President Obiang highlights importance of
American investment in driving Equatorial Guinea’s economic growth.
International Leadership Conference
unites African leaders with African diaspora.
Equatorial Guinean
President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo called this week for a strengthening of
commercial ties and cultural exchanges with the United States—and particularly
with African-Americans – as a key to Africa’s development. He made the remarks
at the opening of the International
Leadership Conference, co-sponsored by Equatorial Guinea, GB Energy and the
World Mayors Conference, which is taking place in the Sipopo
Conference Center of the capital city of Malabo from October 15-20.
“This meeting is
an opportunity for the continent to deepen its contacts with the African-
American community and create opportunities for development. Africa bears a
strong appreciation, respect and confidence in the American people for their
fearlessness, dynamism, realism and spirit of excellence in all their
undertakings,” President Obiang said.
He said that the
country’s rapid development is due in large part to the investment American
companies made in the oil sector: “Equatorial Guinea today has become…the
fourth most developed country on the African continent. American assistance
could be the solution for Africa.”
“Our government
highly values the contributions of American citizens in our development, and
we believe this momentum can be carried throughout Africa. America has a great
ability to do so, given its extensive experience in the development of technology,”
he said.
The conference
brought African-American political leaders together s with leaders in
government and business from throughout Africa.
This is the second time within the
last two months that Equatorial Guinea has hosted a meeting focused on uniting
Africans with the African diaspora. Malabo was host to the Ninth Leon H.
Sullivan Foundation Summit in August.
Addressing himself specifically to
the African diaspora and the
importance of uniting people on two continents, he said, “Let’s work together
for a better future, to unite what others have separated,” During his speech,
President Obiang stressed the importance of this strategic meeting between
Africans and African-Americans, recalling the commitment of Equatorial Guinea
to “grant citizenship to African-Americans wishing to settle here, either to
work or do business.”
The conference
is focused specifically on local communities and is being attended by mayors
and other municipal and local officials from the United States, the
Caribbean and Africa.
Addressing the
need for a greater exchange of knowledge and experience at the local level, President
Obiang said, “We need to foster a mutual knowledge of local communities, to
promote town twinning with communities in the United States. We believe that
working together with American community leaders on issues such as education,
health, energy, environment, tourism, mining, etc., will foster a mutual
understanding of the methods and practices that elevate the values of African-American
and African cultures. It is a crucial link to build closer cooperation and
solidarity between Africa and America.”
The
International Community Leaders Conference brings experts and leaders in
different sectors with the goal to create a platform to promote the exchange of
ideas, concepts and proposals that support the development of Equatorial
Guinea. The conference is centered in progress made in Equatorial Guinea,
especially in the country's industrialization plan.
Mayors and
entrepreneurs, experts and professionals from North America delivered presentations
on the most important issues of development and offered their expertise to
African delegates. The conference included forums on municipalities,
ecotourism, culture, arts and health, education, energy, mining and environment.
The U.S.
delegation numbered 96, including Dr. James L. Walls, Jr., mayor, District
Heights, Md., and president of the World Conference of Mayors; John McGowan, mayor,
Union Springs, Ala.; Tawana Lynn Keels, chair-elect of the National Black
Caucus of School Board Members, Princeton, Ohio; Thomas Masters, mayor, Riviera
Beach, Fla.; Deborah Denard Delgado, council member, National Black Caucus of
Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO); Mary Ajoku, mayor, Cruger, Miss.; Melony Griffith, member
of the Maryland General Assembly; Adam McFadden, councilman, Rochester, New
York; Hanifa Shabazz, councilwoman, Wilmington, Del.; and Johnny Ford, mayor,
Tuskegee, Ala.
The conference
also had delegations from Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria, Liberia, Gambia,
Trinidad and Tobago, and Burkina Faso.
Through
financial investments and the transfer of knowledge, the African diaspora is
having a significant impact on African development. During his closing speech
at the Leon H. Sullivan Summit this past August, President Obiang said, “The
African Diaspora is almost like another continent, and it can contribute to the
development of the African economy. The developed countries need resources and
Africa needs development.”
Equatorial Guinea has been increasingly active in African affairs in recent
years. It has used its oil resources to provide emergency humanitarian
assistance to its African neighbors, and it has conducted a robust regional
foreign policy featuring bilateral summits, citizen exchanges, technical
assistance and investment promotion. It has also hosted a number of regional conferences
in its new facilities in Sipopo.
