Africa's growth

Meloni promises increased cooperation between Italy and Africa

On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met dozens of African government leaders in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for the second Italian-African summit, reports the AP.

When Meloni was elected in 2022, reduced African migration and more independence from the EU were part of her election platform. In 2024, her government launched the so-called Mattei Plan in connection with the first African-Italian summit.

The plan aims to make Italy more independent from Brussels in terms of foreign policy, and to move from aid to investment-based cooperation to strengthen African economies and thereby reduce migration.

- We want to build things together [...] We want to take advantage of African wisdom, says Meloni.

Meloni: Climate-stricken countries will get debt relief

During the Italian-African summit in Addis Ababa, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni raised the issue of African countries' debts, writes Reuters.

- We have launched a broad initiative to convert debts into joint development projects. To this is added a clause to pause debt repayments for countries affected by extreme climate events, she says.

Meloni's government has made the so-called Mattei Plan for Africa a cornerstone of its foreign policy. It aims to make Italy more independent from the EU in terms of foreign policy and reduce migration through joint development projects with African countries.

Young Africans' anger characterizes AU summit

On Saturday, the African Union began its annual summit in Ethiopia to discuss the future of 1.4 billion inhabitants. A shadow hangs over the meeting: the legitimacy crisis among young Africans, reports AP.

Africa has the world's youngest population - more than 400 million are between the ages of 15 and 35. At the same time, the continent has some of the oldest and longest-serving leaders in the world. This paradox has led to a series of coups d'état.

The young population is expected to double by 2050, and it is the only fast-growing region in the world where the population is getting poorer. On social media, many young Africans express their frustration with the AU, which is seen as a club for an aging power elite.

- The frustration of the young is because it is not an African Union for citizens. It is not a people-driven union, says Liesl Louw-Vaudran, analyst at Crisis Group.