Les dirigeants africains plaident pour une mobilisation accrue des ressources

African leaders call for increased resource mobilization

African summit on infrastructure financing in Luanda

African heads of state and government called, Tuesday in Luanda, for a greater mobilization of financial resources in favor of infrastructure, an essential condition for strengthening the economic integration of the continent. This declaration marked the opening of the 3rd African Summit on Infrastructure Financing, organized from October 28 to 31 under the theme ‘Capital, Corridors and Trade: Investing in Infrastructure for the AfCFTA and Shared Prosperity’. In a speech read on his behalf by the President of the Council of the Nation, Azouz Nasri, the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, reaffirmed Algeria’s constant support for the overall development of Africa. He stressed that the economic renaissance of the continent requires modern, integrated and interconnected infrastructure, capable of meeting the aspirations of African people.
The Head of State highlighted several structuring projects initiated by Algeria, such as the Trans-Saharan road linking five African countries, the rail link project to the South, the Tindouf–Zouerate road (Mauritania), as well as the trans-Saharan fiber optic backbone. He also mentioned the Nigeria-Algeria Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, described as a strategic link in continental energy cooperation.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune called for the creation of a coordination mechanism between African countries, the African Union (AU) and regional financial institutions, in order to ensure the proper execution of priority projects and to promote the exchange of expertise. For his part, the Angolan President and current Chairman of the African Union, Joao Lourenço, insisted on the need for a substantial mobilization of resources, pleading for a strengthened partnership between the public sector, the private sector and African and international financial institutions. He highlighted the importance of the ”Luanda Declaration” which will propose concrete commitments to strengthen financing mechanisms and harmonize national and regional actions.
According to him, infrastructure development represents an essential lever for creating jobs, stimulating intra-African trade and improving living conditions on the continent. The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), Mohamed Mouloud Hamada, representing President Brahim Ghali, indicated that his country, still in the construction and liberation phase, is part of a common African dynamic aimed at sustainable continental integration by 2063.
He stressed that this vision requires the transformation of the African Union into a true economic community, capable of accelerating the implementation of the African Free Trade Area and the creation of infrastructure linking the capitals and major cities of the continent.
However, he noted several obstacles hampering this ambition, notably the lack of coordination between national and continental policies, the weakness of institutional and political trust between States, the after-effects of non-respect of the borders inherited from colonization, as well as the financing difficulties which hinder the realization of common projects.
The Burundian Prime Minister, Nestor Ntahontuye, for his part, indicated that his country is working to strengthen links with neighboring states to make Lake Tanganyika an engine of development and regional integration. He stressed the need for increased cooperation and equitable sharing of resources among African countries.
The Mozambican Minister of Public Works, Fernando Rafael, for his part, called for a coordinated mobilization of African political will to ensure sustainable financing of regional projects.
Djamila Sai