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World
French President Macron announced an aid program for African countries most affected by the Hormuz Strait crisis during a visit to Ethiopia.
Nearly 400 million euros have already been raised for the African Union's Peace Fund, which is targeting a total of one billion euros. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday a new aid initiative for African nations hardest hit by the fallout from the Hormuz Strait crisis, expressing deep concern over the crisis's impact on the continent. The announcement came during a visit to Ethiopia, where he delivered his first speech at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Macron revealed several initiatives following a trilateral meeting that included the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssef, and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. According to Radio France Internationale, the French president stated, "Under these circumstances, we must provide more support for the African economy. We will launch an aid initiative for the most affected countries to provide urgent support in the face of the repercussions of the Hormuz crisis. This initiative will help these countries produce alternatives to dependence on fertilizers, similar to what we did in vaccine production."
The ongoing crises in Africa were a central focus of Macron's discussions in Addis Ababa. He voiced his support for the African Union's Peace Fund, calling it an essential tool for maintaining peace on the continent. Macron added, "In this regard, France has expressed its readiness, and we have decided together to organize an international conference in Paris during the last quarter of this year to raise additional funding and mobilize new partners from the public and private sectors for the African Union's Peace Fund."
Ethiopia was the second stop on Macron's tour of East Africa. Hours before his meeting at the African Union, he met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and their discussions included economic cooperation among other topics.
