Kenyatta Roots for Joint European Union and Africa Covid-19 Response Strategy

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for the crafting of a joint European Union and Africa Covid-19 response strategy, Chimp Corps report.

The President said the EU-Africa Covid-19 strategy should among other interventions pursue the cancelation of debts owed by African countries.

The Head of State spoke Thursday at State House, Nairobi, during a virtual conference of European and African leaders on the proposed establishment of the Africa-Mediterranean-Europe (AME) Foundation.

The setting up of AME Foundation as a platform to enhance development discourse and interactions between Africa, the Mediterranean and Europe is being championed by the Former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

COVID-19 have ravaged economies across the world.

A five-nation survey by GeoPoll in Sub-Saharan Africa has found that 60 per cent of those employed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic have not been able to work as a result of the outbreak, and nearly half of those are unsure if they will have jobs to go back to.

An even larger proportion, at four out of five of those polled in the survey of 2,500 respondents, reported that their income has decreased during the pandemic, with those in informal jobs, particularly  in trade and agriculture, reporting the most widespread and largest falls in incomes.

President Kenyatta supported the proposal to establish the Foundation saying the initiative will help inject new ideas needed to scale up collaboration between the three regions.

“I, therefore, welcome with enthusiasm the proposal to establish the Africa-Med-Europe (AME) Foundation. The Foundation will complement the existing Africa-European continental cooperation in addressing the emerging global challenges,” President Kenyatta said.

He said the foundation should be structured to be a robust platform for the promotion multilateralism and inclusivity.

“It will also be imperative for the Africa-Med-Europe Foundation to be a voice against unilateralism and be a champion in the promotion of inclusive and consultative decision making by our continents…In this context of inclusivity, the Foundation should also recognize the critical role of the private sector, the academia and civil society,” the President said.

Kenyatta endorsed the proposal to include the setting up of the EMA Foundation as an agenda during the next AU-EU summit scheduled for October this year.

“I also agree and concur with the idea that the next Africa Union-European Union Summit can present an excellent opportunity and platform to call for the establishment and support for the Africa-Med-Europe Foundation,” he said.

The virtual meeting was addressed by Presidents Macky Sall (Senegal), Issoufou Mahamadou (Niger), Mohamed Ould Ghazouni (Mauritania) and Roch Mach Kabore (Burkina Faso).

President Macky Sall supported the establishment of the EMA Foundation saying the institution will help address the changes happening on the African continent.

President Kabore reiterated President Kenyatta’s sentiments that EMA will assist in advancing multilateralism and global solidarity especially in post-Covid-19 recovery.