African and European leaders have committed to embracing the digital revolution through their decades-long European Union-African Union cooperation.
Last week, African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) heads of state, as well as government officials, came together in Luanda, Angola, for the 7th AU-EU Summit to renew and deepen a partnership grounded in peace, prosperity, sustainable development and shared opportunity.
The occasion also marked the commemorative landmark of it being 25 years since the first AU-EU Summit in Cairo.
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The 7th AU-EU Summit was held under the theme ‘Promoting Peace and Prosperity through Effective Multilateralism.’
In a press release yesterday, EU delegation to Namibia spokesperson Twaku Kayofa noted that the EU will contribute about €122 million to the Finnfund Global Connect programme to realise the digital revolution partnership.
He added that about €32 million of the funds will be for expanding subsea cables, fiber networks, data centres and mobile payment systems in Africa.
“Furthermore, the leaders also committed to advance peace, security and governance by strengthening AU-led mediation efforts in conflict-affected zones like the Great Lakes and advancing African-led peace operations, such as those in Somalia or against Boko Haram. Both sides will also further deepen cooperation on counterterrorism and the fight against organised crime, as well as enhance collaboration on cyber, maritime and space security,” he stated.
Kayofa said through the Global Gateway, the EU has already made €120 billion available for projects across Africa.
“Large-scale investments and expertise have been mobilised in strategic sectors such as green energy, transport corridors, digitalisation, health systems and resources. The EU is well on track to surpass the initial target of €150 billion by 2027,” he stated.
He added that the EU-Namibia partnership is a great example of the AU-EU relationship in action, as through it they have a strong political partnership grounded in shared values, based on the United Nations charter.
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