The Press Stories
AA / Peter Kum
US Secretary of State Anthony Blingen, during his visit to Africa, which concludes on Saturday, November 20, announced President Biden’s next month’s Democratic Summit.
According to the White House, US President Joe Biden will convene a virtual summit of democracy on December 9 and 10 in which state and government leaders and members of civil society will be invited.
Blingen stressed that the participation of African countries, and especially Nigeria, was “eagerly awaited”.
The summit will help participants fight the “cancer of corruption” that is draining billions of dollars into the economy, while undermining people’s dignity and their confidence in the organization.
Before leaving Nigeria on Friday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken acknowledged that “Africa will play a decisive role” in the many pressing challenges and opportunities facing the United States.
The US diplomat acknowledged the distrust of many African countries.
“Mostly, African nations are considered younger partners, but not worse, not equal partners,” he said in Abuja on Friday, adding that “centuries of colonialism, slavery and exploitation still leave a painful legacy for Africa.”
“The United States firmly believes that it is time to stop treating Africa as an object of geopolitics and begin to see it as a major geopolitical figure,” Blingen said.
The head of US diplomacy, after observing that “dictatorship is on the rise around the world,” acknowledges that “America” is fighting threats to democracy. Solutions to these threats will come from Africa, as elsewhere. ”
Blingen lamented that “more than four decades in number” – and “leaders ignoring term limits, postponing frauds and elections, using social pressure to seize or retain power, arresting opposition figures …” .
However, he praised the peaceful transfer of power to Niger this year and the victory of the opposition in the elections in Zambia.
“It is gratifying to see people bravely resisting and calling for change, just as citizens are marching on the streets of Sudan to restore change under civilian control,” Blingen said.
The US Secretary of State has announced economic memorandums of understanding in Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal.
In Nigeria, he signed a $ 2.1 billion development aid agreement for US support in the basic areas of health, education, agriculture and good governance.
He signed four MoUs for $ 1 billion in Senegal investment in road infrastructure and public safety.
The diplomat, who is on an official visit to Africa starting in Kenya and ending in Senegal, also promised to co-operate in the fight against climate change and Covid 19.
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