools and capacity building, increasing and extending support, and enhancing monitoring. Countries that may benefit from global programming are Ghana and Nigeria,” according to a fact sheet released by the White House.

The fact sheet added: “Promoting gender equity and equality is a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy in Africa and around the world. Advancing the status of women and girls is not only a matter of human rights, justice, and fairness—it is also a strategic imperative that reduces poverty and promotes sustainable economic growth, increases access to education, improves health outcomes, advances political stability, and fosters democracy.”

Vice President Kamala Harris also announced new commitments to advance women’s economic participation in Africa, including the African Women’s Trade and Investment Project and the revitalization of the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program. These programs build upon a range of Administration initiatives to foster women’s economic, political, and social inclusion on the continent—many which advance the Administration’s priority to drive gender equality and equity investments and gender-aligned infrastructure development through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.

Also, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced new partnership to accelerate primary health care in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.

Through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the countries’ primary healthcare sector will be supported by an average of over $415 million annually.

The Department of State said: “Resilient primary health care-oriented health systems, anchored by a robust and well-supported health workforce, can improve life expectancy, increase health equity, and respond intuitively to disease outbreaks and emerging health threats. A majority of services supported across USAID are delivered as components of primary health care. Advancing integration of essential health services at the primary care level will enable delivery of “whole person” care across individuals’ life stages and optimize resources for cross-cutting systems investments that address systems bottlenecks, including a strengthened health workforce.”

The COVID-19 Pandemic, it said, resulted in the largest global reduction in life expectancy in a century.

“A renewed focus on primary healthcare is an opportunity for USAID and partner countries to reclaim lost ground from the COVID-19 pandemic, and align approaches to advance our shared commitments and foster resilience and preparedness against future health threats.

“This announcement follows USAID’s recent launch of the Accelerating Primary Health Care Collaborative, which brings together subject matter experts from across USAID to define a cohesive primary healthcare approach for the Agency and facilitate information exchange, technical integration, and coordination to accelerate impacts,” it added.

Significantly, Nigeria and Rwanda signed a space exploration pact.

They are the first African nations to sign the pact known as Artemis Accords.

The signing was at the first ever U.S.-Africa Space Forum, which was part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.

Participants discussed how to further shared goals through the peaceful exploration and use of outer space.

The Department of State said: “The Accords were signed by Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Ali Ibrahim on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and by Rwanda Space Agency CEO Francis Ngabo on behalf of the Republic of Rwanda. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Monica Medina, and U.S. National Space Council Executive Secretary Chirag Parikh gave remarks at the event.

“The Artemis Accords represent a bold, multilateral vision for the future of space exploration. Launched by the State Department and NASA together with eight nations in 2020, the Artemis Accords advance bilateral and multilateral space cooperation between signatories, expanding our knowledge of the universe and benefiting the whole world. Signatories commit to principles to guide their civil space activities, including the public release of scientific data, responsible debris mitigation, registration of space objects, and the establishment and implementation of interoperability standards.

“The Accords now boast 23 signatories, spanning every corner of the globe and representing a diverse set of space interests and capabilities. Through signing the Artemis Accords, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States have demonstrated their commitment to the peaceful, responsible, and sustainable use of outer space and are leading the global conversation on the future of space exploration.”

African Diaspora

Speaking at the Young Leaders Forum, a side event of the summit, United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo spoke about  the importance of African Diaspora.

“The Diaspora’s role in shaping American society and culture, and the way its members contribute to the dynamism of our economy are themes that are deeply personal to me. The story of the African American diaspora is one that is part of my story. My parents, although they raised me in Southern California, came to this country with me in hand, immigrating here from Nigeria. And while they brought me from Nigeria, like many African stories, they touched on many different countries in their journey in Africa, growing up in Ghana, I’m oftentimes in our house, we had Kenkey for dinner, at the same time that you would have foods from Nigeria. So it spoke to the diversity of experiences that Africans bring to this country all the time. And I think that bringing that perspective to the Treasury Department, where I have the ability to serve the American people, as to the rich legacy of this country as well, a country built on immigration, and the contributions the members of the Diaspora make here big and small matter greatly to the United States economy and to our culture,” he said.

Adeyemo went on: ” But the Diaspora also contributes to Africa, a Brookings study estimating that the Diaspora last year contributed $46 billion in remittances to Africa. And beyond the economic contribution, the People-to-people engagement creates ties that imbued this country and Africa with deep knowledge and a shared sense of common aspirations.

“Strengthening this community at forums like this one allow us to cement and deepen these ties. In doing so, we exchange openly and freely about challenges – and I am aware of the multiple shocks facing African countries today – and it’s something that we should speak about openly and transparently.”

He said he worked for President Barack Obama in his administration and his foundation.

“And part of what all of us know, as young leaders in the African Diaspora, which I consider myself part of this community, is that critical to our abilities to succeed is being able to see ourselves and leaders who have come before us. Finding the type of mentors and examples that have blazed a path for us. And today, I have the ability to introduce one of those mentors for me, one of those leaders who have blazed a path that has allowed me to be in the role that I’m in today, and that is Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris,” he said.

Will there be another summit?

It took years for the second summit to take place after the first. But for observers, what is important is for the deals and promises to have positive impact on the people on the continent so that the world can be better like Biden pointed out.

United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Chidi Blyden, at a briefing, shares the Department of Defense perspective ahead of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit on Africa’s critical leadership role in confronting global peace, security, and governance challenges. United States Bureau Chief OLUKOREDE YISHAU reports that Blyden explains that the summit will afford African leaders the  opportunity to address key security and governance challenges. Excerpts:

 

Our goal

In a rapidly changing world, we are excited that the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit comes at an extremely consequential time.  On the one hand, if you were take your finger and point to anywhere on the map of Africa, you will easily discover the limitless opportunities that exist on the continent.  From the ingenuity of the youth population, to the critical minerals necessary to power our future through technologies, to the burgeoning private sector industry that could create opportunities for millions across the globe.

I’m a firm believer that the solutions to many of the world’s most pressing problems and many of the inventions that will change our lives are found in Africa.  There are many African solutions to global issues.

On the other hand, the limitless potential is consistently threatened by episodes of political instability, challenges to access to basic human needs, access to education, democratic backsliding, physical insecurity, the threat of climate change, and environmental degradation, and violent extremism.

I would say luckily for humanity, the story of Africa, like other regions of the world, is still being written.  I think with a pen in Africa’s hands, we must work hard to ensure that story’s next chapters are filled – are no longer with just the potential hopes and dreams of a great people and a great continent, but that it is filled with the reality that reflects the promises of today and the prosperity that Africa hopes to see.

At the African Leaders Summit kicking off next week, the U.S. Government and the Department of Defense hopes to communicate our desires, goals, and interests for partnering with Africa.  We hope to use the valuable time to collaborate with many of your leaders.  Without their engagement and support, the U.S. find itself in a difficult position to address mutual security challenges, protect our national security interests, and support African governments’ objectives to deliver the security dividends necessary to thrive in the 21st century.

To establish flourishing democratic institutions and economic opportunities, people need to feel safe and secure and must have confidence in their governments to create environments that are conducive for governance and development.  We are not interested in working in Africa without African consultation, collaboration, and coordination.  And as such, African voices helping is not a suggestion, but it will actually be a requirement, I think, to shape the world going forward.

I think the United States and the Department of Defense also understand that to accomplish these goals and address the challenges of the continent, we must remain fully aware, engaged, and working with our partners.  Engagements like the African Leaders Summit will allow us the opportunity to learn from each other, share lessons and best practices, and most importantly, hear from our partners about things that they are interested in and the objectives that they want to achieve.

 

 

The drivers of instability

The U.S. has recalibrated its approach. We will not only seek to empower the African continent in the field of security, development, and governance, but we will also strive to help them address the drivers of instability and conflict to meet the ambition and promise of Africa. In this vein, the U.S. will work to employ a whole-of-government approach to empower African partners to tackle the threat and security challenges that we all face, such as VEOs, political instability, violent conflict, pandemics, food insecurity, democratic backsliding, climate change, environmental degradation, and others.

In order for us to work through these issues with our African partners, we follow a set of strategic documents that serve as a guiding mechanism for our policies and engagements in Africa. For my work at the Department of Defense, our newly released National Defense Strategy prioritizes three areas of engagement: countering violent extremist organizations, strengthening and enabling allies and partners to support mutual security objectives, and addressing targeted strategic competition concerns that would have negative ramifications for the U.S. and our partners.

In addition to the National Defense Strategy, the U.S. also engages through the Sub-Saharan Framework, also known as the National Security Council’s U.S. Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa. This Africa strategy will refocus U.S. through four lines of effort: delivering democratic and security dividends, advancing pandemic recovery and economic opportunities, supporting conservation and climate change adaptations for strengthening a just energy transition, and strengthening our bilateral and multilateral partnerships in Africa.

Under these strategies and approaches, DOD will work in a 3D construct, using development, defense, and diplomacy tools to achieve our outcomes. And we will seek to refine our defense tools to support our partners. Some of these tools include supporting institutional capacity-building, combatting corruption, advancing security sector reform, enhancing our partners’ ability to be able to lead and promote peace and security, but most of all leveraging civilian-led defense institutions and building partner capacity and capability to deliver security dividends.

 

 

Approach to issues

Our approach has prioritized enabling the development of organic and localized solutions that places African partners in the lead. This carefully calibrated approach leverages the niche capabilities of African countries and – that we have worked with, and have developed over time several capabilities that are strengths to their contributions to African security. As such, we will continue to encourage that you leverage your comparative advantages in the field of security and defense, and we will partner with you to do just this.

Further, we will continue to build existing capabilities of African partners on the continent. We have seen over time several partners pulling together in a multilateral fashion to address some of the most stark security challenges on the continent. For example, we have seen the SADC region, or the Southern African Development Corporation agreement members, intervene and – excuse me – respond to the crisis in Cabo Delgado in Mozambique. We have seen this also in nearby DRC where the regional leaders of the East African Community are employing their diplomatic and military solutions to bring stability to a conflict, not just using military interventions but also using dialogue.

These African-led solutions are ongoing in both the diplomatic and governance and development realms. We have also just recently seen in Ethiopia the AU recently broker a temporary peace deal between the Ethiopian Government and the TPLF which has allowed for humanitarian assistance and a pathway towards permanent peace. These – as these solutions are unfolding in real time, the U.S. wants to support these types of African-led efforts as necessary and as determined by our partners.

In my building where I work, the Department of Defense goal is to improve interoperability among Africans’ regional – Africa’s regional security leaders and to continue the tradition of Africans being first responders to African crises. The DOD will work across our agency partners in a whole-of-government fashion to allow the private sector to also enter into this approach. We have seen that at every level of global development and supply chains, there is a need for African participation to be a part of the solutions that will bring underlying stability in both the development, defense, and sector – development and defense sectors.

 

 

Programmes for Africa

The U.S. has developed multiple programs that many of you may be familiar with, such as Power Africa, to help grow the energy sector; Digital Initiatives for Africa, to help close the gap on technology; and the digital divide and cyber security challenges are being addressed through Prosper Africa and the private sector as well. The U.S. will continue to seek to empower African nations to mitigate these threats that we see happening across the continent.

Many times I hear from my international partners that they continue have an expressed intention to partner with Africa and African nations, and the partners that we partner with. We’ve seen that multilateralism has provided severe dividends – sorry – has provided dividends very positively when we work together to try and achieve our multiple goals. Our goal is to ensure that African countries do not feel like they have to turn to malign actors to deliver security dividends. As we have seen, many of these actors oftentimes have exacerbated already tenuous situations in the country and are challenged with their ability to be able to handle their own security issues. In that regard, we see partnership and working with as many international partners as being a plus side, and we want to work with African partners to find good partners that they can work with to meet their objectives and goals.

Finally, I would say that security exists to enable prosperous societies. This idea is at the center of our approach to the continent. Security forces need to be responsive and accountable to the public. To do this, it is necessary to bring to the table all of society, especially those that are most vulnerable to conflicts. For more than two decades, Women, Peace and Security programs have empowered women and young girls to have a voice in both domestic and international security concerns. We as a global community to need to ensure that they continue to be included in every discourse.

 

 

China and illegal fishing

We remain concerned about the illegal fishing that is happening in the Gulf of Guinea. As you noted, this seems to be an area where China has a lot of interest and is making inroads into not just maritime waters, but as you, I think, described, infrastructure on the continent. As we’ve noted, we’ve worked with our African partners so that they understand the risks and challenges of partners who are doing work in their areas or in their countries that may not have the best output for them, and we are in communication with our partners in Africa so that they know the ramifications of the partnerships that they are entering into. We wouldn’t be a good partner if we didn’t share that information.

 

I think our challenge is that we’re not interested in trying to counter partnerships that African partners desire. We want to make sure that we are the partner that they want to work with and we’re providing the things that they actually need and that they want to create the types of governments and societies that they think are prosperous for them. And so our engagement has been to increasing – increase training and awareness and knowledge on maritime safety and security. We work with them on exercises in the Gulf of Guinea and other parts of the continent in the maritime domain so that they understand how to counter piracy, how to counter illicit trafficking and transnational threats that might come across the waters.

And so we’ve increased our engagement with African partners and militaries and navies to understand the multiple steps of not just interdicting some of these transnational threats but also the prosecution process that happens over – after there have been apprehension of illegal fishing and other sort of illicit activities that are happening. So that’s where our focal point is, I think, in the Gulf of Guinea and when it comes to maritime, and we think that’s our strongest suit or our strongest way to be able to enable African partners to work on the things that are most important to them and that is protecting their blue economies so that those feed back into their government-economic structures.

On the false narratives piece, this is a challenge. We have a longstanding history of working with our African partners, being very close to them at diplomatic levels, but I think you – as you noted, the social media space and misinformation avenues and outlets that are out there are able to reach a wider audience than what we might always engage with from a diplomatic level. And so I think it is a goal of ours, an objective of ours, to be able to help not just media outlets but I think the civil society groups and the average African citizen understand what information is truly correct or truthful, as it is becoming a large tool to, I think, destabilize some societies.

We are working, I think, not necessarily at the Department of Defense to counter misinformation, but across the U.S. Government to ensure that we are putting forth truthful information. We are working with partners so that they can understand and sift through what else is being put out from other outlets that may not have – not be able to be verified. But this is a concerted effort of the U.S. Government to ensure that African partners can feel comfortable with the information that they receive, and there are a number of programs that we’re doing, as I said, across the U.S. Government to do this