President Paul Kagame has arrived in Egypt where he will join several Heads of State and Government in the Red Sea resort city of Sherm El Sheikh for the second Africa Business Forum. This year’s forum will attract about 10 Heads of State and Government, as well as dozens of top industry captains and delegates from across Africa and seeks to build on the success of the inaugural Africa 2016, according to organisers. Also expected to attend the Africa Business Forum are President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt, President of Guinea and current chair of the African Union, Alpha Condé, President Idriss Déby Itno of Chad, PresidentAlassane Dramane Ouattara of Côte dIvoire, President Azali Assoumani of Comoros, and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed of Somalia. Others include the Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, and the Prime Minister of Mozambique, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário. This business and investment forum is running under the theme, ‘Driving Investment for Inclusive Growth’, and has been convened to increase intra-African investments and cross-border collaboration, according to a statement from organisers. Shortly after his arrival in the North African nation earlier today, President Kagame started his two-day visit by attending the Youth Entrepreneurship Day (YED) session under the theme ‘Driving African Entrepreneurship’. He featured on a panel that also included President Al Sisi, Nigerian business magnet Tony Elumelu, and three young entrepreneurs. In 2015, Egypt hosted the signing of a tripartite agreement between three of Africa’s leading regional economic communities Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC) to facilitate free movement of people, goods and services across the region, and the forum is billed as an ideal platform to advance this cause. In August, 2017, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi visited Rwanda during which both countries agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation on regional and international matters of mutual interest. Kagame’s visit to Egypt and participation in the forum that seeks to promote business and investment across the continent comes weeks before he assumes the chairmanship of African Union. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
