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

The president of the South African National Assembly, Mrs. Baleka Mbete, started on 23 November a-three-day-official visit in Algeria to "strengthen and reaffirm friendship ties" between the two countries. According to a communiqué of the Algerian National Popular assembly, the aim of this visit is to "contribute to the reinforcement of relations between the two parliamentarian chambers and to emphasize the important role of parliamentarians in the framework of African multilateral institutions".

Mrs. Baleka Mbete will be accompanied by an important delegation of South African parliamentarian and will have talks with the president of the Algerian Assembly, Mr. Abdelaziz Ziari, and with high political personalities as well. during this visit, a bilateral cooperation framework protocol is to be signed between the two parliaments.

The creation of an Algerian-South African inter-parliamentarian friendship group was mentioned in the communiqué as an instrument of parliamentarian diplomacy to strengthen and boost their bilateral relations and cooperation in all aspects.

The visit of the SA parliamentarian delegation will give the opportunity to examine the two countries contribution and commitments to the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD). Moreover, the two delegations will address and exchange views on possible solutions to resolve the conflict over the Western Sahara opposing Morocco and the Polisario Front. In that regard, a group from the SA delegation is expected to visit Sahraouian refugee camps as a sign of solidarity with the Sahraouian people in its struggle for self-determination. Should we remind that SA has been one of the first countries that recognized the Sahraouian Arab Democratic Republic as a sovereign State.

Source: El Moudjahid

Côte d’Ivoire Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Youssouf Bakayoko, undertook a friendship and work visit to Kuweit from 13-14 November 2007. the Ivorian Foreign Minister was invited by his Kuwaiti counterpart and ws also carrying a message of the Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo, for the Kuwaiti leader, His Highness the Emir Cheick Sabah Al-Ahmed El Sabah.

During his visit, H.E. Youssouf Bakayoko also had talks with the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister, the Governor of the Kuwaiti Development Bank and other authorities with whom he evoked recent developments in the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire since the signing of the political peace Ouagadougou Agreement in March 2007 and addressed reasons for delays in its implementation. Ivorian Minister nonetheless emphasized the shared political will of the different parties for a rapid and definitive end of the crisis. H.E Youssouf Bakayoko received strong assurances of the Emir that his country was committed to taking the lead in conveying and hosting the Donor Round Table aims to raise necessary fund to support Côte d’Ivoire in the reconstruction of areas destroyed or damaged during the crisis. The decision of conveying this meeting had been taken at the 34th session of the Islamic Conference of the Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Conference Organization (ICO) held in Islamabad (Pakistan) from 15-17 May 2007.

Source: Côte d’Ivoire MFA

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

Portuguese Minister of Defense, Nuno Severino Teixeira, carried out a-four-day-official visit of work to Angola in the framework of the two countries bilateral relations in the area of military cooperation. During this visit that lasted from 14-17 October 2007, the Portuguese military delegation was expected to have official talks on Monday 15 October 2007 with its counterpart from Angola, headed by the Angola Minister of Defense, General Kundi Paihama. The same day, a reception of the delegation by the first Vice-president of the National Assembly, João Lourenço, was scheduled.

On 16 October, the Portuguese Minister visited a military camp where are located special forces in the North of the capital, Luanda where he was supposed to inspect ongoing projects in that base of the Angola Armed Forces (FAA) in the framework of the Military Technical Commission that comprised Portugal.

The Portuguese Minister of Defense was also due to take part to a colloquium on "Europe-Africa and Challenges to International Security".

Source: AngolaPress

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.

Ivorian Prime Minister, Guilaume Soro, met with the diplomatic corps to Côte d’Ivoire on October 5. During two hours, the Prime Minister addressed recent political evolutions in the country, particularly the implementation of the political agreement signed in Ouagadougou early this year, on March 4, 2007.

According to Ambassadors who attended that meeting, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to the full implementation of that political agreement and informed them on progress made towards it, notably with the launching of the phase of identification of future voters. At the end of that meeting, Ambassadors expressed their satisfaction and reaffirmed their full support to Côte d’Ivoire in this particularly challenging process.

Source: Notre Voie

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.