The African Union and the Federal Republic of Germany concluded consultations for extended cooperation in the areas of youth job creation, peace and infrastructure.
Delegates from the two sides announced this October 5, 2017 at a joint press briefing at the newly inaugurated Julius Nyerere Building inside the AU headquarters.
It is part of the cooperation endeavor between the two parties that commenced in November 2015. In this regard, the two sides jointly created a program to finance job creation schemes through promoting education and vocational training for African youth.
“Those eligible for application of funding via this facility are private companies, vocational, educational and training institutions and government institutions in the selected pilot countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Tunisia, Cameroon and Nigeria,” according to a press statement.
In this regard, Germany gave 36 million Euros during the first round of the program. As part of this, this week Germany committed an additional 28 million Euros for the second phase.
“Our interest is that Africa can create sufficient jobs for its young and growing population,” said Guenter Nooke, German chancellor’s personal representative for Africa in the federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and head of the German delegation.
Economic transformation, skills development, better infrastructure and bigger markets for intra-African trade are central to create prospects for young people and to combat the causes of forced migration.
In recent domestic political dynamism, illegal migration to Europe has been a hot topic generally in Europe, particularly in Germany. In the recent election in Germany where Chancellor Angela Merkel emerged a winner, migrants and migration were at the center of the campaign.
Her firm stand to accept refugees from the Middle East and other parts of the world, according to commentators, cost her party, the Christina Democrats, to lose significant support from voters during the recent election, forcing her party to form a coalition with other political parties.
The money just injected by Germany will be allocated to different programs related to the aforementioned purpose. It targets the whole African continent and will be distributed via the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
“The African Union appreciates the German government for its continuous support and long-term cooperation,” said AU Commission Deputy Chairperson Ambassador Kwesi Quarterly.
