Amb.Abdirizak Ahmed Hassen’s Post

AFRICA is the FUTURE' says US President Biden as he pledges $600 millions #Africa as one of the final foreign policy moves of his administration, and told African leaders the resource-rich continent of more than 1.5 billion people had been “left behind for much too long. Biden Meets African Leaders in Angola to Boost the Lobito Railway Project 🇺🇸🌍 U.S. President Joe Biden visited Lobito, Angola, on December 4, 2024, to meet with African leaders and discuss the advancement of the Lobito railway project—a transformative initiative for regional connectivity. The ambitious project aims to enhance trade and economic ties across Southern and Eastern Africa. 🚉 What’s Next? The second phase of the project plans to extend the railway corridor through Zambia and link it to Tanzania's Dar es Salaam port on the Indian Ocean, creating a major transcontinental trade route. This initiative reflects a shared commitment to sustainable development, fostering economic growth, and strengthening U.S.-Africa partnerships. #BidenInAfrica #LobitoRailway #USAfricaPartnerships #InfrastructureDevelopment #GlobalConnectivity #Africaisthefuture

AFRICA is the FUTURE' Should China be worried about the Biden administration’s growing AFRICA engagement? U.S. President Joe Biden finally fulfilled his promise of visiting Africa almost two years after the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit in December 2022. Biden’s visit to #Angola 🇦🇴 came almost a decade after former President #BarackObama visited #Ethiopia 🇪🇹 and #Kenya 🇰🇪 in 2015 – the last visit by a U.S. president to #subSaharanAfrica. Biden’s long-promised visit aimed to showcase U.S. investments in Africa, and particularly Angola, but it is widely believed that his efforts were also intended to diminish #Beijing’s influence, which has been growing particularly since the launch of the #BeltandRoadInitiative. On December 1, Biden departed for Angola, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the country. The trip indicated an improvement in the bilateral relations between the two countries. After gaining independence from #Portugal in 1975, the Republic of Angola was politically in the orbit of #Russia and #China. However, it has been moving toward the U.S. orbit under its current President #JoãoLourenço, who is seeking closer relations with the West. Biden’s visit was focused on the #LobitoCorridor, a Washington-backed #railway project that aims to steer #criticalminerals away from Beijing. This railway project aims to connect resource-rich #Zambia 🇿🇲 and the #DRCongo 🇨🇩to the port of Lobito in Angola on the #AtlanticOcean. Angola itself is also replete with #naturalresources including #oil, #cobalt, and #lithium. The Lobito Corridor could offer an efficient and fast means to #export natural resources to the United States and #Europe. The 1,300 km railway corridor was launched in 2023 as a partnership between the #US, #EU, Angola, Zambia, and the #DRC, as well as the Africa Finance Corporation and #AfricanDevelopmentBank. In order to highlight the progress of the corridor, Biden and Lourenço co-hosted #leaders from the DRC, Tanzania 🇹🇿, and Zambia during the last day of his visit on December 4. Continue reading. https://lnkd.in/ewJqAipr

AFRICA DAY COMMEMORATION May 25 is commemorated as Africa Day or put differently Africa Liberation Day.On this day we celebrate the liberation of the African continent from colonial rule and its replacement with political independence dispensation.However this political independence is meaningless if it does not lead to economic independence which solidifies and strengthens our political independence.Focus of economic independence should target value addition and beneficiation of agricultural and mineral resources,rather than exporting raw material products, to create jobs,industrialize Africa and to defend livelihoods on the African continent.Bilateral partnerships with developed partners should focus on technology transfer, innovation and industrialisations partnerships that promotes growth and transformation of Africa and its people. Defend Africa,Defend African resources,Defend Africa's future and sustainable development of its people and their prosperity.

Why Niger may become the most consequential Sahel State in Africa - https://lnkd.in/g9cJMGeP - By Fidel Amakye Owusu The Republic of Niger, the largest country in West Africa by land area and the third largest in the Sahel after Chad and Sudan, holds a key geographic position. Situated at the northeastern edge of West Africa, it connects the region to Central Africa through Chad and

CONFRONTING THE CHINA CHALLENGE IN AFRICA: THE LOBITO CORRIDOR The Lobito Corridor project in Africa is a significant infrastructure initiative aimed at creating a vital trade route. It seeks to connect the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”) and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic coast port city of Lobito. This project holds particular interest for some Western nations, potentially serving as a counterpoint to China’s expansive Belt and Road Initiative (“BRI”). China remains a dominant economic force in Africa, having invested $1.8 billion in the first half of 2023 alone, marking a year-on-year increase of 4.4 percent. Chinese investments…READ MORE HERE https://lnkd.in/dCRTJGCP

Mauritania Independence Day Today, we honor the resilience and determination of the Mauritanian people as they mark another year of independence. Since achieving freedom on November 28, 1960, Mauritania has continued to showcase its unwavering spirit in building a brighter future. Mauritania’s Independence Day celebration marks more than just a day of freedom for its citizens. It is a remembrance of their culture and heritage, and a call to strive towards a better and fulfilling future where all citizens of the country can proudly call it home. At R-DATS Consulting, we believe in the power of independence and innovation as cornerstones for sustainable development. As we partner with individuals, organizations, and governments globally, we remain committed to empowering nations like Mauritania through advanced and innovative research, evaluation, and statistical methods to gather high-quality data and generate strong evidence for impact and improved policy decisions. #MauritaniaIndependenceDay #DataForDevelopment #RDATSConsulting #Research #ImprovedPolicyDecision #Evaluation #Freedom #Africa #RDATS #Independence

Why Niger may become the most consequential Sahel State in Africa - https://lnkd.in/giPnrf8h - By Fidel Amakye Owusu The Republic of Niger, the largest country in West Africa by land area and the third largest in the Sahel after Chad and Sudan, holds a key geographic position. Situated at the northeastern edge of West Africa, it connects the region to Central Africa through Chad and

President Joe Biden || The Historic visit for Angola 🇦🇴 “(…)the future of the world is in Africa and it's not hyperbole(…)” said by President Joe Biden stated in our Cidade Alta.🇦🇴 Was I the only angolan marked by this moment?! The recognition of Africa's potential and importance on the global stage boosted a sense of pride and optimism, specially for those who feel a strong connection with our Continent. Being the first visit in Angola by a sitting American President, It's a historic and catalyst moment for economic collaboration, stronger partnership and a commitment to prosperity. Some say that Biden, “didn’t just come to promote business, but to bring people together.” And for many, there are different key highlights: ✨Sure! The visit to the Lobito Corridor reflects a cooperation and opportunity of potential economic growth not just for Angola but at regional level since this project may bring sustainable development, stability and peace. 🧠 I am proud that this milestone is registered from Angola to our region. However, as Leader of People, ‘my humanized veins’ can’t miss emphasizing one of the highest moments of this visit: 🗣️ The focus on #HumanRights by visiting our National Museum of Slavery 🇦🇴. It’s a pity 🥺 that today the weather is not in our favor for such outdoor visit but I hope that the aim and purpose may be achieved: Raising #awareness of #historicreconciliation with the past! 🧠Share with me your thoughts about such historic visit. #biden #visittoangola #angolapresident #americapresident #corredorlobito #africa #angola #rdc #zambia

Great article on the global south by Ronak Gopaldas and ISS Africa. I agree with most points, not least the point on how diverse this group is - think of China, Mali and Somalia and their common interests internally as well as in relation to the equally diverse "global north". My main question and challenge: What can the global south as well as sub-groups and individual countries do on their own? Not least in #Africa I think the internal positioning as well as an implicit (and sometimes convenient) victim role is too often seen as the starting point. In my experience, there is no such thing as a free lunch - no matter how unfairly the funding of the lunch has been arrived at. Example: the articled uses Ukraine as an example where the West has engaged, but then partially neglected Gaza and Sudan and Ethiopia. This may be true, but what has Africa done on Ethiopia and Sudan? And what would be the right balance? Certainly worth reading. https://lnkd.in/dka5AHBK Nic Cheeseman Peter J Evans Dan Jørgensen Anne-Mette Kjær African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET)