President Paul Kagame of Rwanda (left) with his Benin counterpart
Patrice Talon at the Kigali International Airport on August 29, 2016.
President Talon was on a three-day visit in Rwanda. PHOTO | CYRIL
NDEGEYA
By Ivan R. Mugisha
In Summary
Rwanda and Benin have joined a growing list of countries
that have endorsed World Bank president Jim Yong Kim for a second term
after his tenure ended in June.
President Paul Kagame announced his endorsement together with
his Benin counterpart Patrice Talon during the latter's three-day visit
to Rwanda.
Both leaders painted a glowing picture of the South Korean,
praising him for being committed to the progress and stabilisation of
the Great Lakes region since assuming office in 2012.
“He (Kim) is passionate about the work at hand. We fully support
him,” Mr Kagame told a press conference, with Mr Talon adding that: “Dr
Kim merits our trust. This is an opportunity to express our support to
his candidacy.”
A statement from the Rwandan government Thursday said that both
Rwanda and Benin recognise the achievements of Dr Kim during the last
four years, noting that he has strived to make the World Bank a “partner
of choice for African countries.”
"The Bank also took the lead in the response to the Ebola
epidemic in West Africa, through a multinational, multifaceted and
localised approach,” the statement reads.
The World Bank currently runs 12 national projects in Rwanda
with net commitment of $881 million, and five regional projects valued
at $119 million.
As of March 2016, the World Bank approved $4.27 billion in lending to 51 projects in sub-Saharan Africa.
He has also received endorsements from the US, Germany and
China, and has been described as a “lightning rod” for the World Bank by
UK's Financial Times.
Dr Kim’s biggest challenge so far has come from his own staff.
Early last month, the World Bank staff association requested for
an international search for a new president, citing a “crisis of
leadership” at the bank.
No comments :
Post a Comment