President Muhammadu
Buhari would depart Abuja on Tuesday, December 10 for Aswan, Egypt.
The forum which would
hold between Wednesday, December 11 and Thursday, December 12, is an initiative
to address the interconnections between peace and development in Africa.
The forum which would
promote Africa-led solutions through strengthening policies and practices is an
initiative launched by the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in his
capacity as the chairman of the African Union (AU) and as an advocate of
post-conflict reconstruction and development in Africa.
The gathering is
expected to bring together heads of state and government, leaders from regional
and international organisations, financial institutions, private sector and
civil societies as well as scholars, visionaries and prominent experts for
action-oriented discussions on the threats, challenges and opportunities.
It is also expected to
end with a declaration on the theme of the forum and become an annual event. It
would be recalled that the speaker of Egypt’s House of Representatives, Ali
Abdel Aal, had delivered President el-Sisi’s message to President Buhari in
Abuja on October 28, inviting him to the inaugural Aswan Forum.
The president would be accompanied by
Governors Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Godwin Obaseki of Edo and Mai Mala Buni of
Yobe state. Others in President Buhari’s entourage are: The minister of
defence, Bashir Magashi; minister of state, foreign affairs, Zubairu Dada;
National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; and the director-general, National
Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.
President Buhari is expected back in Abuja on
Friday, December 13.