Africa must push for rapid industrialization in order to resolve food security issues, eliminate wars for resources and avoid consistent reliance on export of raw materials, the African Union's Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui told Sputnik on Wednesday
SOCHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2019) Africa must push for rapid industrialization in order to resolve food security issues, eliminate wars for resources and avoid consistent reliance on export of raw materials, the African Union's Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui told Sputnik on Wednesday.
"We want to industrialize our continent; we cannot continue exporting raw materials. We want to add value to them, give jobs to our youth. We also need to prepare the skills for this industrialization," the commissioner told a Sputnik correspondent on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi.
Chergui posited that food security is the most immediate issue facing Africa today, and that the effects of climate change only exacerbate the problem. The diplomat also said that African nations must rethink their agricultural policies to assist people most in need instead of growing specialized produce.
"Some countries are questioning the kind of agriculture they have specialized in, the kind mainly devoted to exports, at a time when there are people in need. The other issue is the impact of this climate change on us. Today, if you see, the conflicts are breaking out over water, over land. Those are conflicts within the communities, they are clearly more than just terrorism today," Chergui explained.
Many of the poorest African nations are rich with natural resources that are largely extracted and smuggled by illegal means often through coercion and the threat of violence. Many of these resources are essential for communication technologies and other advanced industries.
The Russia-Africa summit and business forum, co-chaired by the presidents of Russia and Egypt, kicked off on Wednesday. Over 40 African nations are be represented by heads of state or government at the summit, while 11 others sent their vice presidents, foreign ministers or ambassadors. The Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency is an official media partner of the event.
