African Diplomacy Observer

Amadou Toumani Touré, the President of the Republic of Mali  arrived in Algeria on Friday 23 November 2007 for a two-day visit of state at the invitation of his counterpart, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. During this visit, President Toure is due to sign minutes of the 10th session of the Algerian-Malian Border Bilateral Commission held in Algiers on 19 and 20 November. He is also expected to examine with President Bouteflika means to strengthen the cooperation and concertation so that they become strategic axis of their bilateral relations.

This visit will be the occasion for addressing issues of mutual interest, notably for population living in border areas, in which cooperation should be strengthened. These issues include the circulation of persons and goods, cooperation between border security services, realization of the trans-Saharan road, development of the barter border trade, and the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration.

According to the Algerian Delegate Minister in charge of Local Collectivities, Dahou Ould Kablia, the results of the 10th session of the Algerian-Malian Border Bilateral Commission will certainly trigger a new momentum for this cooperation and set up an institutional framework that will deepen cooperation ties between the two countries, notably at their border areas.

Source: Le Jeune Indépendant

As scheduled, President Bush met with the DRC President, Joseph Kabila on October 26, 2007. During that meeting, held in the White House’s Oval Office, Mr. Bush congratulated President Kabila for garnering 58 percent of the suffrage during the last presidential elections, he assessed as having been free and fair.

They also talked about challenges ahead such as the need to consolidate the gains of the ongoing peace process that led to the general elections. Among these challenges remain the economic development of the DRC, the security and stability of the country that involve, among other, the reform of the DRC security sector. In that regard, President Kabila emphasized the need for a continued support by the United States in order to achieve these challenges.

The instability in the Eastern part of the country was also addressed; particularly the need to make sure that the government’s reach extends throughout the entire country and that there is stability throughout the country.

Source: White House’s Office of the Press Secretary

According to the White House, US President is due to welcome Presidents of Liberia and the DRC respectively on October 18 and 26, 2007. With the President of Liberia, Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf, President Bush will address "her nation’s accomplishments nearly two years after Liberia’s historic democratic election". They will also discuss cooperation in the areas of education, reconstruction, trade and investment, security sector reform and debt relief. The US President will finally seize this opportunity to reiterate his country commitment to social, economic, and democratic progress in Liberia.

With th DRC President, Joseph Kabila, President Bush will discuss the successes of the newly elected Kabila Government after last year elections and the remaining challenges to secure Congo. They will also discuss ways to further increase bilateral cooperation on security sector reform and economic reconstruction in Eastern Congo.

Source: White House Office of the Press Secretary’s Releases on the US President Meetings with the Liberia and DRC Presidents.

British Minister for International Cooperation, Mrs. Shriti Vadera, travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo on October 4, 2007 for a three-day official visit during which, she was expected to discuss the British Government project to assist the DRC Government in establishing a durable peace and reducing poverty. During this visit, the British Minister was also expected to meet with the Head of States, Joseph Kabila, and the Prime Minister, Antoine Gizenza, the Governor of Kinshasa, André Kimbuta and other members of the Government and of the Parliament.

In the same vein, the Minister was due to meet with members of the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC), the international community and to have talks on the reform of the security sector and on the assistance to the Congolese Government for the implementation of projects aim at improving governance. After her stay in Kinshasa, Mrs. Vadera, was expected to travel on Saturday, 6 October to Lubumbashi to visit mining companies and a project relating to the reform of the justice.

Mrs. Vadera is responsible for the British Government’s efforts to alleviate poverty worldwide. For that purpose, her department benefits from a budget amounting to USD 2,5 million dedicated to support to Africa’s development.

Source: Afriquenligne.fr citing a communiqué from the British Embassy to the DRC.

From 2-3 October 2007, was  held in Kigali, Rwanda, the fourth session of the Algeria-Rwanda joint Commission. The objective of this session, attended on the Algerian side by the Delegate Minister for Maghreb and African Affairs, Mr. Abdelkader Messahel, and from the Rwandan one, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Charles Morigande, was to review, and particularly to deepen and boost their bilateral cooperation by identifying adequate ways and means. This Commission was also the lieu for furthering dialogue and consultation on issues of common interest.

According to the Delegate Minister for Maghreb and African, Mr. Abdelkader Messahel, new axis of cooperation shall encompass "fight against terrorism, the decolonization of Africa and other activities aim at rooting the dynamic of development in African perspective". Promoting initiatives aiming at strengthening regional integration was also evoked as a matter for mutual consideration.

During this meeting, views was exchanged on national reconciliation process the two countries undergone and it was acknowledged the importance of these policies "as factors of stability, answer to development, progress and prosperity in the two countries". On issues of common interest, the two parties underlined their "total convergence of views" on the situation in Africa or in other part of the world. At the end of the session, a certain number of concrete actions were identified such as the mobilization of human resources, energy health and trade.

Source: Algeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The French State Secretary for Cooperation and Francophonie, Mr. Jean-Marie Bockel travelled to South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia from September 9-12, 2007. In South Africa, the Secretary had talks with the Deputy-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Aziz Pahad and visited some projects funded through loans from the French Agency for Development (AFD). Mr. Bockel also took part to the signing of a €40 million Convention between the AFD and the ABSA Bank in favor of social housing projects.

In Namibia, the French Official signed with the Prime Minister, Mr. Nahas Angula, a Framework Partnership Document aims at enabling loans or gifts totaled to €130 million over the period 2007-2012. France envisions to focus its cooperation in that country in the areas of education and infrastructure, notably in the energy sector, with possible recourse to the French Fund for World Environment. Mr. Bockel also proceeded to the launching of a new project amounting to €1 million over three years supported by the Social Solidarity Fund. This fund will be affected in priority to the promotion of Human Rights and to the support of micro-enterprises.

In Lesotho, the State Secretary had talks with the King Lestsie III and with the Prime Minister, Mr. Pakalitha Mosisili. The visit of the French State Secretary was also the opportunity for the delivery of a French food assistance of $500,000 channeled through the World Food Programme (WFP).

Source: French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

Jean-Marie Bockel, the French State Secretary for Cooperation and the Francophonie will travel to Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon from September 30 to October 3, 2007.

During the Equatorial Guinea step, he will have talks with President Obiang Nguema on bilateral cooperation issues and on the promotion of the French language in that Spanish speaking-country that expressed its willingness to get closer to the Francophonie organization. Mr. Bockel will also meet with the French community in Bata and launch the building of the new French Cultural Center in that town.

In Cameroon, Mr. Bockel will meet with President Paul Biya on the eve of his visit to France. This step will also be the occasion to address issues relating to the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. France is the first donor of Cameroon. During his stay in Cameroon, the French State Secretary will first visit some urban development projects fund through the Debt Reduction and Development Contract and meet with people from the Franco-cameroonian business milieu. In the political capital, Yaounde, before presiding over the Standing Commission in charge of their bilateral cooperation, Mr. Bockel will sign with the Cameroonian Minister of External Relations two conventions of financing within the framework of the cooperation in the area of good governance (support to decentralization, cooperation in the policing area).

Moreover, after attending, on October 2, a dinner offered by the Cameroonian authorities, Mr. Bockel will visit the EI-Force project being implemented at the Sub-regional School of Awae within the framework of the defense cooperation. Finally, after a meeting with the Cameroonian civil society, he will travel to the Far-Northern part of the country, Maroua, where he will take part to the opening of the Makabaye Bridge and meet with the Ministry of Justice.

Source: French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and Libyan Foreign Ministry, Abdelrahmane Chalgam, met on September 26, 2007 in New York over the situation in Darfur. At that occasion, the Libyan Foreign Ministry invited Mrs. Rice to attend the peace conference to be hold in Libya on October 27, 2007 between Sudanese government and Darfur rebel factions to try to reach a political agreement on the conflict that is ravaging the Western province of Sudan since 2003. According to a US official commenting on that meeting, it was of a good quality.