Seven former heads of state convene in Kigali

Seven former African heads of state and other eminent persons are set to meet at a two-day meeting in Kigali which will, among other things, discuss the continent’s financing for sustainable development. The summit, dubbed African Leadership Forum (ALF), opens tomorrow and will be hosted by former Tanzanian President, Benjamin William Mkapa. The summit is organised by Uongozi Institute, a public institute established by the Government of Tanzania to support African leaders to deliver sustainable development. Among the former heads of state expected at the event include Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, Moncef Marzouki of Tunisia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, and Mkapa. Among the eminent persons at the event include Dr Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of UNECA; Dr Donald Kaberuka, former President of the African Development Bank, and Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. The summit will also convene over 100 other distinguished leaders from the public sector, private sector, academia and civil society. The meeting will run under the theme, “Financing Africa’s Transformation for Sustainable Development”. According to the event’s organisers, the meeting will seek to provide a platform to deliberate on the prospect of increased, improved, and effective financing for Africa’s transformation. Prof. Joseph Semboja, the chief executive of Uongozi Institute, said that the summit will provide an opportunity to learn from the successes and setbacks in national, regional and continental attempts to address specific financing challenges. “The meeting will provide an opportunity to learn from the successes and setbacks in national, regional and continental attempts to address specific financing challenges, and to put forward recommendations for unlocking increased financing for Africa’s development,” he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Seven former heads of state convene in Kigali