TUNIS, TUNISIA (AP) – African heads of state, representatives of international organisations and private business leaders gathered in Tunisia yesterday for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), a triennial event launched by Japan to promote growth and security in Africa.
Economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, a food crisis worsened by Russia’s war in Ukraine, and climate change are among the challenges facing many African countries expected to define the two-day conference.
Tensions among African countries also weighed on the meeting: On Friday, Morocco announced a boycott of the event and recalled its ambassador to Tunisia to protest the inclusion of a representative of the Polisario Front movement fighting for independence for Western Sahara.
While 30 African heads of state and government attended the event in Tunis, Tunisia’s capital, many key talks are being held remotely, including those involving Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the summit.
The Japanese government created and hosted the first TICAD summit in 1993. The conferences now are co-organised with the United Nations, the African Union and the World Bank.
The summits have generated 26 development projects in 20 African countries.
This year, discussion around an increase of Japanese investments in Africa is anticipated, with particular focus on supporting start-ups and food security initiatives. Japan has said it plans to provide assistance for the production of rice, alongside a promised USD130 million in food aid. Africa Center for Strategic Studies, an academic institution of the United States Defense Department, compared the conference’s format to the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, “where government, business, and civil society leaders participate on an equal basis”.
