Gabonese Ambassador and Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors Carlos Victor Boungou, 13th from left, joins a cake-cutting ceremony with First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young, 11th from left, National Assembly Deputy Speaker and President of the National Assembly’s Forum for Africa’s New Era Lee Ju-young, ninth from left, and other dignitaries during an anniversary reception for Africa Day at the Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul, June 12. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
Twenty African countries co-hosted a campaign in Seoul last week to show their unity and solidarity on the 56th anniversary of Africa Day.
The campaign, titled Africa Week, took place from June 12 to 15. It also promoted business opportunities in Africa, its economic potential and diverse cultures in line with its Agenda 2063 sustainable development plan.
Africa Day marks the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963, which 38 years later, has evolved into the African Union (AU).
The union is comprised of all 55 African states and strives for pan-Africanism, an idea of an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa. (The 55 includes the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, a self-declared state claiming authority over the disputed territory of Western Sahara occupied by Morocco.)
Twenty AU members — Algeria, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zambia — have embassies here.
Many of the other 35 AU members have their envoys in China or Japan double as ambassadors to Korea.
Under the Agenda 2063 initiative introduced in 2015, the 55 AU members seek to build a self-reliant, well-educated and technology-driven society and eventually transform the continent into a global powerhouse by 2063.
“The celebration of Africa Day on May 25 each year marks the recognition of the dream of pan-Africanism, a dream for a united and integrated Africa brought to life by the founding fathers in 1963, and reflected in the vision of the African Union’s landmark Agenda 2063,” Gabonese Ambassador to Korea Carlos Victor Boungou said during an Africa Day anniversary reception at the Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul, June 12.
Also the dean of the African Group of Ambassadors in Korea, Boungou highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an intra-Africa economic bloc that took force on May 30 as a key goal of Agenda 2063.
It aims to create the largest common market in the world since the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995.
The AU summit scheduled July 7 will launch the first operational phase of the AfCFTA.
Boungou referred to Africa as “the engine for the future economic prosperity of the world” and “a land of opportunities,” pointing out Africa marked an annual average economic growth of 5.5 percent and that 70 percent of its population is aged 30 or younger.
“Africa is indeed a vibrant continent with a young population. In a global environment marred by economic difficulties and uncertainties, Africa is doing reasonably well … The Republic of Korea can seize the opportunities offered by the new African business environment,” he said.
Among the dignitaries at the reception were ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps from Asia, the Americas and Europe.
From the Korean side was First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-Young, National Assembly Deputy Speaker and President of the National Assembly’s Forum for Africa’s New Era Lee Ju-young and Choi Yeon-ho, the president of the Korea-Africa Foundation that operates under the wing of the foreign ministry.
In his congratulatory speech, Vice Minister Cho noted Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha’s planned tour of Africa later this year will be “an excellent opportunity to foster a Korea-Africa partnership” along with Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s two Africa trips in 2018.
Korea-Africa trade volume increased from $1.2 billion in 1990 to $19.3 billion in 2018.
The 2018 amount still accounts for only 2 percent of Korea’s total foreign trade.
And Rep. Lee underscored parliamentary efforts to enact a law to offer tax benefits to Korean companies seeking to run businesses and invest in Africa.
“We do look forward to a consistent and far increase in exchange and cooperation,” he said.
Choi said his foundation will continue to deepen Korea-Africa cooperation in both the private and public sectors.
The four-day Africa Week campaign included a business seminar at the Federation of Korean Industries, June 13, film screenings at Seoul Cinema in Jongno-gu from June 12 to 14, and an outdoor cultural festival at Cheonggye Plaza, also in Jongno-gu, June 15.
Under the theme, “Integrating Africa in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era,” the seminar discussed trends of regional integration in Africa, its expansion in the infrastructure market and its economic growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.
The film screenings featured six films — “Up North” (2018), “Queen of Katwe” (2016), “Rock the Casbah” (2013), ” The First Grader” (2011), “Skin” (2008) and “Njinga, Rainha de Angola” (2013).
Depending on their storylines, the six were categorized into one of the African values associated with the pan-African colors — green, gold and red.
Inspired by the tri-color flag of Ethiopia, green symbolizes rich land and development, gold for natural resources and hope, and red for Africans’ blood and sacrifice, freedom and equality, according to the Korea-Africa Foundation.
The outdoor festival showcased Western African traditional rhythm and dance, Afro jazz and promotion booths for startups, travel and cultural content.
