President Rivlin welcomes African ambassadors ahead of forum

Rivlin emphasized that Israel is ready to share its knowledge in areas of cyber security, health, technology, agriculture, water management, tourism and more with all African states.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
President Rivlin meets with ambassadors from African countries (photo credit: MARK NEYMAN/GPO)
President Rivlin meets with ambassadors from African countries
(photo credit: MARK NEYMAN/GPO)
Sixteen ambassadors and Charges d'Affaires of African countries that have bilateral relations with Israel gathered at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Thursday to officially launch the South Africa Ministry of Foreign Affairs Forum which is headed by Zambian Ambassador Martin Chungu Mwanambabe.
Israel has diplomatic ties with several other African states whose ambassadors are non-resident.
From the Israel side of the discussions, President Reuven Rivlin asked for African support in rejecting the Black List of Israeli companies formulated by the UN Human Rights Council and also urged support for the regaining of Israeli observer status in the African Union.
Rivlin also emphasized that Israel is ready to share its knowledge in areas of cyber security, health, high technology, agriculture water management, tourism and more with all African States.
Rivlin reiterated several times that the African continent is the future.
Mwanambabe said that he and his fellow ambassadors want to see true co-operation between Israel and the  African states.  "We are all aware of the challenges," he said.  "Together we can achieve a lot.  Coming together is a beginning.  Staying together is progress and working together is success."
In general, the African diplomats were primarily interested in acquiring Israeli know-how in cyber security and in fighting terrorism.  They also wanted to see more Israeli investment in their countries.
The first African country to establish relations with Israel was Ghana in 1959.
Unlike her colleagues who confined their remarks purely to bilateral relations between their respective countries and Israel, Ghana's ambassador Hannah Ama Nyarko who pledged that her country would take up Israel's cause at the African Union also spoke about disturbing reports of rising antisemitism in the world and compared it to the negative attitudes towards Africans and people of color whose ancestors were African.
"Racism and hatred go together," responded Rivlin. "We know where it begins but not the end."
Kenya's ambassador Samuel Thuita said that his country would support Israel at the United Nations.
Jean Mariie  Ngakala, the Charge d'Affaires of the Democratic Republic of Congo lamented that the last high ranking  Israeli official to visit his country had been Yitzhak Shamir, whereas numerous officials and businesspeople have visited other African States.
South Sudan's ambassador Wol Mayer Ariec said that his country was very concerned about terrorism  in general and looked to Israel for assistance  "because Israel knows how to fight terrorism."
Nigerian Ambassador Enoch Pear Duchi also valued Israel's help in fighting terrorism.
Luciano Ncogo Ndong Ayecaba, the ambassador of Equatorial Guinea said that his country does not have financial resources with which to import goods and would welcome more direct investment.
Angola's ambassador Osvaldo dos Santos Varela made a similar request saying that Angola has natural resources but doesn't have money.
Ethiopia's ambassador Reta Alemu Nega proposed an economic partnership between Israel and African states and Tanzania's ambassador Job Daudi Masima said that the issue of Israel regaining observer status in the African Union had been dragging on for too long.
Several ambassadors invited Rivlin to visit their respective countries and some also said that their Presidents were eager to come to Israel.