Buhari jets out to Egypt on Tuesday
by Rasheed Sobowale
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru – Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to depart Abuja Tuesday for Aswan, Egypt to attend the Aswan Forum designed to set “An Agenda for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa.”
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina explained that the Forum which holds December 11-12, 2019, is an initiative to address the interconnections between peace and development in Africa while promoting Africa-led solutions through strengthening policies and practices.
According to the statement, “The initiative is being launched by the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in his capacity as the Chairman of the African Union (AU) and as an advocate of Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development in Africa – a recurring theme of his tenure as the AU Chairman. It is also grounded in the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, and the search for African solutions to African problems.
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“The gathering is expected to bring together heads of state and government, leaders from regional and international organisations, financial institutions, private sector and civil societies as well as scholars, visionaries and prominent experts for action-oriented discussions on the threats, challenges and opportunities.
“It is also expected to end with a Declaration on the theme of the Forum and become an annual event.”
The statement further recalled that the Speaker of Egypt’s House of Representatives, Ali Abdel Aal had delivered President el-Sisi’s message to President Buhari in Abuja on October 28, 2019 inviting him to the inaugural Aswan Forum.
President Buhari will be accompanied by Governors Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Godwin Obaseki of Edo and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.
Others are the Minister of Defence, Gen. Bashir Magashi (Rtd); Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada; National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (Rtd); and the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.
President Buhari is expected back in Abuja on Friday.