Tag: American-African Relations

African-American Diaspora Engagement at the Core of U.S.-African Relations in Multipolar World

By Kester Kenn Klomegah | Modern Diplomacy

The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit held in Washington has placed African-American diaspora at the core for strengthening multifaceted  relations with Africa. The White House and African leaders have also stressed the importance of Africa’s voices, advocated for incorporating professional Africans distinctively within the institutional structures to deal with various bilateral issues and for making further inroads into Africa.

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United States Enters into Agreement with Nigeria to Repatriate Over $23 Million in Assets Stolen by Former Nigerian Dictator

From USJF

The United States, through the Department of Justice and FBI, forfeited approximately $23 million traceable to the corruption and money laundering of former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and his co-conspirators. This money will be returned to the Nigerian people through an agreement between the Governments of the United States and the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria) signed today in Abuja, Nigeria, by U.S. Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard. This repatriation will bring the total amount forfeited and returned by the Department of Justice in this case to approximately $334.7 million. 

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Sudan appoints its first US ambassador in Over 20 Years

By Natalie Liu | Voice of America

The prospects for improved relations between the United States and Sudan took a major step forward with this week’s announcement that the transitional government in Khartoum has named veteran diplomat Noureldin Sati to serve as its ambassador in Washington. The appointment, which reportedly has been approved by the United States, ends more than 20 years of top-level diplomatic estrangement between the two countries.

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Business Day of Trinidad and Tobago Editorial: The road to Africa

By Melanie Waithe

Given Trinidad and Tobago country’s rich and diverse relationship with the African continent, it’s surprising that there’s not more investment taking place between us.

For too long, Africa has been considered the Dark Continent, a colonial backwater plagued by disease, famine, war and economic strife. But now, it is emerging as one of the biggest opportunities for trade and investment in the world.

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Kenyatta, Jamaican PM mark International Decade for People of African Descent

By PSCUKINGSTON, Jamaica — President Uhuru Kenyatta and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness launched celebrations to mark the International Decade of People of African Descent in Kingston Jamaica.

The launch of the celebrations to mark the United Nations designated  period were unveiled as Jamaica observed its 57th independence anniversary.

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American varsities award 303 Nigerian students $7.5m scholarships

More than 303 Nigerian students from the 17 states of southern Nigeria have received no less than $7.5m in full or partial scholarships from 225 American universities and colleges to study in the United States for the 2019-2020 academic session.

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US city of Alexandria Celebrates Morocco Day,

The city of Alexandria, Virginia, held its official “Morocco Day” at the Market Square on Saturday, June 9.

“This is monumental because Alexandria, one of America’s oldest cities, is home to 10,000 Moroccans; it is a great place for entrepreneurship and tourism,” said Justin Wilson, Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia.

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Nigerian, Kenya Businesses to Join 1000 Global Business Leaders at U.S.-Africa Business Summit

Corporate Council on Africa’s (CCA) President and CEO, Ms. Florizelle Liser met with key stakeholders in the public and private sector during her recent visit to Kenya and Nigeria.

This was part of the ongoing effort to promote the upcoming U.S.-Africa Business Summit from June 18 – 21, 2019 in Maputo, Mozambique and advance trade, investment and business engagement between the United States and Nigeria.

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Nigerian Navy and US Navy Start War Games

The US Navy and Nigerian Navy have commenced a multinational maritime excercise code named, Obangame Express 2019, in Lagos, Nigeria.

The maritime excercise was preceded with the commissioning of a maritime domain awareness training school that was equipped by the United States Navy.
The school was commissioned on Thursday, March 14 alongside the opening ceremony of the multinational maritime exercise, Obangame Express 2019

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America’s Escalating Air War in Somalia: How Did We Get There?

Where is the United States at war? It’s a hard question to answer. Inevitably though, at least in the last four years, this sentence has changed little: American troops are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. But with a steady stream of airstrikes, militant deaths, alleged civilian casualties and two American troops killed in Eastern Africa since 2017, another country has since crept onto the list: Somalia.

On Sunday, my colleagues Eric Schmitt and Charlie Savage published a story about the escalating war there against the Al Qaeda-affiliated group Shabab, and how the number of American airstrikes in the country have steadily increased under the Trump administration. In 2018 alone, there were 47 strikes that killed 326 people. And 2019 is already on pace to exceed last year’s tallies.

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US Urges better business environment in Africa to attract investors

The United States has urged African governments to improve their business environments to better attract major American investment. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, made the comments during a four-nation tour of Africa.

The U.S. diplomat says many American businesses want to invest in Africa. But, Tibor Nagy says they first need to first see a more positive investment environment.

“Which means, minimum levels of corruption, fair treatment, honoring contract and quite frankly a good governance environment because that’s what American businesses want,” Nagy said.
Nagy made the comments after meeting Friday with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on the first leg of his four-nation African tour.

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US government felicitates with Ghana on Independence day

March 6th is the Independence Day of Ghana, and even though Ghana is embroiled in a diplomatic tussle with the US government over the fate of 7000 Ghanaians about to be deported from US, Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo released a goodwill message to the government and people of Ghana.

This is the full press statement.

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US, Congo seek partnerships in the fight against Sickle Cell disease.

By Judy Kuriansky

Jacqueline Mikolo and the Director of the Sickle Cell Center of Brazzaville Congo arrived in Washington D.C. to meet with the U.S. National Institutes of Health and with leaders at the Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) to discuss the serious problem of sickle cell disease worldwide.

The Congolese Delegation, including the Minister of Higher Education, Bruno Itoua, also met with the Ambassador of the African Union to the United States, H.E. Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao, to focus on funding.

The AU Ambassador, a Ghanaian national, is very familiar with health, as a family medicine doctor and previous Chair of the African Union-African Diaspora Health Initiative — where she was involved in mobilizing African Diaspora health professionals to address healthcare needs of the African continent.

The meetings build on many years of exchanges and advocacy about sickle cell disease between the United States and the Congo, explained Minister Mikolo.

Continue reading “US, Congo seek partnerships in the fight against Sickle Cell disease.”

US organisation,Battelle, shares expertise on fight against ebola in Africa

While Ebola might not be in the news at the level it was in 2014, it is still a significant health issue in Africa. In fact, the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history is actively ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo now.

Battelle continues to support the fight against the disease by providing training in-country. Recently, two Battelle employees traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 16 days, representing the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

During the trip, they provided training at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale in Kinshasa, the nation’s capital. Battelle staff taught Congolese researchers how to conduct serologic assays to detect immune response to Ebola virus in vaccinated and exposed individuals, as well as disease survivors. Continue reading “US organisation,Battelle, shares expertise on fight against ebola in Africa”

U.S. to host Trade with Africa Business Summit

Following a successful inaugural event in 2018 held in Bentonville, Arkansas; home to world’s leading retailer and Fortune #1; Walmart, global business leaders, trade experts and policy representatives of U.S. and African countries will convene for the 2nd
edition of the “Trade with Africa Business Summit” in Chicago.

This event positions the Chicago Metropolitan area and the State of Illinois as a favorable destination for Africa’s business & political leaders looking to create new trade partnerships in the U.S.

Theme of the 2019 event is: Growing U.S. – Africa Trade, Trade Financing & Developing Africa’s Supply Chain. Africa offers new markets for U.S. made products. Similarly, U.S. serves as an untapped market for authentic African products (raw and manufactured). Trade with Africa Business Summit 2019 helps fast-track such discussions with stakeholders from the world’s next economic frontier; Africa. Continue reading “U.S. to host Trade with Africa Business Summit”

America needs to vote more like Senegal

By Serena Piervincenzi,

There are so many things that I miss about Senegal. I miss waking up every morning to the sounds of goats, I miss being called by my Senegalese name, Ayisha,  I miss my adopted family, but more than anything, and perhaps most surprisingly, I miss the political attitude of Senegal as a country.

Senegal is a small country in West Africa, neighboring Mali and Gambia. They gained their independence from France, peacefully, on April 4, 1960. Since then, Senegal has remained one of the most successful, West- African countries. They function as a democracy, not unlike ours and, like us, some of their most important accomplishments have been spearheaded by their youth.

Prior to Senegal’s February 2012 presidential election, Abdoulaye Wade announced his plan to run for a constitutionally questionable third term. This did not sit well with many Senegalese people who believed that instating a third term for Wade would bring them closer to the kind of authoritarian rule that the current Senegalese constitution prohibits. Wade’s candidacy led to protests, organized and attended primarily by youth.

Several of these protests led to deadly encounters between protesters and police.

After losing the election to the opposition candidate Macky Sall, Wade quickly accepted defeat, and Senegal had yet another peaceful transfer of power. Continue reading “America needs to vote more like Senegal”

US places Visa Restrictions on multiple Congolese officials

The United States of America has placed travel ban on some top government officials of the Democratic Republic of Congo over alleged electoral fraud.

The restrictions was announced in a statement released in Washington DC

According to the statement, those sanctioned by the US Government include President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s National Independent Electoral Commission,  Mr Corneille Nangaa; Vice President of CENI, Mr Norbert Basengezi Katintima; Advisor to the President of CENI, Mr Marcellin Mukolo Basengezi; President of the DRC’s National Assembly, Mr Aubin Minaku Ndjalandjoko; and President of DRC’s Constitutional Court, Mr Benoit Lwamba Bindu.

The statement read, “The United States stands with the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo following that country’s historic transfer of power.

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A New Africa Strategy: Expanding Economic and Security Ties on the Basis of Mutual Respect

The Trump Administration’s new Africa Strategy is based on three tenets.

The first is advancing U.S. trade and commercial ties with nations across the region to the benefit of both the United States and Africa.

The second is countering the threat from radical Islamic terrorism and violent conflict. ISIS, al-Qaeda, and their affiliates all operate and recruit on the African continent, plotting attacks against American citizens and targets.

Third, the U.S. will ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars for aid are used efficiently and effectively. The United States will no longer provide indiscriminate assistance across the entire continent without focus or prioritization.

This was revealed by in a new report by Heritage Foundation after a session with John R. Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor at a session at the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC.

Read more about the session and the report

Group in New York awards grant to help American and African students interact

More than 7,000 miles separates Western New York from Namibia, Africa, however that distance will seem less now thanks to a recent grant award and the Building Cultural Bridges program.

Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES is part of a grant consortium that was recently awarded a three-year Learning Technology Grant from New York state. The grant, in partnership with Educators of America and its Building Cultural Bridges program, focuses on increasing cross-cultural awareness between diverse countries.

“This is a great opportunity for our students and staff to see beyond our borders and community,” said Bryan Olson, Coordinator of Distance Learning. “By utilizing video technology equipment, students and staff will travel to places that are culturally and ethnically different from their own. It makes the world smaller and unites us as a global community.”

said Bryan Olson, Coordinator of Distance Learning. “By utilizing video technology equipment, students and staff will travel to places that are culturally and ethnically different from their own. It makes the world smaller and unites us as a global community.”

The $527,011 grant will provide video technology equipment, project-based learning projects and program support through personnel to facilitate the program and connect classrooms. The students in the E2CCB component school districts of Pine Valley, Jamestown, Gowanda, Cassadaga and Forestville, in addition to Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda and Cleveland Hill UFS districts, will benefit from the enhanced programming.

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Trump Welcomes President of Kenya to White House

President Donald Trump on Monday welcomed the president of Kenya to the White House, where the two leaders talked trade, security — and Trump’s accomplishments.

Trump hosted President Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya is emerging from a period of election turmoil. He’s the second African leader to meet with Trump at the White House, following a visit by Nigeria’s president earlier this year. Continue reading “Trump Welcomes President of Kenya to White House”