Curtis A. Smith’s Post

For some time now, Ankara's footprints on the African continent has taken a plethora of twists, stemming from the hosting of business and economic summits. Away from seeking trading and military ties with the continent, Turkiye's role in mediation efforts in Africa is taking a novel pace. Digest Turkiye in Africa by reading the short piece below.

If President Ramaphosa says in the Washington Post that South Africa is a Non-Aligned country, then why is South Africa a member of BRICS? Why is South Africa a member of the SAPP (Southern African Power Pool) and the SACC (Southern African Customs Union)? Why is South Africa benefiting from AGOA (which gives South Africa special benefits to the USA market)? Why is South Africa a member of the African Union? Why is South Africa a member of the United Nations? Why is South Africa a member of the ICC (International Criminal Court), after all not all the world'sc ountries are membersof the ICC? Surely any of these memberships automatically align's South Africa with the interests of those associations? https://lnkd.in/dDwK_nxP

🌐 Strengthening Bilateral Ties: Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire Senegalese Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, Mme Yacine FALL, is currently in Côte d'Ivoire to participate in the Joint Commission of Cooperation, which has not convened in ten years. This visit is a strategic move to rejuvenate economic relations between the two nations. The commission's discussions, which began today, will culminate tomorrow in the signing of an agreement aimed at enhancing economic and cooperative ties. This initiative represents a significant step towards strengthening regional integration and fostering economic growth in West Africa. #EconomicDevelopment #InternationalRelations #Senegal #IvoryCoast

Lamola: SA and Nigeria must elevate trade relations South Africa's International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola, has emphasized the need for both nations to enhance investment and trade relations. He emphasized the importance of identifying bankable projects, particularly in infrastructure development, to enhance economic cooperation and build on established sectors. Lamola also stressed the importance of expanding trade relations and utilizing opportunities within the African Continental Free Trade Area. Strengthening people-to-people relations is essential to foster understanding, friendship, and shared values, and this approach would stimulate tourism, creative industries, sports, and collaboration in education and science. The two countries are marking 30 years of diplomatic relations established in 1994. Lamola expressed concerns about the state of peace and security in Africa and globally, stating that the world is becoming fragmented and fragile, challenging the foundations for anchoring a peaceful world. Read more:https://lnkd.in/dqmnrGSK

💼 Meeting with the former #Algerian ambassador in #Brussels 🇩🇿🇧🇪 🗂The discussions focused on key economic and political topics, including economic development and the importance of strengthening the presence of the Algerian community in Belgium 🇧🇪🇩🇿. An in-depth reflection on how to develop economic systems and promote bilateral trade was highlighted, with the aim of boosting economic relations between the two nations. MAHDI RAMOS Ramos Group Ramos Business Center SPF Affaires étrangères, Commerce extérieur et Coopération au Développement #CEO_Ramos_Group #Ramos_Business_Center #Ramos_Group #SPF #EconomicDevelopment #InternationalRelations #EconomicExchanges

President @Williamruto has made four proposals in the envisaged reform of the African Union, during the official opening of the @AfDB_group annual meetings in Nairobi today: 1. Empower the African Union Commission to effectively manage Africa's economic diplomacy and showcase the continent’s assets to attract investments and turn potential into opportunities. 2. Reform the African Union to consolidate the African market through the African Continental Free Trade Area, aiming to increase intra-African trade from the current 15%, and also Africa's contribution to global trade. 3. Make the African Union responsible for the continent’s peace, security and stability, addressing conflicts and ensuring a secure environment for progress. 4. The African Union should work with African countries to close the infrastructure gap. Under this, the following proposals for reform are crucial: •Re-engineer and repurpose the AU from a liberation movement, on which it was founded, to make it more accountable. •Create a connection between the AU and the Pan-African Parliament, reducing its members to 110 from 275 with one man and one woman from each country. •Ensure the Pan-African Parliament approves the AU budgets •Establish the Africa Court of Justice to deal with continental justice issues internally. https://lnkd.in/dJfx585b

President Joe Biden visited Angola to strengthen U.S.-Africa partnerships, with a focus on economic cooperation and infrastructure development. Central to the visit was the Lobito Corridor Project, an initiative designed to connect Angola’s Atlantic coast to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, fostering regional trade and growth. The trip also underscored Angola’s importance in global geopolitics as the U.S. aims to counter China's influence in Africa. Biden's visit included discussions on expanding trade, enhancing security partnerships, and investing in sustainable development projects. #JoeBidenAngolaVisit #USAfricaRelations #LobitoCorridor #EconomicCooperation #Globalpoliticsaffairs

Lamola: SA and Nigeria must elevate trade relations South Africa's International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola, has emphasized the need for both nations to enhance investment and trade relations. He emphasized the importance of identifying bankable projects, particularly in infrastructure development, to enhance economic cooperation and build on established sectors. Lamola also stressed the importance of expanding trade relations and utilizing opportunities within the African Continental Free Trade Area. Strengthening people-to-people relations is essential to foster understanding, friendship, and shared values, and this approach would stimulate tourism, creative industries, sports, and collaboration in education and science. The two countries are marking 30 years of diplomatic relations established in 1994. Lamola expressed concerns about the state of peace and security in Africa and globally, stating that the world is becoming fragmented and fragile, challenging the foundations for anchoring a peaceful world. Read more:https://lnkd.in/dSGsPaW4

President Joe Biden visited Angola to strengthen U.S.-Africa partnerships, with a focus on economic cooperation and infrastructure development. Central to the visit was the Lobito Corridor Project, an initiative designed to connect Angola’s Atlantic coast to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, fostering regional trade and growth. The trip also underscored Angola’s importance in global geopolitics as the U.S. aims to counter China's influence in Africa. Biden's visit included discussions on expanding trade, enhancing security partnerships, and investing in sustainable development projects. #JoeBidenAngolaVisit #USAfricaRelations #LobitoCorridor #EconomicCooperation #Globalpoliticsaffairs

The incoming Trump Administration will have an opportunity to re-evaluate the pursuit of the U.S.-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (#STIP). One of the key questions is whether to return to the negotiation of a U.S.-Kenya Free Trade Agreement (#FTA) that was being pursued under the previous administration. Either way, The White House will need to take into consideration the extent to which the local, regional, and global context has shifted over the last four years. This includes posture factor changes like the extension of Major Non-#NATO Ally status to Kenya. It also includes that the efforts made by the Government of Israel to strengthen ties with #Africa under the #Netanyahu Administration. Among other things, it will be interesting to see how hard the next administration will push for Kenya to partner with the Abraham Accords signatories. In Africa, that would drive alignment with #Morocco (and potentially #Sudan in the future). However, it could be a high risk move given the political instability that currently exists across Kenya. (cc: Kenya Embassy- Washington DC, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM))