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Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has departed for the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit, scheduled for June 4th and 5th at the KINTEX International Exhibition Center in Ilsan and Seoul, Korea.
This landmark event marks the first time the Republic of Korea gathers leaders from African nations and international organizations for a dedicated summit. Themed “The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity,” the summit aims to strengthen cooperation between Korea and Africa.
Expected attendees include African heads of state, representatives of the African Union Development Bank, and key figures from the Korean government, including President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The summit seeks solutions to tackle global challenges like climate change, food security, and healthcare through collaboration and a focus on sustainable development. Discussions will extend beyond a head-of-state summit, with conference sessions covering diverse topics like business, agriculture, technology, and energy.
The African Development Bank Group, led by President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, will participate in the summit, solidifying their over 40-year partnership with the Korean government.
This summit follows the 7th Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Ministerial Conference in September 2023, highlighting Korea’s continued support for African development. Agreements worth $28.6 million were signed at KOAFEC to bolster Africa’s energy access, agricultural transformation, and knowledge development. These funds will be disbursed over three installments.
The Korea-Africa Summit builds upon the $600 million co-financing framework established in 2021 between the African Development Bank and the Korean government to support technical capacity building and energy sector development in Africa.
While I would not call this trip an unnecessary one that we cannot afford, are all those people going? And why can’t all of his fellow travelers look like they belong in a presidential entourage? Most of them look like they are going to go take care of some paopa business. And Bio just keeps getting fatter and fatter while our people starve.