African leaders met in Addis Ababa for the 33rd summit of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government which was held under the theme – Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development. Silencing the Guns is a commitment that the leaders vowed seven years ago to end all wars and conflicts by 2020, but failed. This year’s summit was attended by leaders from different parts of the world including Justin Trudeau of Canada and Erna Solberg of Norway.
The two leaders were both in Africa to win support from world leaders for a UN Security Council seat they both want to win. The two leaders (Trudeau and Solberg) also attended a pre-summit side-line event dubbed ‘Blue Economy’ on Saturday, which was also attended by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “The Blue economy has been described as the new frontier of African Renaissance, with the potential to create wealth, promote trade, generate economic growth and transform lives.
Africa, with 38 coastal and island States, is well-placed to reap these benefits. The annual value of the African maritime industry is estimated to have reached USD one trillion,” Guterres said. The event was also attended by Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission
originally published in The reporter
